GOOD COLLECTION AND STORAGE PRACTICES, AN AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Today is the era of standardization, manufacturing of drug is very important.It is very respon-sible job.To prepare the drug of standard quality, one has to take efforts from the collection of raw material to storage and distribution of prepared drugs. The collection of crude drug is very much important while preparing medicine and is used in treatment of various dis-eases.The raw material which is used to prepare the medicine should be of good quality and effective and should be of standard parameters. In modern science as per WHO, norms of good collection and storage practices are described. Ayurveda also explained the various pa-rameters for good collection and storage practices. According to Ayurveda collection of raw material is not only the manual job or simple collection of medicine, But it is related to the efficacy or the medicinal value of the raw material. In Ayurvedic texts like Charaka Samhita,Sushrut Samhita,Ashtang hridaya, Sharangdhar Samhita etc.Collection and Storage of crude drugs is described. The various parameters are to be considered while collecting the drugs .Along with the desha, Bhumi- type of land or type of soil where the plants are grown,season ,parts of plant, condition of plant, and precautions followed by physicians while collecting the drug ,all these points are considered in collection of the crude drugs.Now a days it is very difficult to followed all the criterias as given in our texts.But some of the criterias can be apply for collection and storage of drugs. This article is reviewed to focus this aspect described in Ayurveda.