Therapeutic Categorization and Physicochemical Profiling of Proprietary Ayurvedic Creams and Herbal Powders Marketed in India

Abstract

A broad set of proprietary Ayurvedic formulations for forty-seven creams and nighty eight powders/Churnas representing multiple therapeutic categories were evaluated to collate category-wise trends and profile key physicochemical parameters. The objective was to propose empirical reference ranges that may support quality assessment and future standard setting initiatives. Routine quality control tests for creams revealed wide variability, with pH ranging from 3.88 to 11.42, total ash (TA) from below detection limit to 49.34%, acid insoluble ash (AIA) 0 to 50.88%, water soluble matter (WSM) 0.24 to 61.20%, and alcohol soluble matter (ASM) 1.20 to 83.12%. Powders similarly showed substantial dispersion, with loss on drying (LOD) 0.14 to 18.40%, water soluble matter (WSM) 2.34 to 99.60%, alcohol soluble matter (ASM) 3.02 to 98.52%, total ash (TA) 1.71 to 96.92%, and acid insoluble ash (AIA) 0.28 to 88.90%. Label declared compositions were available for only two of forty-seven creams and twenty-eight of ninety-eight powders. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) based marker profiling was performed selectively to verify the presence of key botanicals. The compiled ranges obtained from diverse, commercially available products provide preliminary empirical baselines that laboratories and manufacturers may use to identify outliers, prioritize authentication efforts, and design stability or formulation optimization studies. These values should not be interpreted as clinical performance specifications; rather, they serve as a pragmatic starting point toward harmonized physicochemical standardization aligned with contemporary quality control expectations.