ancient indian literature comprises a remarkably broad definition of medicinal plants and considers all plant parts to be potential sources of medicinal substances . however , a key obstacle which has hindered the acceptance of the alternative medicines in the developed countries is the lack of documentation and rigorous quality control . there is a need for documentation of research work carried out on traditional medicines . with this backdrop , it becomes extremely important to make an effort toward standardization of the plant - based medicines . administration of drug in various dosage forms provides an opportunity to the physician to choose better options . kwatha preparations are one among the panchavidha kashaya kalpana which are highly effective , but they are to be used when freshly prepared and they are often overlooked due to the preparation method and palatability . in the present study , dashanga kwatha , a known formulation used in urdhwaga amlapitta ( non - ulcer dyspepsia ) , was converted into tablet form by rasakriya method to increase the shelf life , make it palatable , easy to dispense , for dose fixation , etc . with the intention of standardization and quality control of the plant - based drugs , the crude drugs mentioned in chakradutta in amlapitta rogadhikara for the preparation of dashanga kwatha were taken from the pharmacy of ipgt and ra , gujarat ayurved university , jamnagar , after proper authentication by the department of pharmacognosy of the institute . then , the physical impurities were removed and the drugs were washed with water , sorted and sun dried below 45c . dried drugs were stored in tightly closed containers . the crude drugs used in dashanga kwatha with their botanical identities and parts used are given in table 1 . crude drugs of dashanga kwatha the authenticated crude drugs were crushed to a coarse powder separately and then mixed thoroughly with 8 parts of water in a stainless steel container and then continuous mild heat was applied until it was reduced to one - fourth of its initial quantity . during the heating process , continuous stirring was done to facilitate the evaporation and avoid any deterioration due to burning of materials . after a desirable reduction in volume was achieved , the kwatha was filtered through single folded cotton cloth and collected in a separate vessel . then , the kwatha was boiled again over slow fire on a gas stove , maintaining the temperature between 90c and 95c till a semisolid consistency is obtained . as the water evaporates , the viscosity of the extract increases , resulting in ghana form . then , the ghana was mixed with the churna of dashanga ( up to 10% of extract ) further forming a solid mass . 16 sieve and granules were prepared and then dried at 50c in a hot air oven for 10 hours . the formulation was then compressed in a single - punch tablet press with a target weight of 250 mg . dashanga kwatha and dashanga kwatha ghana tablet were subjected to various analytical parameters as follows . organoleptic parameters : rupa ( color ) , rasa ( taste ) , gandha ( odor ) and sparsha ( touch)physico - chemical parameters : ph of 5% aqueous soln . , loss on drying at 110c , ash value , acid insoluble ash , water soluble extractive , methanol soluble extractivequantitative tests for tablet : weight variation test , tablet hardness test , tablet disintegration time , friabilityqualitative tests for various functional groups : tannins , mucilages , sterols / terpenoids , ascorbic acid , alkaloids , saponins , starch , flavonoids , glycosides and carbohydrateschromatographic analysis : high performance thin layer chromatographic ( hptlc)test solution : methanol extract of dashanga kwatha ghana tablets.stationary phase : silica gel gf254toluene : ethyl acetate ( 8:1.5 v / v ) was selected as the solvent system through trial and error method . the developed plate was visualized under visible day light , short uv ( 254 nm ) , long uv ( 366 nm ) . the rf values were recorded.toxicological : heavy metal analysis , pesticide residue valuemicrobial overload : bacterial and fungal growth study was carried outreagents and chemicals : all the reagents and chemicals used for the study were of analytical grade . organoleptic parameters : rupa ( color ) , rasa ( taste ) , gandha ( odor ) and sparsha ( touch ) physico - chemical parameters : ph of 5% aqueous soln . , loss on drying at 110c , ash value , acid insoluble ash , water soluble extractive , methanol soluble extractive quantitative tests for tablet : weight variation test , tablet hardness test , tablet disintegration time , friability qualitative tests for various functional groups : tannins , mucilages , sterols / terpenoids , ascorbic acid , alkaloids , saponins , starch , flavonoids , glycosides and carbohydrates chromatographic analysis : high performance thin layer chromatographic ( hptlc ) test solution : methanol extract of dashanga kwatha ghana tablets . stationary phase : silica gel gf254 toluene : ethyl acetate ( 8:1.5 v / v ) was selected as the solvent system through trial and error method . the developed plate was visualized under visible day light , short uv ( 254 nm ) , long uv ( 366 nm ) . toxicological : heavy metal analysis , pesticide residue value microbial overload : bacterial and fungal growth study was carried out reagents and chemicals : all the reagents and chemicals used for the study were of analytical grade . the crude drugs mentioned in chakradutta in amlapitta rogadhikara for the preparation of dashanga kwatha were taken from the pharmacy of ipgt and ra , gujarat ayurved university , jamnagar , after proper authentication by the department of pharmacognosy of the institute . then , the physical impurities were