Centre of Excellence (CoE) in “Pharmaceutical Development and Standardization of Rasaushadhies Used in Ayurveda”

Background

The proposed Centre of Excellence (CoE) in “Pharmaceutical Development and Standardization of Rasaushadhies Used in Ayurveda” is being established at the Central Ayurveda Research Institute under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. Under the CoE Center, aim to develop a scientifically validated framework for the preparation, standardization, quality assurance, and safety evaluation of Ayurvedic herbo-metallo-mineral formulations (Rasaushadhies) by integrating classical Ayurvedic principles with advanced analytical technologies and modern regulatory standards.

Objectives

  1. To develop and validate standard operating procedures (SOPs) and identify critical control points (CCPs) during the preparation and chemical characterization of selected Rasaushadhies.
  2. To strengthen and upgrade existing analytical infrastructure for comprehensive analysis of Rasaushadhies.
  3. To organize structured training and capacity-building programs for the dissemination of knowledge on the preparation, standardization, and quality control of Rasaushadhies.
  4. To systematically document prescription patterns and clinical usage trends of Rasaushadhies among Ayurvedic practitioners to support rational and evidence-informed use.
  5. To establish a National Resource Centre for the pharmaceutical development, standardization, and dissemination of best practices related to Rasaushadhies used in Ayurveda.

Key Focus Areas Under the CoE

1. Pharmaceutical Development

  • Classical preparation methods of Rasaushadhies
  • Standardization of manufacturing procedures
  • Validation of traditional processes such as, Shodhana , Marana , Bhavana , Amritikarana
  • Preparation of validated SOPs and identification of critical control points for selected Rasaushadhies.

1.1 Selected Rasaushadhies for Standardization

  • Sameerpannaga Rasa
  • Chandramrita Rasa
  • Rasakarpura
  • Sutashekhar Rasa
  • Navajivan Rasa
  • Krimimudgar Rasa
  • Ichhabhedi Rasa
  • Laghu Malini Vasant Rasa
  • Shankh Vati
  • Aanandbhairava Rasa

2. Advanced Analytical Characterization

 Under the CoE, CARI, Jhansi, will establish a dedicated Material Chemistry Laboratory equipped with advanced instrumentation:

  • X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy with EDAX (SEM-EDAX)
  • Zeta Potential Analyzer

These facilities will support:

  • Phase identification
  • Elemental analysis
  • Particle morphology evaluation
  • Advanced analytical characterization
  • Validation of quality parameters
  • Safety profiling
  • Batch-to-batch consistency studies
  • Regulatory compliance studies

 

3. Monograph Development

Preparation of scientific monographs, including:

  • Pharmacognostic data
  • Physicochemical parameters
  • Safety and quality specifications

 

  1. National Online Survey of Prescription Practice
  • Nationwide online survey involving ~10,000 Ayurveda practitioners.
  • Documentation of prescription trends and clinical practices of

 

5. Training & Capacity Building

Annual organization of:

  • One National conference on rasaushadhies
  • Two workshops and Hands-on training on rasaushadhies

 

6. Scientific Publications

Publication of high-quality research articles in indexed peer-reviewed journals.

7. National Resource Centre (NRC)

The CoE will function as a National Resource Centre for:

  • Standardization protocols
  • Reference standards
  • Analytical services
  • Regulatory support
  • Industry collaboration
  • Training and skill development

The NRC will support:

  • Students
  • Researchers
  • Ayurveda practitioners
  • AYUSH pharmaceutical industries
  • Regulatory agencies
  • Academic institutions
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Expected Outcomes

  • Established SOPs, CCPs, quality control parameters, standards, and monographs will help the students, researchers, and Ayurveda practitioners.
  • Upgradation of the quality control laboratory will help in the easy execution of the analysis of Rasaushadhies and the development of SOPs and quality control parameters.
  • Improvement of the quality assurance, safety, and regulatory compliance of the Rasaushadhies.
  • Strengthened scientific basis for pharmacopeial development and wider acceptance of Rasaushadhies.
  • Prescription practices of Rasuashadhies among Ayurveda physicians will provide a lead toward the tendency to use herbo-mineral formulations by them.
  • The established National Resource Centre will help in human resource development through a capacity-building training program, which will build confidence in the preparation and standardization of Rasaushadhies.