This document discusses Kushta, a traditional herbo-mineral formulation used in Unani medicine. It provides background on traditional medicine practices in South Asia. Kushta is described as a finely powdered blend of minerals and herbal extracts prepared through a process of calcination. This results in nanoparticles that are easily absorbed and potent. The document outlines the historical origins and development of Unani medicine. It explains the preparation process for Kushta and some potential mechanisms of action. Some commonly used Kushta formulations are listed along with their herbal ingredients and medicinal uses. In summary, the document provides an overview of Kushta as a traditional herbo-mineral dosage form in Unani medicine, including its

1. Prepared by: Dr. Madiha Mustafa
Pharm-D,Mphil
Lecturer Qarshi University

2. FOR MY STUDENTS WHO ARE
MOST PRECIOUS FOR ME

3.  Traditional medicine has long been
practiced in the Indo-Pak subcontinent.
Ayurvedic and Unani/Tibb are the two
most popular systems of traditional
medicine in this region. Each system
uses herbs, minerals and animal tissues
in various dosage forms.

4. Kushta/herbomineral
formulation
‘Kushta’ is one of the dosage forms prepared in a very special
manner. ‘Kushta’ the past participle of ‘KUSHTAN’ (a Persian
wordfor ‘to kill’), means ‘killed or conquered’. Primarily, a Kushta
is a blend of mineral(s) and herbal extract(s). In the traditional
system, the term is used for those dosage forms, which are
effective in small doses and are prompt in action

5.  Kushta or bhasma is the finest powder form of the
 medicinal preparations obtained by calcination of metal,
 minerals and animal drugs.
 It is easily absorbed in human body and is highly efficacious
in action.
 The rate of absorption of a drug depends on particle size.
Smaller the particle size quicker and greater is the rate of
absorption.
 Kushta has the smallest particle size (in nano particle range)
hence largest surface area as compared to any other solid
dosage form of Unani system of medicine therefore this
factor is responsible for rapid action of kushta.

6.  History
 The Horizon of Unani medicine originated
from Greece under the patronage of
Hippocrates (460 BC–377 BC)and was
developed by Arabs into an elaborated
medical science based on the frame work
of the teachings of Hippocrates and Galen
Since that time Unani Medicine has been
known as Greco-Arab medicine.

7.  Unani is still popular in many Arab and
East Asian countries. In fact Unani
medicine and herbal products are
gradually more being used in many
countries where modern medicine is easily
available The indigenous systems use
mineral preparations mostly in calcined
forms: Kushta in Unani, bhasma in
Ayurveda , and Parpams in Siddha. The
usage includes even those elements
which are otherwise considered toxic
and are not administered internally in
conventional medicine

8.  It is a historical truth that old Unani
physicians used some remedies
containing certain minerals, such as
salts or oxides of copper and lead.
 Galen states that the efficacy of burnt
lead is unparallel in cancer and copper
was burnt before its use because it is
harmful for the body when used as it is

9.  These preparations have long been used by
traditional healers and are claimed to be very
effective and are still used today in these systems.
 No attempt has been made to study this type of
dosage form in a scientific manner.
 This is because of a lack of communication among
traditional healers, physicians and scientists and
the unavailability of the literature in English.
 Most of the books are written in the local
 language and are not accessible to the rest of the
world.
 Only few books have been translated into English.
Among these are ‘Hamdard Pharmacopoeia of
Eastern Medicine”

10.  Uses of metal and minerals dates back
to the time of immorial
 Metals were burnt in the time of Hermis
(Father of Alchemy)
 Commonly used metals are Gold,
Silver, Copper, Iron, Lead and Tin and
alloy Bronze

11. Irhraq and Taklees can be used as a
synonym
Alchemist and wrote many books on
alchemy.Geber's science of al-kimiya,
from which both Arabic words
‘alchemy and chemistry stem, was
based upon the Hellenistic view that
all metals are basically the
identical matter, but with varying
impurities.
Geber, in his book Nakhbe Jabri has
mentioned the use and method of
preparing of Kushta of iron, tin,
ammonium chloride and mica, sublimation
of mercury and sulphur

