The Prime intent of the Council’s Drug Standardization Programme is to evolve standards for single and compound Unani formulations of proven efficacy included in the National Formulary of Unani Medicine for their incorporation in the official Unani Pharmacopoeia of India.

 

Drug Standardization Research Unit

 

Aims And Objectives:

  • Macroscopical evaluation of Unani formulations
  • Macroscopical evaluation of Crude Drugs
  • Microscopical evaluation of Unani formulations
  • Microscopical evaluation of Crude Drugs
  • Standardisation of Unani formulations
  • Standardisation of Crude Drugs
  • Standardisation of method of Preparation
  • Phytochemical studies on medicinal plants of proven therapeutic value in Unani system of medicine

 

Parameters Used in Standardisation Process

  • Macroscopical / Organoleptic parameters (appearance, smell, colour and taste)
  • Microscopical parameters (Cell Size, Shape, Position, Starch Grains, Calcium –Oxalate Crystals, Types and Arrangements of Various Cells and Tissues)
  • Physical parameters (Total ash, Acid-insoluble ash, Water soluble ash, Cold
  • Extractives, Hot extractives, pH determination, Moisture Content Determination and Loss on Drying, Fluorescence analysis, Foaming index and swelling index etc
  • Chemical parameters (which include Qualitative and Quantitative analysis of phytochemical constituents)

 

Isolation Of Phytoconstituents

  • Isolation and characterisation of chemical constituents from medicinal plants with proven therapeutic value in Unani system of medicine

 

HPTLC Analysis

  • HPTLC analysis for qualitative finger printing and quantification of the marker compounds from ASU drugs for Routine Quality Control Analysis.

 

Collaborative Organizations

  • Department of Pharmaceutical sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar
  • Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar

 

 

The Drug Standardisation Research Unit (DSRU) at RRIUM, Srinagar was started in 1979 with an endeavour to undertake standardisation of compound/single Unani drugs, standardisation of method of processing, quantitative and qualitative estimation of trace and toxic elements by atomic absorption spectroscopy and gas liquid chromatography of Arqiat and volatile oil samples received from other units of the Council and phytochemical studies on medicinal plants with proven therapeutic value in Unani System of medicine. Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Srinagar 25 On the basis of their physicochemical properties and spectral data generated using modern instrumentation methods standardisation work on 165 compound formulations of diverse nature and single formulations has been completed so far. Standards evolved for 50 formulations have been incorporated in the monographs entitled Physicochemical Standards of Unani Formulations Part I, II, III and IV, which have been published by the Council. The unit has also helped other DSRUs and Clinical Research Units (CRUs) of the Council by carrying out atomic absorption spectrophotometric and gas liquid chromatographic studies for them. (224 ash samples and 33 Arqiat have been analysed for trace and toxic elements and volatile oils respectively). Exhaustive chemical investigations on 10 medicinal and aromatic plants to isolate marker compounds, followed by their quantification using high end techniques like HPLC etc, have also been carried out. One of the Council’s Research drugs (UNIM-352), which is being effectively used to treat bronchial asthma, was worked upon in order to increase its palatability. By making a few changes in its method of manufacture, its overpowering and nauseating whiff has been reduced significantly. The modified formulation has been patented. Work was also done on Capsule Hudar which contains a deadly poison Nux-vomica (in its detoxified form) as one of its ingredients. The chemistry/possible mechanism of detoxification process of Nux vomica (Azraqi) and the results have been compiled in the form of monograph. Results revealed that detoxification process reduces the content of strychnine (active principle). Also, a new colorimetric method which is more convenient and precise has been developed for estimation of strychnine content in the drug samples.

 

Incharge DSRU