European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

COMPARATIVE INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS ONPURIFICATION EFFICIENCY OF MERCURIAL DERIVATIVE LINGAM BY FT-IR, XRD AND SEM TECHNIQUES

R. Gnanasundari*, P. Shanmugapriya, J. Indrakumar, Pon Loganathan

ABSTRACT

Use of metals for rejuvenation is in traditional practice in siddha system of medicine since several centuries. According to siddha principles metal such as mercury has a tremendous potential neuro tonic and also has been used for the treatment of ulcer, kidney stone etc. Active research in the mechanism of curative actions of mercurials is very much essential, to have widespread acceptance of the ancient practice. It was evident through several researches that mercurial preparations are used as medicines in siddha. Many procedures are mentioned in the texts to purify and detoxify mercury before its use as a medicine Lingam known by red sulphide of mercury is one among them. Recent WHO guidelines made it mandatory that metallic preparations must ensure the stability, purity and genunity before prescribing the same for the clinical usage in humans. The main aim of the present study is to purify and compare the raw Lingam and Purified Lingam by adapting two different methods.The FT-IR absorption spectrum reveals the presence of amide group in the raw sample lingam, whereas this functional group was absent in the other sample such as purified (two samples). Presence of primary amine in the processed lingam indicates the important functional moiety of the preparation. Further carboxy and sulfoxy found common for all three samples subjected for analysis. FT-IR analysis report of all three drugs confirms the presence of biologically significant functional group with characteristic IR absorption frequencies. Further the XRD pattern of samples justifies the presence of mercury sulfide and mercury being the major component of Lingam .SEM analysis of the sample signifies that the mean particle size of the formulation ranges from 12 to 60.32 μm. Further from this investigation it was observed that average particle size of the processed lingam is much smaller when compared to raw lingam this ensures the systematic processing of the preparations. Hence from the results of the present investigation it was clear that the raw drug Lingam complies with the genuinity and purity as recommended.

Keywords: Siddha system, Mercury, Lingam, FT-IR, XRD, SEM.