Gutika

Gutika

Content

•      
Definition of Gutika

•      
Method of preparation of Gutika

•      
Characteristics of Gutika

•      
Standardization
of Gutika

Objective

At the
end of this lecture, student will be able to

•       Define gutika

•       Explain the method of preparation of
Gutika

Gutika

Gutika or pill is defined as the medicine prepared in
the form of tablets or pills.

These are made up of one or more drugs of plant and mineral
origin

Composition:

Ø    Plant, mineral drugs

Ø   Suganda dravya

Ø   Jaggery/ sugar                                                                     

Method of preparation:

Ø   Herbal drugs are dried and powdered separately

Ø   In case of minerals drugs made in to bhasmas

Ø   if the formula contains gandhaka, then kijjali
is prepared first and later remaining drugs are added one by one according to
the formula

Ø   Drugs are made into paste in kalva with
prescribed liquids, in case more than one liquid add in succession

Ø  Sugandha
dravyas like kasturi, karpura are added when tha mass attains the suitable
state for molding into pills, then it is ground again

Ø   Final stage is the one where the mass is non
sticky to the fingers when rolled and punch the tablets

Ø  Finally
the pills are dried in shade or sun

Ø  If
sugar/Jaggery is prescribed, paka is prepared on mild fire, powdered drugs are
added to this paka and mixed briskly

Characters:

Ø  Should
not loose colour, taste, odour and form

Storage:

Pills of plant origin in air tight containers can be used
for 2-3 years

Those of mineral origin can be used indefinately

Pills with salt /Ksara should be kept away from moisture

Standardization of Gutika

Determination of

Ø  Uniformity
of weight

Ø  Hardness

Ø  Disintegration
time

Ø  Ash
value

Ø  Moisture
content                                                                       

Uniformity of weight:

Ø  Twenty
pills are selected randomly and weighed individually

Ø  Average
weight of each pill is determined

Ø  Highest
wt, lowest wt and average wt of each group of pills are calculated

Hardness:

Ø  Place
a pill in a hardness tester and rotate the knob to fix the pill in it

Ø  Adjusted
the scale to zero

Ø  After
the setting, pressure is increased  by
further rotating the knob

Ø  When
pill is broke down the hardness is recorded as indicated in scale

Ø  Ten
pills of each group are tested and calculated the average hardness of each pill

Disintegration time:

Ø   Take 6 pills in the disintegration apparatus

Ø   Adjust the apparatus in such a way that the
complete up and down movement of both the tubes in a beaker containing
distilled water was repeated for 30times per minute

Ø  When
the particles remain above the screen, which is readily passed through it was
recorded as the disintegration time

Ash value:

Ø   A porcelain crucible is weighed

Ø   2 gm of sample is taken in the weighed
crucible

Ø   Placed in an electric furnace/incinerator and
gradually increase the temperature up to 700⁰ C until the sample
become carbon free

Ø   Cooled and weighed

Moisture content: Loss on drying

Ø   Take 1 gm of sample in pre-weighed watch glass

Ø   Dry in an electric oven at 110⁰ C  to a constant weight

Ø  Note
down the weight at 30 min intervals

Ø   Continue the process till the difference
between two consecutive weights is not more than 5 mg

Summary

Ø  Gutika
– Pills

Ø  Plant
or mineral drugs

Ø   Suganda dravya

Ø   Standardization: Uniformity of weight,
Hardness, Disintegration time,  ash
value, moisture content