Characterization of Yashad Bhasma (Zinc calx) and establishment of the importance of Shodhan (purification)

291-299Yashad bhasma (Zinc calx) is prepared through a series of pharmaceutical process namely shodhan (purification), jaran (polling), and maran (incineration). The careful investigation of bhasma at the end of each pharmaceutical process determines the completion and quality of the bhasma. The present study was planned to establish the importance of shodhan process by adopting the pharmaceutical process like shodhan, jaran, and maran with the characterization of yashad bhasma without shodhan, with only vishesh shodhan and with samanya as well as vishesh shodhan though the classical (bhasmapariksha) and contemporary (SEM, XRD and EDAX) parameters. Raw yashad tagged as 99.99% pure was purchased from the local market of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It was divided into three batches. Batch 1 proceeded for jaran and maran, no shodhan was done. Batch 2 proceeded with vishesh shodhan, jaran and maran while batch 3 proceeded with samanya as well as vishesh shodhan followed by jaran and maran. Though all the batches passed the bhasma pariksha and established as ZnO, their characteristic appearance were different in terms of time, structure, particle size, composition, and concentration of ZnO. Samanya and vishesh shodhit yashad was best among the three as the long series of pharmaceutical processing were followed for batch 3 of yashad