Pharmacognostical and physicochemical evaluation of gandhakadi yoga vati: An ayurveda herbo-mineral formulation for thalassemia major

Background: Ayurveda is age-old medical system, practiced in India. Ayurveda medicines are being prepared from natural sources like herbs, animal products, and minerals. Ancient Ayurveda scholars have mentioned various pharmaceutical procedures to make it bioavailable. They also mentioned about various parameters to control the quality and standardize those formulations. But due to globalization and industrialization, it is need of the time to produce medicines in larger scale and to evaluate its quality with currently available tools for the global acceptance of Ayurveda. Gandhakadi Yoga Vati is an herbo-mineral formulation used as an adjuvant in the management of Thalassemia Major. Till date quality data of this formulation is not been evaluated. Aims and Objectives: To analyze the Gandhakadi Yoga Vati through pharmacognostically and physicochemical parameters. Materials and Methods: In this analytical study, preauthenticated raw drugs were procured from pharmacy, ITRA, Jamnagar. Drug was prepared at RSBK department and pharmacy, ITRA, Jamnagar. Organoleptic parameters and microscopic analysis of Vati were done at pharmacognosy department, ITRA. Physicochemical analysis and high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) were carried out at pharmaceutical laboratory, ITRA. Results: Microscopic characteristics of Gandhakadi Yoga Vati showed simple trichome, starch grain, epidermal cells, fibers, parenchymal cell of Agastya Patra (Sesbenia grandiflora Linn.), pitted stone cells, lignified stone cell, trichome, tanin content, prismatic crystal, brown content, spool cells of Vidanga (Embelia ribes Burm.f.), and black debris of Gandhaka. In physicochemical analysis, Ash value was 8.64%w/w, loss on drying was 0.85%w/w, pH was 6.4, acid-insoluble ash value was 2.49% w/w alcohol-soluble extractive was 14.9%w/w, and water-soluble extractive was 5.09%w/w. HPTLC study showed 06 and 07 peaks at 254 and 366 nm wave lengths, respectively. Conclusion: This study generated preliminary data on pharmacognostical, physicochemical parameters, and HPTLC of Gandhakadi Yoga Vati. These fingerprinting can be useful for future researchers to reproduce this formulation.