title: Physico-chemical study of Vaikrānta bhasma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vaikrānta has very important place in Rasa śāstra and is placed under Mahārasa and Upratna group. It has been mentioned that vaikrānta can be used in the place of diamond, which is a very precious stone and whose use is beyond the limit of the common man. Vaikrānta possesses pharmacological and therapeutic properties similar to diamond, but still very few researchers have worked on it.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of the present study is to analyze vaikrānta bhasma by employing various organoleptic methods mentioned in Ayurvedic science along with analysis as per tools available today.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, vaikrānta bhasma was prepared according to method mentioned in Rasa Ratna Samuccaya. Final product is prepared according to classical parameters described in Ayurvedic science.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ayurvedic scholars have described various parameters for the qualitative evaluation of vaikrānta bhasma, but all those are subjective in nature and cannot be evaluated numerically for reproducibility of the result. With this in mind, in the present study, tests as per Ayurvedic science and analytical parameters such as scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry were adopted to analyze the final product.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data suggests that vaikrānta bhasma is a multi-mineral compound, which contains iron and silica as major constituents and others are present as trace elements. The data obtained in this study suggest that quality specifications for vaikrānta bhasma can be developed using tests described in Ayurvedic science along with analytical tools available today.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, R.G.G.P.G Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Paprola, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, R.G.G.P.G Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Paprola, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rathore
authors.affiliation: Department of Kaya Chikitsa, R.G.G.P.G Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Paprola, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raghubir
keywords: Analysis; Vaikranta bhasma; physico-chemical