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Research Article
PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF GANDHAGAM BEFORE AND AFTER PURIFICATION
*RAJALAKSHMI P **ABEETHA M AND ***DEVANATHAN R
*API, **JRF, ***APII Carism, Sastra University, Thanjavur
Received: 15 Jun 2010, Revised and Accepted: 16 July 2010
ABSTRACT
Sulphur, commonly referred as Gandhagam in Siddha literature, has a wide range of therapeutic efficacy. It is used in the preparations like Rasayanam, Pills, Mezhugu and Bhasmas and Chenduram as a major / one of the ingredients. Before its usage as a medicine raw Sulphur is subjected to purification methods in order to remove the impurities as well as to increase the potency of the medicine as per the Siddha literature.
In the present study, Purification of Sulphur, with milk as a detoxifying agent for thirty times was done. The percentage of Sulphur before (I sulphur), during the process ( II sulphur) and after purification(III sulphur) were analyzed. The heavy metal analysis was done to trace the presence of Lead and Mercury during the process. As milk was used as purifying agent the levels of calcium and phosphorus were also estimated. An attempt was made to prove efficacy of milk in removing the impurities of Gandhakam and estimation of purified Gandhakam was done with the help of modern techniques like physico‐ chemical analysis and heavy metal analysis.
Keywords: Physiochemical analysis, Sulphur
INTRODUCTION
Sulphur is a crystalline, non‐metal used in the preparations like Rasayanam, Pills, Mezhugu, Parmam and in Chenduram as a major / one of the ingredients in Siddha therapeutics. The name kandagam refers “odour” in Tamil literature. It possess bitter and Astringent tastes. Traditionally Sulphur is known with other names like Gandagam, Kaarizhai Natham, Parai natham, Parai Veerayam, Atheetha prakasam, Beejam, Selvi vindhu, Sakthi, Sakthi peesam, Chenduraa thrrathi, Theviuram, Natham, Narram, Parai natham, Ponnvarni, Rasa ssronitham.
In Siddha system sixty four types of poisons are mentioned for therapeutic purpose. Pirappu kandagam, Vaipu kandagam, Kozhi thalai kandagam, VanaKendhi vaipu, are some of the varieties. Pirappu kandagam, is the naturally occuring sulphur from which remaining were prepared by subjecting it to purification. Kozhi thalai kandagam, name itself suggests that it resembles red color of the crown of Cock. Based on the color Sulphur is four types
1. White sulphur is used to cure all diseases.
2. Parrot nose red colour Kandhagam is used for calcinations of nine metals.
3. Golden color Kandagam resembles the colour of Gooseberry, easily reacts with Mercury to form Kajjali, is used in therapeutics.
4. Black Kandagam similar with the Crow black colour is a rare variety used as a rejuvenator.
In nature, both plant and animal origin substances contain Sulphur in a permisiable quantity such as leafy vegetables, egg, meat, garlic etc.
Reactivity
An easy bond making with the metallic ions i.e the reactivity of suphur, makes it unique to act as a precursor in the preparation of chenduram.
Mode of action
Sulphur is a laxative, it enhances bile juice secretion, alterative, antiseptic and diaphoretic. It is excreted through duct glands like sweat, urine, mammary glands. It enhances secretions of skin, bronchioles and rectum.
Therapeutic uses
Sulphur is mainly used therapeutically in Eighteen types of Leucoderma, Flatulence, Hepatomegaly, Ascites, Gastric ulcer, Eye
diseases, Poisonous bites, chronic veneral diseases, Rheumatic fever, Diarrohea and respiratory symptoms.
Dose:
650 mg‐‐1.9 g medicine;
For Laxative purpose‐ 4.2 g ‐ 12.6 g
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Common herbal decoctions used for the purification of the Sulphur as per Siddha literature are aqueous extract of Tamarindus indicus, Sour rice water, Sour butter milk, Mushroom juice, cow’s milk and stem juice of Musa paradisiaca. The paste of Lawsonia innermis mixed with curd is also used for purification of sulphur. Purification with the cow’s milk is taken for the present study.
Method
Stage wise purification method with the photographs was mentioned below:
Quantity sufficient of butter was taken melted. Then 250 g of sulphur was taken and melted at a temperature of 60‐700C. The above melted sulphur is poured into a earthen container containing cow’s milk. The Sulphur pored into the milk is allowed it to cool on its own.
The above process is repeated for thirty times by taking the fresh milk each time.
The purified Sulphur after cooling is filtered and washed with the normal water.
