“COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL STUDY OF MUSTADI KWATHA AND MUSTADI GHANA, TWO DOSAGE FORMS OF A CLASSICAL AYURVEDIC FORMULATION”

Dr. Sharada Ramesh*, Supriya H. S., Sulochana Bhat

Background: Kwatha Kalpana (Decoction), despite of its uniqueness and potency in ayurvedic pharmacopaeia, beholds certain drawbacks related to preparation, palatability, transportation etc. Practice of refrigerating the Kwatha is adopted considering the difficulty in fresh preparation. Ghana is one such dosage form wherein the intactness of the constituents can be expected with a longer shelf life. Methods: Mustadi Kwatha (MK) and Mustadi Ghana (MG) were prepared following the classical methods. MK was kept under two different temperatures, i.e. under room temperature (MKRT) and in the refrigerator (MKRF) for different durations, MKRT1 (24 hours) MKRT2 (48 hours), MKRF1 (24 hours), MKRF2 (48 hours), MKRF3 (96 hours) and MKRF4 (160 hours). Organoleptic characters were determined, phytochemical analysis including tests for alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, glycosides, proteins and carbohydrates was carried out. HPTLC fingerprinting was performed on all the samples of MK and MG. Results: Yield percentage of MG was 2.86%. Organoleptic characters of MKRT changed by the end of 160 hours. MG was brownish black in color, had characteristic odor, astringent in taste, was hard and sticky. All the tested phytochemicals were present in both MK and MG. In HPTLC of MKRT and MKRF samples, Rf ranged from 0.321 to 0.416. The common Rf was noted to be 0.353, corresponded to gallic acid. Fluctuations were noticed in Area Under Curve (AUC) in MKRF samples suggesting changes in the constituents. Conclusion: Mustadi Kwatha is best used within 24 hours of preparation. Refrigeration can preserve Mustadi Kwatha longer, but potential chemical interactions may affect its constituents.