Medicina Tradicional y Naturopatía Clínica

Abstracto

Importance of Drug Safety and Efficacy W.S.R to Strychnos Nux Vomica Detoxification

Neetu, Harish Kumar Singhal, Sharma KC and Chakar pany Sharma

The medicine in present era is much advanced and evidence based. Ayurveda offers a unique opportunity to evolve a science of healthy, harmonious and long life. Its holistic approach to health and disease, involving body, mind and spirit, can provide a broader framework to understand research data emerging from reductionist biomedical Sciences. A fresh perspective on the scope of scientific research on the basic concepts of Ayurveda came from a decadal vision document highlighting the importance of Ayurvedic biology. In ancient system of healing all Ayurvedic drug formulation have an inbuilt safety profile but it is necessary to produce the evidence based documents for the safety and efficacy of Ayurvedic drugs. Therapeutic efficacy of any drug or formulation mainly depends on quality control of  pharmaceutical processes.

The branch – Rasashastra (Alchemy) is based on the uses of metals and minerals for the therapeutics. It refers various techniques for the purification and detoxification of metallic or mineral ingredients, ie., - Purification, Marana, Amratikaran, Jarana, etc. A great debate is emerging time to time that the Rasa drugs are not safe. They are toxic. The facts speak that the toxicity and adverse effect of Rasa drugs occurs due to avoiding or the negligence of classical references of safety and efficacy, as mentioned in Ayurveda. Modern pharmaceutical science gives stress to the application of SOP (Standard Operating Practice) in the drug manufacturing.

Furthermore, Ayurveda refers “A wise physician may use the poisonous material like nectar but with following the directions, which are time tested and safe.” The ancient sages advocates and emphasize to following the proper classical drug manufacturing  methodology, which starts from the authentication to the finished product. It may be given name SOP (Standard Operating Practice). Moreover, the ancestors refers that like the minerals and metals the
medicinal plants which posses the poisonous property should also be detoxified first. Strychnos Nux-vomica contains the poisonous substances which may harm to body. , But, Ayurveda refers its therapeutic uses at various places. For the use of Strychnos Nux-vomica it is clearly mentioned in Ayurveda that this drug should be purified and detoxified first. Present paper is an attempt to explore the Ayurveda principles of Standard Operational Practice wsr to the Strychnos Nux-vomica, supported by the current studies and scientific evidences. The outcome of paper may open the path for the drug standardization, safety, efficacy and quality control.