Useful for pharmacy students

1. PREPARATION OF
GUTIKAS,
CHURNA,
AVALEHA AND 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. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. • 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

9. 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

10. METHOD OF PREPARATION
• Two steps
• 1. Sodhana –
• 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 mortor
and pestle) and ground with juices of the specified
plants or kasaya of the drugs

11. METHOD OF PREPARATION
• 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.

12. 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