Detoxification of Formulation

• Ayurveda involves the use of drugs obtained from plants, animals, and mineral origin.

• All the three sources of drugs can be divided under poisonous and nonpoisonous category.

• There are various crude drugs, which generally possess unwanted impurities and toxic substances, which can lead to harmful health problems.

• These poisonous/toxic plants are categorized as viṣa (poison) and upaviṣa (toxic but not lethal for human health) in Ayurvedic texts and also listed in the schedule-E of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940.

• The detoxification or purification process of any toxic material used for medicinal purposes is termed as “Śodhana”.

• Śodhana (detoxification/purification) involves the conversion of any poisonous drug into beneficial, nonpoisonous/nontoxic ones.

• It is cited in the treatises of Ayurveda that by proper processing, viṣa can be converted into amṛta (nectar) and on other hand on adoption of inappropriate methods, nontoxic materials become a toxic.

• Aconitum species, Strychnos nux-vomica, Acorus calamus, Abrus precatorius etc., are some of the interesting examples of toxic plants, which are still used in the Indian system of medicine.

• Aconitine, strychnine, β–asarone, abrin are some of the toxic components present in these plants and are relatively toxic in nature.

• Śodhana process involves the purification as well as reduction in the levels of toxic principles which sometimes results in an enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

Various sodhana process includes

• Simple boiling with water or lemon juice

• Triturating with borax

• Swedana (heat treatment with liquids)

• Treating with cows urine

• Treating with cow milk

• Frying with cow ghee or castor oil

Detoxification of Formulation Objectives of Sodhana

• To prepare herbomineral preparations

• To enhance safety

• To enhance Potency

• To decrease the toxicity

• To produce synergistic effects with other plant materials.

Plant and Detoxification of crude drug

• Plants and introduced for the service of mankind; however most of these medicines have been withdrawn due to their toxicity or side‑effects.

• Traditionally, plants having various classes of phytochemicals are still in use either in their crude form or after proper processing.

• Though most of the plant drugs are safe, yet few are toxic for human health.

• These poisonous/toxic plants are categorized as viṣa (poison) and upaviṣa (toxic but not lethal for human health) in Ayurvedic texts and also listed in the schedule‑E of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940.

• Hence, to promote and introduce their use for medicine, such plant drugs must be detoxified or purified before their use.

• The detoxification or purification process of any toxic material used for medicinal purposes is termed as “Śodhana”.

• In Ayurveda, Śodhana is in practice since the times of Charaka Saṃhitā, but its use expanded with the development of Rasaśāstra since 8th century CE.

• Śodhana process is specially designed for the drugs from mineral origin; however, it is recommended for all kinds of drugs to remove their doṣās (impurities or toxic content).

• It is cited in the treatises of Ayurveda that by the used of proper method of processing, viṣa can be converted into amṛta (nectar) and on other hand on adoption of inappropriate methods, nontoxic materials become a toxic.

• The concept of Śodhana in Ayurveda not only covers the process of purification/detoxification of physical as well as chemical impurities but also covers the minimization of side effects and improving the potency/therapeutic efficacy of the purified drugs.

• Active constituents of many plant drugs may exert severe toxic effect at high concentrations.

• The purification processes are basically intended to reduce the toxicity level to a body sustainable limit and to reduce the toxic constituents to some extent or by potentiating their chemical transformation to nontoxic or relatively less toxic substances by enhancing their biological efficacy.

• Ayurvedic classics have emphasized various methods of Śodhana to overcome the undesired effects from various poisonous and nonpoisons drugs, involving different media specific to substances such as

  • • • • • • Godugdha (milk of Bos indicus),

            • Gomūtra (urine of Bos indicus),

            • Triphalā (combination of three fruits, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellarica and Emblica officinalis)

            • Lemon juice etc.

• A number of toxicological and pharmacological studies have been investigated on the active phytochemicals of many poisonous plants after their Śodhana.