PHARMACEUTICO-ANALYTICAL STUDY OF CLASSICAL SHANKHA BHASMA COMPARING WITH DIFFERENT MARKET SAMPLES BY RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

Shankha Bhasma is an important Ayurvedic mineral preparation derived from Shankha and is traditionally prepared through specific pharmaceutical procedures including Shodhana, Bhavana and Marana. Proper pharmaceutical processing is essential for achieving the desired physicochemical characteristics and therapeutic suitability of the final product. With increasing availability of commercially marketed Bhasma preparations, scientific analytical methods are necessary to assess their quality and to identify similarities or differences between traditionally prepared and marketed samples. Aim: To prepare Classical Shankha Bhasma according to classical Ayurvedic references and to compare the prepared Bhasma with different marketed samples using pharmaceutical and analytical parameters, with special emphasis on Raman spectroscopy. Materials and Methods: Shankha was subjected to classical Shodhana followed by Marana using appropriate Bhavana Dravya and repeated incineration procedures as described in classical Rasashastra texts. The prepared Classical Shankha Bhasma was evaluated using classical Bhasma Pariksha and physicochemical parameters. Six marketed samples were collected and subjected to comparative analysis. Analytical evaluation included pH, loss on drying, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, water-soluble ash, particle-size-related observations, SEM–EDX and Raman spectroscopic analysis. Results: The prepared and marketed samples showed variation in physicochemical and analytical characteristics. The pH values of the evaluated marketed samples ranged from 8 to 14. Total ash values ranged from 94.06% to 100%, while acid-insoluble ash values ranged from 97.2% to 99.7%. Water-soluble ash showed greater variation, ranging from 64.16% to 100%. Loss on drying ranged from 0.3% to 1.2%. SEM–EDX demonstrated differences in elemental composition and surface morphology among the samples. Raman spectroscopy provided characteristic spectral information useful for comparative identification and differentiation of the samples. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the importance of integrating classical Ayurvedic pharmaceutical principles with modern analytical techniques for the standardization of Shankha Bhasma. Raman spectroscopy, together with physicochemical and microscopic techniques, may serve as a useful rapid and non-destructive analytical tool for comparative evaluation and quality assessment of Shankha Bhasma.