removed and the drugs were washed with water , sorted and sun dried below 45c . dried drugs were stored in tightly closed containers . the crude drugs used in dashanga kwatha with their botanical identities and parts used are given in table 1 . the authenticated crude drugs were crushed to a coarse powder separately and then mixed thoroughly with 8 parts of water in a stainless steel container and then continuous mild heat was applied until it was reduced to one - fourth of its initial quantity . during the heating process , continuous stirring was done to facilitate the evaporation and avoid any deterioration due to burning of materials . after a desirable reduction in volume was achieved , the kwatha was filtered through single folded cotton cloth and collected in a separate vessel . then , the kwatha was boiled again over slow fire on a gas stove , maintaining the temperature between 90c and 95c till a semisolid consistency is obtained . as the water evaporates , the viscosity of the extract increases , resulting in ghana form . then , the ghana was mixed with the churna of dashanga ( up to 10% of extract ) further forming a solid mass . 16 sieve and granules were prepared and then dried at 50c in a hot air oven for 10 hours . the formulation was then compressed in a single - punch tablet press with a target weight of 250 mg . dashanga kwatha and dashanga kwatha ghana tablet were subjected to various analytical parameters as follows . organoleptic parameters : rupa ( color ) , rasa ( taste ) , gandha ( odor ) and sparsha ( touch)physico - chemical parameters : ph of 5% aqueous soln . , loss on drying at 110c , ash value , acid insoluble ash , water soluble extractive , methanol soluble extractivequantitative tests for tablet : weight variation test , tablet hardness test , tablet disintegration time , friabilityqualitative tests for various functional groups : tannins , mucilages , sterols / terpenoids , ascorbic acid , alkaloids , saponins , starch , flavonoids , glycosides and carbohydrateschromatographic analysis : high performance thin layer chromatographic ( hptlc)test solution : methanol extract of dashanga kwatha ghana tablets.stationary phase : silica gel gf254toluene : ethyl acetate ( 8:1.5 v / v ) was selected as the solvent system through trial and error method . the developed plate was visualized under visible day light , short uv ( 254 nm ) , long uv ( 366 nm ) . the rf values were recorded.toxicological : heavy metal analysis , pesticide residue valuemicrobial overload : bacterial and fungal growth study was carried outreagents and chemicals : all the reagents and chemicals used for the study were of analytical grade . organoleptic parameters : rupa ( color ) , rasa ( taste ) , gandha ( odor ) and sparsha ( touch ) physico - chemical parameters : ph of 5% aqueous soln . , loss on drying at 110c , ash value , acid insoluble ash , water soluble extractive , methanol soluble extractive quantitative tests for tablet : weight variation test , tablet hardness test , tablet disintegration time , friability qualitative tests for various functional groups : tannins , mucilages , sterols / terpenoids , ascorbic acid , alkaloids , saponins , starch , flavonoids , glycosides and carbohydrates chromatographic analysis : high performance thin layer chromatographic ( hptlc ) test solution : methanol extract of dashanga kwatha ghana tablets . stationary phase : silica gel gf254 toluene : ethyl acetate ( 8:1.5 v / v ) was selected as the solvent system through trial and error method . the developed plate was visualized under visible day light , short uv ( 254 nm ) , long uv ( 366 nm ) . toxicological : heavy metal analysis , pesticide residue value microbial overload : bacterial and fungal growth study was carried out reagents and chemicals : all the reagents and chemicals used for the study were of analytical grade . comparative organoleptic characters were the following : rupa ( color ) was dark brown , rasa ( taste ) was bitter , gandha ( odor ) was characteristic due to the specific properties of the various ingredients and sparsha ( consistency / texture ) of dashanga kwatha was liquid and dashanga kwatha ghana tablet was smooth as given in table 2 . organoleptic parameters of dashanga kwatha and tablet ph of the kwatha was 4.53  0.03 and that of tablet was 4.21  0.02 , loss on drying in kwatha was 3.4  0.20% w / w and in tablet was 0.09  0.01% w / w as given in table 3 . physico - chemical parameters of dashanga kwatha and tablet the average weight of the tablet was 251.23 mg , hardness of tablet was 2.74  0.079 and disintegration time was 33 min and friability was 0.92% as given in table 4 . quantitative parameters of dashanga kwatha ghana tablet qualitative analysis reveals the presence of tannins , mucilage , ascorbic acid , alkaloids , saponins , glycosides , flavonoids and carbohydrates in the formulation , whereas sterols / terpenoids and starch were absent as given in table 5 . qualitative parameters of dashanga kwatha and dashanga kwatha ghana tablet findings of the analysis of hptlc , heavy metals , pesticide residual value , microbial count and pathogens of dashanga kwatha ghana tablet are shown in tables 610 , respectively . rf values of hptlc analysis of methanolic extract at long uv ( 366 nm ) rf values of hptlc analysis of methanolic extract at short uv ( 254 nm ) pesticide residual value total microbial count and pathogens ghana kalpana , a second derivative preparation of kwatha kalpana , is one of the extraction methods in which water soluble material is extracted by kwatha method and reheated till it is converted into concentrated solid form . the procedure adopted to convert dashanga kwatha ghana into tablet form was wet granulation method of