12.  Rhazes wrote a book “Kitab Ul Akseer’’ on
Kushtasazi (calcination) and mentioned the uses of
Kushtajat in Kitab Al Hawi.
 Kushta Nuqra prepared with doodhi booti as
mughlize mani and muqawwi baah (aphrodiasiac)
 kushta Hajrul yahood prepared with aab e barag
turb as mufattit hasat (lithotriptic), kushta e
faulad prepared with aab anar as muqawwi e
meda (stomachic), muqawwi jigar (liver tonic) and
prepared with sankhya .
 Kushta shangaraf as muqawwi e baah
(aphrodiasiac) and mushtahi taam (appetizer),
 Kitab al Taklees has also been written by Ibn e
Sina Risala dar Azkare Tanqia wa Taklees
Risala Fi al Taklees rare books on Kushta Sazi

13. Reason for using Unani
medicine
 Cost effective
 Safety concern
 ADRs associated with allopathic drugs

14. What is Kushta???
These are herbomineral preperations
Which are blend of metals, metallic oxides,
non metals and their compounds or
minerals.
The ingredients are oxidized through the
action of heat. The preparation of a
Kushta results in the increased efficacy
of a drug, and after entering into the
body it exerts its curative role promptly and
effectively.

15.  When a drug is burnt to the extent that it is
reduced to ashes then it is regarded as
Ihraq /Taklees/calcination.
 This processes mentioned in various
classical Unani text books like Qarabadeen
Qadr iBayaaz Khas Firdaus Ul Hikmat

16. Possible mechanisms of action
 It is likely that at higher temperatures
metals combine with organic compounds
(present in a herbs) to form organo-metallic
complexes
 presence of metal may act as a catalyst in
transformation of herbal constituents to
highly active compound(s) which are
actually responsible for the therapeutic
success of the Kushta
 SAR

17. Continue……………
 It is also possible that the process of
preparing Kushta may transform the
heavy metals into the readily excretable
form that reduces the cumulative toxicity
of the metallic elements.
 For example, EDTA forms highly water-
soluble complex with lead and renders it
to be excreted through urine. Therefore,
it is used in lead poisoning

18.  Kushta (calcined product) is easily absorbed
in human body and is highly efficacious in its
action.
 A small amount of kushta can be used for
wide range of therapeutics depending upon
the process of formulation.
 Kushta has always been neglected and
not studied scientifically.
 Few scientific reports are available on kushta
and other drugs of mineral origin. Kushta
are biological nanocrystals.
 Nanocrystalline materials are solids composed
of crystallites with size less than 100 nm in at
least one dimension.

19.  It is claimed by the
healers that these
techniques increases the
efficacy of drug and also
either completely remove
the elements of toxicity at
all or downgrade them to
the level where the drug
can be safely used .

20.  Method of preperation
 Classically mineral and animal origin
drugs are calcined in crucibles and in
pits of different sizes by special
processses, having varying numbers of
cow dung cakes and with different
intensity of heat. The resultant product
(Kushta) obtained is in the form of fine
powder.
 It is administered orally in small dose
with suitable vehicle to make them
biocompatible. The efficacy of kushta
depends upon the processing method.
Ores are roasted by heating them at high
temperature but below the melting point

21. Sequential chart for preparation
of kushta
purification
powdering
Stirring washing
filtration
Heating Trituration
Coating
Detoxification

22. Purification
 The principal objective purification is to
remove unwanted part from the raw
material and separate out.
 "The sheets of metals are heated till red
hot and are successively dipped into
liquids like oil, buttermilk. The procedure
is repeated seven times".

23. Powdering
 a change is brought about in the chemical form
or state of the metal. This makes it to lose its
metallic characteristics and physical nature. In
short, after powdering, metal can be converted
into powder or other form suitable for
administration.
 Mercury is often used because of unique
property of mercury to amalgamate with many
metals must have been the reason behind its
maximum use in kushta preperation.

24. Stirring
 Process of stirring during heating the
metal . Stirring is carried out either with
iron rod or stick made from a specific
plant. As we know today, iron serves as
catalyst in many chemical reactions. The
phytoconstituents of plant stick may be
enhancing the therapeutic effect. For
example, stick of Neem is used for
stirring process due to its antiseptic
property.

25. Washing
 In this process, several water washes
are given to the product obtained in the
previous stage. Perhaps this is to
remove the excess amounts of agents
used in previous stages. Such agents
may adversely affect the quality of final
product. Hence intermediates are
washed with water, thereby water-
soluble constituents are removed.

26. Filteration
The product is then sifted either through a fine
cloth or through sieves of suitable mesh so as
to separate residual material larger in size
Heating and Trituration
Heating is done again after filtration and drug is
triturates with herbs and herbal extracts.
Detoxification
Calcination,the general term used for heating in
the process of kushta. A special earthen pot,
boota is generally used for the process. Its
shallowness is useful in heating the material
faster and uniformly.

