CHEMICAL STANDARDSATION OF NILAPPANAI CHOORANAM - A POLY HERBAL FORMULATION USED IN SIDDHA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF OLIGOSPERMIA

S. Selvarajan, V. Gayathri Devi*, Rejani R. and Anitha John

ABSTRACT

Siddha system of medicine (SSM) is one of the oldest traditional systems of medicine, which has been originated from India and is practised mostly in the southern part of the country for treating various diseases including even chronic conditions. Man has been using plants and plant based medicines for combating diseases since time immemorial. The plant materials and other raw materials are sold in the crude drug market in different vernacular names, which leads to confusion of one drug to the other. Adulteration and substitution of the genuine drug with drug of similar morphological characters which belong to different species or genus, sometimes entirely different family is being offered in the market. Moreover the percentage compositions of the plant constituents vary due to climatic conditions, terrestrial conditions and maturity of the plant. Standardization embodies total information, and controls that are necessary to guarantee consistency of composition of the product ensuring their quality. The aim of the present study is to standardize a Siddha formulation, Nilappana chooranam based on the evaluation of pharmacognostical, physicochemical, toxicological and HPTLC parameters of the formulation. Nilappanai chooranam was prepared with genuine drugs and analysed for fixing standards for the drug. Different parameters like organoleptic characters, physico-chemical parameters, HPTLC profiles, heavy metals and other metallic components, microbial contamination, pesticide residues and aflatoxins were determined for the purpose of quality evaluation and standardisation. The results obtained may be used as a diagnostic tool to identify and to determine the quality and purity of the drug.

Keywords: Nilappanai Chooranam, Physico-Chemical Parameters, HPTLC Profiles, Microbial Contamination, Pesticide Residues.