QUALITY CONTROL OF VARUNA KWATHA CHURNA, AN AURVEDIC FORMULATION AND ITS COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH MARKETED FORMULATIONS

Pharmacognostic standardization of the Varuna Kwatha Churna an ayurvedic formulation formulated from various medicinal plants as bark of varuna, pashanbheda rhizome, fruit of gokshura and rhizome of sunthi which is used to treat urolithiasis. The varuna kwatha churna manufactured by the formula in the ratio as specified in the ayurvedic formulary of India given in specified quantities as cited in the Cakradatta, it has been coarsely powdered and passed through sieve, weighed, was carried out to determine its macro- and microscopical characters and also some of its quantitative standards. Various standardization parameters such as physicochemical standards, chemo profiles as preliminary analysis, TLC fingerprint profiles and safety evaluation as microbial contamination, heavy metal determination were also evaluated with the market formulations. These findings will be useful towards establishing pharmacognostic standards on identification, purity, quality and classification of the plant, which is gaining relevance in plant drug research.