Quality and safety is a fundamental principles of the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines for health care. It is also a very important step for quality control. Since the drug is to be applied to the human body, it must be of good quality and should be closely monitored to ensure that it does not produce any harmful effects after its application. Medicinal scientists have repeatedly emphasized medicinal properties. It is the ethical responsibility of every manufacturing organization to consider the efficacy, safety, and non-toxicity of medicines.
Contemporary concepts of quality criteria (SOPs):
1. Clear Scientific Definition:
Quality testing should start with a clear scientific definition of raw materials. The exact species, usable part of the plant, the origin of the plant, collection period, time of harvesting, and method of drying should be mentioned. Even the soil in which the plant will be grown must have exact specifications.
2. Proof of Identity:
For possible identification of raw material components, visual examination, taste, smell, macroscopic, microscopic, and organoleptic properties, and chromatographic methods need to be tested. Further comparisons can be made if needed to be more certain.
3. Purity:
Relevant analysis like moisture content, ash value, extraction value, microbial contamination, heavy metal, pesticide test, aflatoxin, etc. test will be helpful in evaluating the quality of herbal raw material.
4. Content:
Determination of constituents with known therapeutic activity and their quantitative determination is also may be attempted. In case no chromatographic methods are suitable, biological assay for the active constituents may be achieved.