A PHARMACEUTICAL AND ANALYTICAL STUDY ON DADRUHARA MALAHARA PREPARED WITH SOMRAJI TAILA

Background: Ayurvedic pharmaceutics includes various dosage forms intended for external application. Dadruhara Lepa is an external formulation used in the management of skin disorders, while Malahara Kalpana provides a semisolid dosage form suitable for convenient application and prolonged contact with the affected area. In the present study, the contents of Dadruhara Lepa were incorporated into a Somraji Taila-based Siktha Taila to prepare Dadruhara Malahara, followed by pharmaceutical and analytical evaluation. Aim: To prepare Dadruhara Malahara with Somraji Taila and to evaluate the prepared formulation through organoleptic, physicochemical, microbiological, elemental and chromatographic parameters. Materials and Methods: The pharmaceutical study included Shodhana of Bakuchi, Guggulu, Tankana and Gandhaka, followed by preparation of Somraji Taila and Dadruhara Malahara. Somraji Taila was prepared in three batches according to the principles of Sneha Paka. Dadruhara Malahara was prepared in three batches by incorporating the contents of Dadruhara Lepa—Shodhita Gandhaka, Shodhita Tankana, Safeda Kattha, Rala and Shodhita Guggulu—into a Siktha Taila base. Somraji Taila and Siktha were used in a ratio of 6:1 for preparation of the base, while Dadruhara Lepa contents and the prepared Siktha Taila base were used in a ratio of 1:2.5. The prepared formulation was evaluated for organoleptic characteristics, pH, moisture content, total fat, spreadability, Total Viable Count (TVC), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Results: Somraji Taila and Dadruhara Malahara were successfully prepared in three batches. From an initial Sneha quantity of 1000 g in each batch, the obtained quantities of Somraji Taila were 819 g, 832 g and 812 g, respectively. The prepared Dadruhara Malahara was mustard brown, smooth, homogeneous and semisolid with a characteristic herbal-medicated odour. The pH was 8.04, moisture content was 1.73% w/w, total fat was 64.82%, spreadability was 7.14 g·cm/s and TVC was 1 × 10² CFU/g. XRF analysis showed sulphur at 2.57%, along with silicon, aluminium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other trace elements. Lead was detected at 2 ppm. HPTLC produced a characteristic multi-spot chromatographic profile at 254 nm, 366 nm and 540 nm. Conclusion: Dadruhara Malahara prepared with Somraji Taila was successfully obtained as a smooth, homogeneous semisolid formulation. The pharmaceutical study documented the preparation process and observations across three batches, while analytical evaluation generated preliminary physicochemical, microbiological, elemental and chromatographic data for characterization and quality assessment of the prepared formulation.