title: Quality parameters, fatty acid profiling and estimation of umbelliferone in grahaṇimihira tailam: An ayurvedic oil preparation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Grahaṇimihira tailam is an unexplored ayurvedic oil preparation which consists of 34 ingredients. The efficacy of this traditional ayurvedic medicine is undisputable. Proper clinical standardization of this formulation will go a long way in securing greater recognition for it. The main objective of this study was to develop standardization parameters for the formulation in a multidisciplinary way.
  
  
  METHODS
  A simple and efficient method for the quantification of umbelliferone by high performance thin layer chromatography was developed and validated. Presence of the major fatty acids and their percentage were assessed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Various physio-chemical parameters, microbiological load, aflatoxins and mineral oil were also evaluated. Spread plate method was used for checking microbial contamination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results were validated as per standard protocols. Quantitative estimation revealed the percentage of umbelliferone to be in the range of 0.88-0.98 (w/w). GC-MS analysis of sample led to the identification of 14 fatty acids, in which linoleic acid was obtained as the major fatty acid. Microbes, aflatoxins and mineral oils were found to be absent in the tailam.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results which give the quantitative estimates of various physico-chemical parameters can be adopted to establish new standards for analysis of batch-to-batch variation and this data will facilitate shelf life studies in the future.
authors.affiliation: Drug Standardisation Division, Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deepak
authors.affiliation: Drug Standardisation Division, Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Prakash U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Drug Standardisation Division, Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nitha
authors.affiliation: Drug Standardisation Division, Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Indira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Balachandran
authors.affiliation: Drug Standardisation Division, Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rema Shree
keywords: Fatty acids; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; grahanimihira tailam; high performance thin layer chromatography; physico-chemical parameters; umbelliferone