Useful for pharmacy students

1. PREPARATION OF
GUTIKAS,
CHURNA,
AVALEHAAND BHASMA
Dr.U.Srinivasa, Professor and Head
Srinivasa college of Pharmacy,
Mangaluru- 574143
Email – drsrinivaspharmacy@rediffmail.com

2. Gutikas
• These are solid dosage form of medicament meant
for oral administration prepared by hand or machine
• Method of preparation:
• The material was mixed together and a suitable liquid
is incorporated to make the mass wet.
• The wet mass is kneaded in between the fingers so
as to get a uniform mass.
• The mass so prepared is rolled on a hard surface so
as to make a pencil which is then divided into desired
number of pieces and each piece is rounded by
finger.

3. Gutikas
• Storage - It should be stored in the air tight
containers.
• Marketed preparations-
• Lasunadi Gutika
• Marma Gutika

4. STANDERDIZATION
1. Organoleptic parameters
• Colour
• Odour
• Reducing sugar
• Particle size
• Microbial contamination
• Test for Heavy metals and Toxins
• 2. Physical Evaluation
• Total Ash value, Acid insoluble ash, Water soluble
ash, Alcohol soluble extractive

5. • Melting point
• Loss on drying
• 3. Pharmaceutical parameters
• Hardness test
• Content Uniformity test
• Uniformity in diameter
• Friability
• Dissolution test
• Disintegration test

6. CHURNA
• These are solid dosage form of medicament meant
for internal use.
• These are two types –
• 1. Simple churana –
• It contains only one medicament
• 2. Compound churna –
• It contains two or more than two medicaments.

7. Method of Preparation
• The drugs are cleaned and dried properly. They are
finely powdered and sieved.
• If more than one drug are present then each one is
separately powdered, sieved(80 Mesh sieves),
accurately weighed and then all mixed together.
• It should not adhere together or become moist.
• The fine powder has better therapeutic value
• Storage – It should be stored in the air tight
containers.
• Marketed preparations –
• Triphala churna
• Sudarshan churna

8. Standardization
1 Organoleptic evaluation
• Colour
• Odour
• Taste
• 2. Physical Evaluation
• Total Ash value, Acid insoluble ash, Water soluble
ash, Alcohol soluble extractive, Loss on drying at
105
• PH
• 3.Microscopical Evaluation

9. • 4. Phytochemical evaluation
• Qualitative analysis –
• 1. TLC,HPLC and HPTLC
• 2. Particle size ( 80-120 Mesh Sieves )
• 3. Microbial count – Total aerobic count, Fungal
count etc

10. AVALEHA (LEHA)
• It is a semisolid preparation of the drugs prepared with
the addition of Jaggery or sugar candy and boiled with
prescribed drug juice or decoction
• Method of preparation:
• These preparations generally have :
• 1. Kasayam or other liquid
• 2. Jaggery or sugar candy
• 3. Powder or pulp of certain drugs
• 4.Gee or oil
• 5. Honey

11. Method of Preparation
• Jaggery, sugar or sugar candy is dissolved in the
liquid and stained to remove the foreign particles.
• This solution is boiled over a moderate fire. When the
paka is thread, then pressed between two fingers or
when it sinks in the water without getting easily
dissolved, it should be removed from the fire.
• Fine powder of drugs are then added in small
quantities and stirred continuously and vigorously to
form homogeneous mixture.

12. • Gee or oil , if required , is added while the preparation
is still hot and mixed well.
• Honey is added when the preparation is cool and
mixed well.
• Storage – It should be kept in glass or porcelain jars
• Marketed preparations :
• Chyawanprash
• Draksavaleha

13. STANDERDIZATION
1. Organoleptic parameters
• Colour
• Odour
2. Physical properties
• Reducing sugar
• Chromatography
• Microbial contamination
• Test for Heavy metals

14. • 3. Physical Evaluation
• Total Ash value
• Acid insoluble ash
• Specific gravity
• Loss on drying at 105
• Total solid content
• Fat content

15. BHASMA
• Bhasma (Calcinated residue) is solid dosage form of
medicament meant for internal use. Generally
pearls, iron, gold,silver,lead,tin,zinc,black etc are
used for their preparation
• Bhasma means an ash obtained through incineration

16. Method of Preparation
• Two steps
• 1. Sodhana – (Purification)
• Bhasma are prepared from minerals, metals, marine and
animal products. In Ayurveda , the process of purification
is called sodhana.
• 2. Murana –
• The purified drug is put into a khalva (stone mortar and
pestle) and ground with juices of the specified plants or
kasaya of the drugs

17. • It is ground specified period of time. Then small
cakes are made and dried under sunlight and placed
in one single layer in a shallow earthen plate and
closed with another plate.
• The edge is sealed with clay smeared cloth in seven
consecutive layers and dried.
• A pit is dug in open space. Half of the pit is filled with
cow dung cakes. The sealed earthen container is
placed in it and the remaining space is filled with more
cow dung cakes.

18. Method of Preparation
• Fire is put in all four sides and the middle of the pit.
• When the burning is over, it is allowed to cool
completely.
• The earthen container is removed , the seal is open
and the content taken out.
• The medicine is ground into fine powder in a Khalva
(Stone mortar and pestle) ie bhasma.
• Storage – stored in air tight glass or earthen
container
• Marketed preparations –
• Shankha bhasma
• Tamra bhasma

19. Standardization
• Physical Properties –
• 1.Colour –
• Generally , Bhasma are white, pale or red in colour
• 2.Lightness and Fineness –
• This can be tested by floating of bhasma on the
stagnant water surface
• 3. Particle size