Reverse engineering of Ayurvedic lipid based formulation, ghrita by combined column chromatography, normal and reverse phase HPTLC analysis

BACKGROUND Ghritas are ayurvedic lipid based preparations in which oil or ghee is boiled with prescribed kasaya (polyherbal decoction) and kalka (fine paste of herbs) until the evaporation of aqueous phase transfers the contents into oily phase. The polyherbal decoction used in the preparation predominantly contains water soluble Active Botanical Ingredients (ABIs). METHODS The column chromatography was used to fractionate the ghrita into polar and non-polar fractions on silica gel as adsorbent using petroleum ether and mixture of ethanol, methanol & water as eluents. These fractions were further analysed by normal and reverse phase HPTLC analysis for the presence of the contents and its polarity. RESULTS The results showed that all the ABIs present in the formulation were polar since the fractionated non-polar fraction did not show the presence of any active botanical ingredients on normal and reverse phase HPTLC analysis. CONCLUSIONS The ayurvedic system of medicine has got its own technique of incorporating the polar contents into a lipid base for enhanced absorption and delivery of the ABIs at targets.