Abstract

POWDER MICROSCOPIC AUTHENTICATION AND PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STANDARDIZATION OF CHANDRAPRABHA VATI: A CLASSICAL AYURVEDIC HERBO-MINERAL FORMULATION

Dr. Mittal Patel*, Dr. Dharmendra Jani

ABSTRACT

Background: Chandraprabha Vati is a classical Ayurvedic herbo-mineral formulation comprising 37 ingredients as described in Sharangadhara Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali. Standardization of classical formulations is essential to ensure their authenticity, quality, and consistency. Powder microscopy serves as a valuable pharmacognostical tool for the identification of diagnostic microscopic characteristics of herbal formulations. Material & Method- Powder microscopy of Chandraprabha Vati procured from the local market of Vadodara, Gujarat, India, was carried out. The study was conducted in the Pharmacognosy Laboratory, Upgraded Department of Dravyaguna Vijnana, Government Ayurved College, Vadodara. Microscopic slides of the powdered formulation were prepared using appropriate reagents and examined under a compound microscope to identify the characteristic diagnostic microscopic features of its constituent herbal ingredients. Observation & Result: Powder microscopic evaluation of the market sample of Chandraprabha Vati demonstrated the presence of characteristic diagnostic features corresponding to 25 herbal ingredients of the formulation. Diagnostic characters such as starch grains, stone cells, fibres, spiral and reticulate vessels, calcium oxalate crystals, sclereids, medullary rays, cork cells, endocarp cells, and siliceous crystals were identified. Complete concordance with the reference standards was observed for Musta, Dhanyaka, Sunthi, Pippali, Trivrit, Ela, and Tvak, while the remaining ingredients showed partial concordance. The observed microscopic features confirmed the presence and identity of the major herbal constituents of the formulation. Discussion and Conclusion: Twenty-five herbal ingredients were identified using 57 diagnostic microscopic characters, among which seven ingredients demonstrated complete concordance with pharmacopoeial standards. The powder microscopic findings showed good agreement with standard pharmacognostical references, confirming the presence and authenticity of the major herbal ingredients of Chandraprabha Vati. Complete concordance was observed for several ingredients, while partial concordance in others may be attributed to processing, pulverization, and the complexity of the polyherbal formulation. The study demonstrates that powder microscopy is a rapid, simple, and cost-effective tool for the preliminary authentication and quality assessment of Chandraprabha Vati and can serve as a valuable reference for its pharmacognostical standardization.

Keywords: Powder microscopy, Pharmacognosy, Authentication, Polyherbal formulation, Quality control, Chandraprabha Vati, Pharmacopoeial standardization, Herbal authentication.