CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Lauha bhasma, an iron-based herbo-metallic preparation, is an Ayurvedic medicine prescribed for the treatment of ailments due to iron deficiency. The preparation of Lauha bhasma involves a rigorous procedure meant to convert the metal in to a fine, non-toxic and bio-available form. The physico-chemical properties of a commercially available Lauha bhasma have been studied based on classical parameters and through the use of modern analytical techniques. Lauha bhasma sample was found to conform to few of AYUSH specifications, while deviations were found in other. A core-shell structure has been proposed for chemical nature of Lauha bhasma using information obtained from various complimentary characterization tools