Pharmaceutical Preparation and Analytical Standardization of Gandhaka Kalpa: A Herbo-Mineral Ayurvedic Formulation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Gandhaka Kalpa is a herbo-mineral formulation described in Rasa Tarangini for the management of Timir, comprising Shuddha Gandhaka, Bhringraj and Triphala, with Bhringraj Swarasa used as the liquid medium for Gandhaka Shodhana and Bhavana. The present study was undertaken to document the pharmaceutical preparation of Gandhaka Kalpa and to evaluate the prepared formulation through organoleptic, physicochemical, FTIR and HPTLC parameters. Bhringraj Swarasa was prepared by boiling dried Bhringraj Panchanga with sixteen parts of water and reducing the volume to one-fourth. Gandhaka Shodhana was carried out over seven cycles by Dhalana and Galana, yielding 1800 g of Shuddha Gandhaka from 2000 g Ashuddha Gandhaka (10% loss). Triphala Churna was prepared from Amalaki, Haritaki and Bibhitaki (1910 g obtained from 2000 g raw material). Shuddha Gandhaka and Triphala Churna were triturated with Bhringraj Swarasa in three batches, yielding 3357.8 g of Gandhaka Kalpa from 3600 g combined material (6.73% loss). The finished formulation was greyish-brown, with a citric odour, soft consistency and sour-bitter taste; pH 5.5, loss on drying 2.59%, total ash 2.98%, acid-insoluble ash 0.49%, water-soluble extractive 32.48% and alcohol-soluble extractive 24.54%. FTIR analysis revealed fourteen characteristic absorption bands corresponding to hydroxyl, carbonyl, aromatic and sulphur-containing functional groups, while HPTLC analysis confirmed the presence of Wedeloacetone (Rf 0.30) and Gallic acid (Rf 0.37) as marker compounds of Bhringaraja and Triphala respectively. These pharmaceutical and analytical observations provide preliminary standardization data that may serve as reference information for the reproducibility and quality evaluation of Gandhaka Kalpa. Keywords: Gandhaka Kalpa, Rasashastra, Gandhaka Shodhana, Bhavana, HPTLC, FTIR.
Language: English
Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225006535