A PRELIMINARY PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL ASSAY OF VASAKHANDA KUSHMANDAKA GRANULES

Vasaka (Adhatoda vasica Nees) of Acanthaceae family and Kushmanda (Benincasa hispida Thunb.) of Cucurbitaceae family are the commonly used herbs in Ayurvedic system of medicine with its vivid action on various Systems. In Ayurveda, Vasaka is used in bronchial asthma, cough, diabetes mellitus and also in the pitta-kapha predominant diseases where as Kushmanda is used in Acid reflux syndrome, mental diseases, alcoholism, etc. Samsakara is a tool mentioned in Ayurveda which refers to modification or processing of drug to potentiate it, or to get desired action or to change its form. An attempt was made to change the form of Vasakhanda Kushmandaka avaleha into Vasakhanda Kushmandaka granules and assessed for its pharmacognostical and pharmaceutical characters. The present study provides the details of Vasakhanda Kushmandaka granules preparation, its pharmacognostical and physicochemical characters which may help in laying down a standard protocol for future research works.