X-rays diffraction and microscopic analysis of <i>tamra bhasma: </i>An Ayurvedic metallic preparation

107-117Tamara bhasma is a metallic Ayurvedic preparation. Although it is in clinical use for the management of various ailments for a long time, scientific basis for its mechanism of action and also the cause of detoxification or metallic copper is not well documented. In this study an attempt has been made to characterize tamara bhasma by investigating physico-chemical changes during the whole process of its preparation. The intermediates were obtained at different steps and studied by Light microscopic, electron scan microscopic, X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric techniques by using standard protocols. The results clearly indicate that the complete process of bhasma preparation (shodhan and bhasmikaran) leads to the removal of free copper from the system. It begins the synthesis of copper sulphides along with some new metallic complexes, which are yet to be characterized. The whole process (different steps of triturating) reduces the particle size of the finished product to the colloidal level. The mechanism of different changes has al so been explained in the paper