Ayurvedic medicine is an Indian form of medicine that dates back many thousands of years. In ayurvedic medicine, a bhasma is a metallic or mineral preparation, which is treated with herbal juices or within a decoction and exposed to heat. It is claimed that the treatment of the metal or mineral preparation in this way, also called calination, produces nanoparticles of metal derivatives and that these possess a high bioavailability in animals and humans. A bhasma is technically an ash achieved through incineration, with the heat allowing a purification and reaction phase which alters the properties of the starting material. Bhasma is used traditionally in ayurvedic medicine to treat a number of conditions, with the use dependent on the original starting metal. Mandur bhasma for example uses iron oxide for the preparation of an extract that produces a highly bioavailable form of iron, that can be used to treat anaemia and a number of other conditions including liver disorders.
A bhasma is an ash produced through incineration of a metal or mineral. This creates a nanoparticle composition that significantly improves bioavailability. Bhasmas have been used to treat many conditions in ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.
Mandur bhasma is an therefore an iron based bhasma. As well as being useful in anaemia, studies suggest that mandur bhasma has particular hepatoprotective effects in animals. For example in one study, researchers assessed the hepatoprotective effects of mandur bhasma on paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The mandur bhasma was found to reduce elevated levels of the liver enzymes SGOT (serum glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase), SGPT (serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase) and ALP (alkaline phosphatase), suggesting significant hepatoprotective effects. In addition, the mandur bhasma was able to significantly increase blood levels of proteins, again suggesting a hepatoprotective effect. One sample of mandur bhasma was able to reduce the paracetamol induced hepatic necrosis from 80 to 85 % to 5 to 10 %. There was some variability in the different preparations of mandur bhasma in this study, but all showed significant hepatoprotective effects.
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