One of the simplest and basic forms of Ayurvedic medicine is Churna. Ayurvedic Churna is a fine powder of herbs or drugs. Churna may be made up of a single herb or it can be a polyherbal formulation.
In this article I will explain about following points related to Ayurvedic Churna:
- General Method of Preparation Churna
- Characteristics and preservation of Churna
- Expiry date or shelf-life of Churna
Method of preparation of Ayurvedic Churna
Ayurvedic Churna is the simplest form of Ayurvedic medicine which can be easily prepared. The Churna, which we are going to prepare, should be first referred from recognised Ayurvedic text or Ayurvedic formulary of India (AFI).
- All the ingredients of the Ayurvedic Churna should be clearly understood and identified.
- The ingredients or herbs mentioned in the Yoga (formula) are cleaned and dried properly either in shade or under the sun (as mentioned).
- Each ingredient is separately powdered finely and sieved.
- Each one of the powder is weighed separately, and well mixed together. As some of the herbs contain more fibrous matter, their weight may vary with each other. Also, their drying time may vary. Hence, this method of powdering and weighing them separately, and then mixing them together according to the formula, is preferred.
- Salt, sugar or camphor if mentioned in the formula should be mixed carefully at the end.
Now a day, there is new machinery have invented, the process of Churna preparation become a very easy task. All the required herbs are cleaned, dried and powdered together by disintegrators. Mechanical shifters are also used in this process.
Following points should be noted while preparing Churna-
- Salt, sugar, camphor etc., when mentioned in the formula, should be separately powdered and mixed with the rest of the ingredients at the end.
- Hingu (Asafoetida) and salt may also be roasted, powdered and then added into the mixture of mentioned formula.
- Some herbs like Shatavari and Guduchi etc. are used fresh. In this case, the herb is made into a paste and dried, and then added in the formula.
Characteristics and preservation
A properly prepared Churna should have following characteristics
- The Ayurvedic Churna (powder) is fine of at least 80 mesh sieves.
- It should not adhere or bind together or become moist.
- The finer the powder, the better is its therapeutic value.
Churna should be kept in air-tight containers to maintain their self-life.
Expiration or shelf-life
Ayurvedic Churna retains their potency for 1 year.
This is all about Ayurvedic Churna in brief. Your comments and queries are highly appreciated.
Examples of Churna
Amla Churna, Ashwagandha Churna, Triphala Churna, Hingwashtaka Churna, Sitopladi Churna, Vaishwanara Churna etc.
Read: How to prepare Ayurvedic tablets