PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND HPTLC STUDIES OF QURS-E-MULAIYIN – A POTENT UNANI LAXATIVE
Asma Sattar Khan*, Shoeb Ahmed Ansari, Farah Ahmed, Kiran Negi, Anas Iqbal Alvi and Asma Mirza
ABSTRACT
The phenomenal growth in the use of herbal medicines has arisen new challenges for ensuring their safety and efficacy. In the manufacturing of poly-herbal formulations, adulteration, contamination or substitution of costly ingredients are familiar practices that adversely affect the quality of the formulations. Hence, a well-defined methodology is essential to evaluate the quality of herbal medicines in order to maintain their reproducible therapeutic effects. The Unani poly-herbal formulation Qurs-e-Mulaiyin, widely used as purgative, was studied through various standardization parameters. Several tests and analytical techniques such as organoleptic evaluations (colour, odour, and taste), microscopy, physico-chemical evaluations (moisture content, total ash, acid insoluble ash, pH values, water, ethanol and hexane soluble extractives) and HPTLC fingerprinting of the formulation were carried out for its easy identification. The evaluation of contaminants such as heavy metals, aflatoxins, pesticide residues, and microbial load were also carried out to determine the presence of any toxins in the formulation. The data evolved in the present work will help in developing pharmacopoeial standards of Qurs-e-Mulaiyin.
Keywords: Physico-chemical analysis, Qurs-e-Mulaiyin, Pharmacopoeial standards, Pharmacognosy, HPTLC fingerprinting.
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