Comparative Evaluation of Sodhan-Dravyas Used for Sodhit Guggulu for the Antihyperlipidemic Potential

Abstract

In Ayurveda, plants and plant parts are used in different formulation. Some plants generally possess unwanted impurities and toxic substances, which can lead to harmful effect to human body. These toxic materials should be removed from the raw drugs. All toxic drugs should be detoxified and converted into suitable safe dosage forms for therapeutic application. It is also known as purification. Hence, purification is an important step towards their safe, effective and appropriate handling. Toxic plants need to be purified by various methods. In Ayurveda, this process is known as sodhana process. The sodhan process is divided into two types: 1) Samanya sodhan and 2) Vishesh sodhan. The sodhan process described by our Acharyas has a scientific basis. These treatments not only remove impurities of the drug but also add some materials to them. They form some chemical and physical changes; which may be taken as impurities but from the pharmacological or therapeutic point of view, they are beneficial to a great extent. It is a method of purification or detoxification by which toxic substances are removes and crude drugs are subjected to further processing. Ayurvedic sodhan is not only purely chemical purification but something more than that. The main object of purification is not related to the complete removal of that constituent, but to reduce the number of toxic elements and increase the therapeutic activity of the component. It may lower chemical purity but improves the efficacy of the material. Ayurvedic sodhana process also impregnates organic material and their properties to the drug to facilitate their utilization by body tissues and organs. From a pharmaceutical point of view, this process helps in converting material in such state which is suitable for a human being.