Bioavailability enhancement of partially water soluble solid medicament in traditional system of medicine

Abstract

Liquid state medicaments like Kwatha (decoction), sneha kalpa (oleaginous preparation), asavarista (biomedical fermentation) are supposed to have higher bioavailability due to higher absorption whereas solid state medicaments such as herbal churna (powder), bhasma and herbomineral formulations has theoretical low bioavailability, this may be due to poor water solubility. It has been claimed that bhasma is very effective at low dose. A question about how Bhasma and other preparations be effective in very low doses despite lower water solubility needs to be answered. In a bid to find the answer ancient and contemporary literature was scrutinized with respect to pharmaceutical aspects. It was found that particle reduction technology improved solubility, and bioavailability and particle size reduction technologies such as bhavan, and bhasmikaran. Were practiced in Ayurveda, which might correspond to liquid assisted grinding and tribochemistry. Particle size below 1 mm causes disruption of solute-solute interaction and increases bioavailability. Tribochemistry may produce nanoparticles either mechanically or by thermally-induced chemistry at the asperity tips due to flash temperatures and one affects the other. The reaction of solid state components during liquid-assisted grinding also is an important method responsible for the conversion of inert precursors, such as metal oxides, into hybrid inorganic-organic materials. Thus particle reduction technology enhances the bioavailability of poor water soluble components, apart from that use, liquid media in process supposed to assist the particle reduction technology and potentiation. Thus, with the help of suitable particle size reduction technology and synergistic action bioavailability of poorly water soluble components could be enhanced.