Abstract

Abstract

Formulations containing heavy metals has been integral part of treatment in Ayurveda and are in use since ages. It is known fact that metals in their elemental forms are always toxic, so the safety of these formulations are questioned by our modern counterparts.  However, the fact is that metals are used in drugs after a prolonged and laboured procedure of purification known as “Shodhana”. The present study was carried out with an aim to screen out toxicity (if any) of Rasa-Sindoor, an Ayurvedic formulation containing Mercury on Liver and its functioning in albino rats (Wistar strain). Since the study was to observe toxic effect (if any) on liver, so the dose was the fixed to 5 times and ten times the therapeutic dose. Total 30 albino rats were taken for the study and they were divided into 5 groups, 1st group was control group while other 4 groups were administered two samples of Rasa-sindoor i) Hingulottha Parada Rasa-sindoor and ii) Shodhita Parada Rasa-sindoor in two different doses (50mg/kg and 100mg/kg respectively) orally for 28 days consecutively. Effect of test drugs on Liver was evaluated on biochemistry (Liver function test) and post-mortem histo-pathological parameters. No mortality was found  in 28 days of study, in either of  control group  and Rasa-sindoor treated groups ,however a significant change in SGOT, SGPT, ALP values were observed in some treated groups.