PRELIMINARY QUALITY CHARACTERIZATION OF SHINSHAPA KANDA TWAK GHANA VATI AND PARIJATA PATRA GHANA VATI THROUGH PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

Background and Objective: Standardization of Ayurvedic formulations requires systematic physicochemical and chromatographic evaluation. This study compared Shinshapa Kanda Twak Ghana Vati (SG) and Parijata Patra Ghana Vati (PG). Materials and Methods: Both formulations were evaluated for organoleptic characteristics, tablet properties, loss on drying, ash values, extractive values, pH, and qualitative phytochemical constituents. TLC and HPTLC were performed using silica gel and toluene–ethyl acetate (93:7, v/v), with visualization at 254 and 366 nm. Results: Both formulations exhibited smooth texture, black colour, and characteristic odour. SG showed higher water-soluble extractive (54.5%), methanol-soluble extractive (26.6%), and total ash (21.95%) values than PG (35.9%, 20.0%, and 18.15%, respectively). PG had higher acid-insoluble ash (6.55%) than SG (1.05%). Both tested positive for terpenoids, amino acids, tertiary amines, saponins, and carbohydrates. Alkaloids were detected in PG, whereas flavonoids and starch were detected in SG. HPTLC revealed 12, 17, and 17 spots at 254 nm and 9, 12, and 11 spots at 366 nm in SG, PG, and the quercetin-labelled reference fraction, respectively. Conclusion: The formulations exhibited distinct physicochemical, phytochemical, and chromatographic profiles, providing preliminary data for comparative characterization. Further validation and marker-compound identification are necessary to establish reliable quality-control parameters.