The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) is a legal document of standards compiled by Government of India. It is the SOP for the quality of Ayurvedic drugs and substances included therein (under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940). It consists of 2 parts and 7 volumes. Part I has 5 volumes and part II has 2 volumes. Further, API includes several appendices in each volume and classical references. Pharmacognostical, chemical and Ayurvedic standards of the parts of the plants used in Ayurveda are described in detail in each monograph. Every volume is the collection of monographs of various Ayurvedic drugs.Each monograph describes macroscopic and microscopic characters of different parts of Ayurvedic drugs along with their chemical standards of identity, permissible limit of foreign matter, purity and strength. They have been developed on the protocol developed and approved by the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia Committee, Ministry of Ayush (Govt. of India).
Monographs in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API)
Each monograph describes macroscopic and microscopic characters of different parts of Ayurvedic drugs along with their chemical standards of identity, permissible limit of foreign matter, purity and strength. They have been developed on the protocol developed and approved by the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia Committee, Ministry of Ayush (Govt. of India). Monographs also prescribe about
Monographs also prescribe about pharmaceutical- analytical parameters like total ash value, acid insoluble ash, alcohol-soluble extractive, water soluble extractive and chromatographic pattern of TLC. All this work was carried out in Pharmacopoeial Laboratory of Indian Medicine (PLIM). After the confirmation of various samples obtained from different agro-climatic zones and careful scientific scrutiny, the data of API has been finalised. All the processes were performed under the supervision of experienced scientists in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia Committee.While preparing API, each and every part is finalised by keeping in mind that, the standards are easily implementation by the manufacturing companies and becomes easily acceptable in order to maintain quality control and batch to batch uniformity.
Acceptable to Manufacturing Companies
While preparing API, each and every part is finalised by keeping in mind that, the standards are easily implementation by the manufacturing companies and becomes easily acceptable in order to maintain quality control and batch to batch uniformity. The Guna (Ayurvedic pharmacological properties) like Rasa, Guna, Virya, Vipaka, Karma etc. are also mentioned in each monograph along with their therapeutic uses, some of the important classical formulations and therapeutic dosage.
Description of Ayurvedic Properties
The Guna (Ayurvedic pharmacological properties) like Rasa, Guna, Virya, Vipaka, Karma etc. are also mentioned in each monograph along with their therapeutic uses, some of the important classical formulations and therapeutic dosage.Appendices contain the details of the protocols used in
Appendices contain the details of the protocols used in the determination of various scientific standards. References to ancient Ayurvedic literature in its original form are added, in order to authenticate the Ayurvedic statements made in each monograph.In the end, English equivalents of each Ayurvedic term have been given to make the volume
User-friendly
In the end, English equivalents of each Ayurvedic term have been given to make the volume user-friendly for all people who work in the area of Ayurveda drugs and who are not conversant with Sanskrit/Ayurvedic terminology.In general, this book is more users friendly for scientists, manufacturers, students involved in drug quality testing of Ayurvedic medicines, teachers of Dravyaguna, research scholars, physicians of Ayurveda and many others who have
Conclusion
In general, this book is more users friendly for scientists, manufacturers, students involved in drug quality testing of Ayurvedic medicines, teachers of Dravyaguna, research scholars, physicians of Ayurveda and many others who have an interest in the quality standards of Ayurvedic medicines.
This book is included in the first schedule of Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940. Manufacturers are required to follow pharmacopoeial standards as these are the mandatory requirement under the Act.