An amount of 12 gms of Sulphur before, middle and after the purification process were collected for the chemical analysis. ( i.e I stage before purification (raw material), 15th stage i.e during the process and 30th stage i.e after purific
The collected samples were subjected to the following investigations like
• Estimation of Sulphur
• Estimation of Calcium
Estimation of Phosphorous
Results
Physicochemical analysis
Results are given in Table 1
International Journal of CURRENT PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH
ISSN- 0975-1491 Vol 2, Issue 4, 2010
Rajalakshmi et al. Int J Curr Pharm Res, Vol 2, Issue 4, 3235
33
Physical changes observed during purification process
The colour of the sulphur before purification was bright yellow and shiny in nature. During the process it losses its luster, softness and become easily fragile. Finally, pale yellow coloured substance with brittle nature was observed at the end of the process.
The criteria by which the sulphur is purified is decided by the disappearance of its smell during the process of purification. The raw sulphur will have a foul smell which will be lost during the processing with butter and milk, is an important parameter followed by the traditional siddha practitioners.
It had an irritable taste during the I stage of process where as the final processed sulphur was tasteless. Obtaining a tastelessness substance finally after the purification is also an important marker considered by traditional Siddha practitioners during the purification of sulphur. With the advanced technologies the sulphur was further investigated to check the validation of sulphur’s purity.
Chemical investigations
Quantification of Sulphur
The above results denote the purity of sulphur at every stage as well as a steady increase of purification in the amount of sulphur.
•
Fig. 1: Butter
Fig. 2: Melting Sulphur
Fig. 3: Pouring melted Sulphur
Fig. 4: Solidified Sulphur
Table 1: Physicochemical analysis
Percentage of Elements
ISulphur (before purification)
IISulphur (duringthe process
III Sulphur (after purification
I Milk II Milk III Milk
Sulphur % 39.132 46.0201 86.5871 1.8600 3.8937 4.2136 Calcium 140 140 120 160 140 100 Phosphorous 0.1453 0.1828 0.2260 0.1445 0.1943 0.2383 Mercury 0.082 0.0086 0.0094 0.0084 0.0066 0.0058 Lead 0.1157 0.3912 0.4235 0.4209 0.5741 0.3378
Rajalakshmi et al. Int J Curr Pharm Res, Vol 2, Issue 4, 3235
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Graph 110
Estimation of heavy metals
Mostly, heavy metals are considered to be the impurities of drug which may inhibit the efficiency of the drug. Safety of the drug can be validated by estimating the heavy metals like mercury and lead. The heavy metals present in sulphur were estimated with the help of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy.
Estimation of calcium
As milk is taken as a purifying agent and is rich in calcium the estimation of Calcium was under taken. Generally, calcium is a reducing agent, used for reducing metals. In this study calcium plays a significant role as a reducing agent.
Rajalakshmi et al. Int J Curr Pharm Res, Vol 2, Issue 4, 3235
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A loss in quantity of calcium was observed (by flame photometry) at the final stage of purification. It decreased from 160 ppm to 100 ppm in milk used for detoxification process. It may be attributed to the chelating activity of calcium during the purification process. The levels of calcium in purified sulphur were also less as compared to that of the initial sulphur which shows the purity of sulphur.
Estimation of Phosphorous
Phosphorous is another active ingredient of milk. Levels of phosphorous were studied using titrametric analysis. It was found that phosphorous level has steadily increased from 0.145 % ‐ 0.226 % in sulphur. During purification process, phosphorous levels increased both in milk and sulphur. Even though, it doesn’t have detoxifying property as such that of calcium it helps as an additive nutrient for the processed sulphur.
Thus, phosphorous provides to be a supplement during the purification of sulphur.
CONCLUSION
In the present study the detoxification of Sulphur with the milk was done to remove the toxic substances and also enable it to use safely in therapeutics. During the purification process the purity percentage of Sulphur was found increased. The milk as a detoxifying agent was successful in removing toxic agents from the processed drug thus enhancing the potency of the drug.
As milk is taken for the study which is rich in calcium and phosphorus the impact of milk constituents on sulphur during the process was studied and they also observed in permissiable amounts after the purification. Disappearance of Foul smell of Sulphur which was observed initially and increased tendency of its fragile nature were also an important parameters to confirm that Gandhaka was purified as per Siddha literature.
The chemical analysis of the stage wise samples of Sulphur as well as milk showed an increasing percentage of sulphur, decreasing percentage of Mercury and Lead finally, with in permissible quantity after the purification. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a maximum permissible level of 1 part of methyl mercury in a million parts (1 ppm). The mercury content during the
initial stage of purification was 0.082 ppm which was significantly reduced to 0.00942 ppm during the final purification.
During purification of sulphur levels of lead steadily increased from 0.1157 ppm to 0.4225 ppm. Yet the values were well within the safety limits as prescribed by FDA. (10 ppm). From the above we can conclude that milk which is used as detoxifying agent as per Siddha literature was able to get rid of the impurities if remains also are with in the permissiable quantity.
As sulphur occurs in the natural form combined with the other metals it is subjected to purification to get rid of the impurities. In the present study purification was undertaken with the milk as a detoxifying agent one can conclude with the above that milk which is used as a detoxigying agent is suitable for the purification of Gandhakam to get rid of the impurities.
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