Preliminary Analytical Studies on Sharpunkha Vati – A Novel Herbal Medicine

Introduction:Sharpunkha Vati (SV) is an herbal preparation containing a single drug Sharpunkha (Tephrosia purpurea Linn.) and made in Vati formulation for palatable and easier in dose calculation. It is a useful formulation in Beejadushtijanya Pandu (thalassemia). Till date, analytical data are not available for this herbal preparation. The present study aimed to generate analytical data on the SV for its quality assurance. Methods:Pharmacognostical, physicochemical, and high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analyses were carried out by Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Laboratory at ITRA, Jamnagar. Results:The presence of border pitted vessels, brown content, crystal fiber, an epidermal cell with stomata, lignified fibers, lignified pitted vessels, oil globule, pitted vessels, prismatic crystal, rhomboid crystal, and simple fiber of Sharpunkha were the distinctive characteristics of an SV as seen under a microscope. Physicochemical analysis showed 4.84 kg/cm2 hardness, 8.36% w/w ash value, 1.95% w/w loss on drying, 9.1% w/w water-soluble extract, 13.7% alcohol soluble extract, and pH was 6. HPTLC showed five spots at 254 nm and nine spots at 366 nm. Conclusion:The results of pharmacognostical and pharmaceutical parameters have generated preliminary data, which could be used as fingerprinting of SV for future researchers.