27.  Special Method of preparation
 Before making drugs are cleaned and this the
drugs are ground in a pestle and mortar (Kharal)
with for a specified period of time .Thereafter small
cakes of varying sizes and thickness are made.
These cakes are well dried in the shade and are put
in earthen discs and the process of Gil-e-Hikamat is
followed and the whole apparatus is dried. After this
a pit is dug in an open space. Half the pit is filled
with cowdung cakes. The apparatus (sealed
earthen discs) is now placed in the pit and the
remaining space is filled with more cow dung cakes
which are then ignited. After the calcination is over,
the pit is allowed to cool completely, the apparatus
is removed and the contents, thus obtained, are
again powdered.

28. Aims of Taklees
 To change a hard and unabsorbable drug
into absorbable form .
 To remove undesirable parts of the drug e.g.
Crab and Stag horn are burnt to remove
undesired fluids contain in them.
 To make a hard drug soft enough to
pound eas ily, e.g. Ruby.
 To remove toxic effect of drug, e.g.
Scorpion and Snake are burnt to remove
their poison.
 To decrease the toxic effects of a drug.
 To increase the efficacy and potency of a drug.

29. ADVANTAGES OF
TAKLEES
 Low dose and high efficacy.
 Use is easy as compared to other dosage forms.
 Some kushta are unparalleled as aphrodisiac.
 Most of the kushta stimulates innate heat of the body.
 Kushta is more stable than other dosage forms.
 Only dosage form in which a bio incompatible substance is
made biocompatible
 Only dosage form that can be given in acute conditions.
 It is a dosage form which induces the change in
temperament of the drug e.g. the temperament of Sadaf is
cold and dry but its Kushta has temperament hot and dry Can
be used in the patient of such diseases where uptake of
large doses of medicine is not contraindicated
 All the kushtajat are very potent by their action and this
property of kushtajat is used in presence of severe diseases.
 The older the Kushta better the effect

30. GENERAL PRECAUTIONS FOR PREPARATION
OF KUSHTA
1. The material used for the preparation of
Kushta should be of the best quality.
2. While making the Kushta , any addition
and deletion of any of the item, duration
and the mode of mortaring, the fire used
to be subjected, should strictly be
followed according to the text.
3. When the fresh juice of an herb is
added it should be either Muqatar
(distilled) or Murawwaq (filtered)

31. 4. When dried herb is added, it should not be more
than one year old.
5. Highest precautions should be taken in
subjecting the Boota (crucible) to the fire.
(a)Fluctuation in the intensity of the heat should be
avoided.
(b)The ‘ boota’ should be subjected to the fire of
the cow
dung cakes or coal according to the method
given in the classical text.
6. Place at which Kushta is prepared should be air
protected

32. PRELIMINARY TESTS
1. Loss of metallic luster
When visually examined preferably in presence of sun light
no metallic luster should be observed.
2. Fineness test
On rubbing a small quantity of the sample between the
fingers it should enter into the lines on the fingers.
3. Floating test
If a small quantity of kushta is sprinkled on water surface it
should float on the surface,but this property of a Kushta is not
standard parameter because this property can be found in
various other substances like wood dust. Floating on water
only indicates the lightness of kushta
4. The Kushta should not revert to the original state

 T

33. Continue……..
The kushta of a non metal should not emit smoke when
placed on fire.
6. Loss of metallic state .
This involves heating of a very thin silver sheet (600
nm thickness) along with a small quantity of kushta to red
hot for about 5 min. After cooling the sheet to room
temperature, no traces of this sample should
permanently stick to the silver sheet indicating no
alloy formation takes place, thus confirming the
metal has totally transformed into kushta , its oxide
form
.
7. When thrown over wall then the prepared kushta
should stick to the wall


34. Some of the Kushtas used in traditional medicine of Indo-Pak subcontinent
Element Preparation Mineral Herb uses
Calcium Kushta Sadaf Oyster shell Rosa
damascena
cardiotonic
Mercury Kushta para mercury Listeria chinesis Paralysis,
asthma, and
impotence
Iron Kushta Faulad Iron dust Aloe
barbadensis
Tonic especially
haemantinic
Tin Kushta Qalai Tin Aloe
barbadenis
impotence
Arsenic Kushta
Gaudanti
Arsenic
trisulphide
Aloe
barbadenis
Rheumatism
Copper Kushta Tamba
sufaed
Copper dust Capparis
decidua
Cough and
asthma

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