Comparative standardization of different market samples of ayurvedic formulation – Balachaturbhadra Churna

Abstract

Background: Standardization of the herbal formulation is a critical and essential issue to be considered in assuring the therapeutic efficacy and safety and to rationalize their use in the health care. It is crucial to assess the quality and purity standards of the drug. Balachaturbhadra (BCB) Churna is a reputed poly-herbal formulation of Ayurveda for pediatric disorders. It is prescribed for the treatment of respiratory disorders, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting of children. Objective: The present study is aimed at comparison of physico-chemical standards of Balachaturbhadra Churna prepared In-house by following standard operative procedures and three marketed brands of the same. Materials and Methods: The selected samples were subjected to pharmacognosy study, phytochemical characteristics, physiochemical screening, and high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) as per standard procedures. Results: It was observed that two market samples and standard are almost similar in their organoleptic and qualitative chemical analysis with the In-house preparation except for one sample. Again HPTLC of these formulations are not matching with each other, and it may be due to the raw material collection time, geographical variation, etc., which can be further investigated for its pharmacological activity. Conclusion: The data evolved from this study can be adopted for laying down the standards for the manufacturing of BCB churna