tablet preparation . gum acacia was added as the binding agent ( 1% ) of the derived ghana , i.e. 70 g in powder form along with the 10% powder of dashanga kwatha . its addition imparts cohesiveness and ensures that the tablet remains intact after compression as well as imparts desired hardness and size . however , it has the disadvantage of being variable in its composition based on its natural origin , and it is usually fairly contaminated with bacteria . drying of granules in hot air oven was carried out at 4550c for 6 hours to reduce microbial proliferation . since lubrication is basically a coating process , the finer the particle size of the lubricant , the more effective the lubricant is likely to be . with the help of tablet punching machine the organoleptic parameters form the basic criteria for selecting a raw drug and also to confirm the finished product . color was brownish , taste was bitter and odor was characteristic due to the specific properties of the various ingredients [ table 2 ] . the ph conventionally represents the acidity and alkalinity ; ph of the kwatha and tablet showed to be weak acidic in nature . loss on drying indicates the moisture content ; in the present sample , it was 0.1% . ash value depends upon the inorganic substances present in the particular drug ; this parameter has importance in quality control and standardization of drugs . the higher the inorganic substances present in drugs , more will be the ash value . here , the ash value was 12.0  0.30% which may be due to the extensive heating process involved in preparation of this formulation [ table 3 ] . soluble principles of the samples were seen in water and methanol ; in water , it was 49.6% and in methanol , it was 40% . in both the media , solubility of sample was more as the sample itself which was used to prepare the tablet was derived from water extractive . in the solubility test , increase in water soluble extractive was found , which depicts its more bioavailability in water medium [ table 3 ] . disintegration time was 33 min and friability was not more than 0.92% on an average [ table 4 ] . physico - chemical analysis of dashanga kwatha ghana tablet was done for the quality control purpose . qualitative tests are used to detect the presence of functional groups , which play a very important role in the expression of biological activity . the present study reveals the presence of tannins , mucilage , ascorbic acid , alkaloids , saponins , glycosides , flavonoids and carbohydrates in the formulation , whereas sterols / terpenoids and starch were found to be absent [ table 5 ] . preliminary hptlc profile of dashanga kwatha ghana tablet has been developed [ figures 13 ] . this can be considered as the reference standard for validating this formulation in future [ tables 6 and 7 ] . densitogram of dashanga kwatha ghana tablets ( a  254 nm , b  366 nm ) hptlc profile of dashanga kwatha ghana tablets ( a  254 nm , b 366 nm ) photograph chromplate ( a  254 nm , b  366 nm ) heavy metals were not detected [ table 8 ] , thus showing the purity of the raw drugs and also the finished product . medicinal plant materials are liable to be affected by pesticide residues which accumulate from agricultural practices of spraying , treating soils during cultivation and through the administration of fumigants during storage . organophosphorous pesticides were found below the detection limit , which is a clear indication of quality land practices and safe storage of raw drugs [ table 9 ] . medicinal plant matters normally carry bacteria and moulds often originating in soil in high numbers . in the present formulation , the microbial count was within permissible limits [ table 10 ] , which indicates the proper hygiene norms followed during the preparation of formulation and packing . the study reveals that sufficient quality control parameters were followed during the preparation of formulation . organoleptic parameters , physicochemical analysis , heavy metal analysis , pesticide residue and microbial overload analysis were carried out as per the norms of who guidelines and the absence of heavy metals , pesticides in raw material and microbes in the finished product indicates the genuineness of final product . hptlc profile generated in this particular study can be considered as a preliminary tool ascertaining the authenticity of dashanga kwatha ghanavati in the tablet form .
herbal medicines have a long therapeutic history and are still serving many of the health needs of a large population of the world . 
 however , the quality control and quality assurance still remains a challenge because of the high variability of chemical components involved . 
 herbal drugs , singularly and in combinations , contain numerous compounds in complex matrices in which no single active constituent is responsible for the overall efficacy . 
 this creates a challenge in establishing quality control standards and standardization of finished herbal drugs . 
 many preparations have been mentioned in ayurvedic text books for the treatment of urdhwaga amlapitta ( non - ulcer dyspepsia ) . 
 dashanga kwatha is one such known formulation . in this study , dashanga kwatha was converted into tablet form to increase the shelf life , make it easy to dispense , for dose fixation , etc . 
 the dashanga kwatha ghana tablet was subjected to organoleptic analysis , phytochemical analysis , and qualitative analysis to detect the presence of various functional groups , and to high performance thin layer chromatography ( hptlc ) examination by optimizing the solvent systems . 
 the investigation revealed the presence of tannins , mucilage , ascorbic acid , alkaloids , saponins , glycosides , flavonoids and carbohydrates mainly .