The department of Ayush has issued a directive to the state drugs control departments in the country and also to the Pharmaceutical Laboratory of Indian Medicine, Ghaziabad to inspect the units engaged in the manufacture of Ashokarishta and test for the purity of contents specifically of the herb Saraca asoca.

As per the order, the Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (ASU) units in the country are profusely using adulterants in the manufacture of drugs. The barks of as many as eight plants are found to be sold as Saraca asoca in the market. It is evident that Ashokarishta prepared from such adulterants is a clear instance of violation of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Similarly, ingredients like Stereospermum chelonoides, Premna integrifolia, to name a few, used in the manufacture of Dasamoolarishta, are extremely rare. Hence the genuineness of the formulation where Dasamoola (used for reduction pain, arthritis, fever, cough, bronchitis, general weakness, neuropathy, nervine weakness, urinary tract diseases ) as the ingredient could be suspect for its quality standards.

In the wake of this suspicion and uncertainty of purity of the ingredients, all state Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani licensing authorities are directed to check the premises of the units in the country. The inspecting authorities have been asked to test the quality and scrutinize on the use of these raw materials in respective formulations by testing the samples and report the compliance to the department of Ayush every month.

The order has also directed the Pharmaceutical Laboratory of Indian Medicine, Ghaziabad to test the formulation containing Dasamoola and Ashoka bark taken from the Ayurveda manufacturers and the market. The samples should be tested and the report of the contents stating the purity should be sent to the department of Ayush on a monthly basis, according to SK Chadha, director of Department of Ayush, government of India.

Meanwhile, JSD Pani, president, Karnataka Indian Medicine Manufactures Association (KIMMA) has informed the Union government about the serious shortfall of the herb Saraca asoca which is a small evergreen tree having height up to 10 meters. It has blackish bark and reddish-brown wood. Saraca asoca is known for its antibacterial and anti fungal activity.

The industry has no other option but to go for the adulterated version because the ingredient is crucial for the preparation of the drugs, informed Pani.

While the Department of Ayush's order to assess the quality of the Saraca asoca is a welcome move, efforts must be made to identify the areas where the herb is grown and its distributors. This will help the industry to source the herb and also identify the supplier, so as to return the herb if it was of poor quality. Therefore, the government should make sincere efforts to make arrangements for the industry to procure high quality Saraca asoca and other herbs from single source vetted by the Ayush authorities, averred Pani.

There are 6,000 ASU units in the country and 162 of them are in Karnataka. Over 50 per cent of the units are engaged in the production of Ashokarishta and the quality Saraca asoca is therefore indispensable, added Pani.