Abstract:
'Triphala' is a popular ayurvedic formulations used by peoples for different ailments. Many studies reported on inferior quality of marketed herbal products. In this study, microbial contamination, and microscopic powder analysis of marketed 'triphala' formulation were evaluated. Three different marketed 'triphala' formulations in which two formulations were available as tablets (T1 and T2) and one formulation was available as capsule form (T3) were used for the analysis. Different types of cells and tissues were identified by microscopic study of powdered 'triphala' brands prepared by the fruits of three plants such as Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellerica, and Terminalia chebula. T3 brand had branched trichome, lignified and pitted tracheid, fiber, glandular trichome, fragmented vessel, scleroids, oil droplets, xylem vessels whereas Ti brand had scleroids, epidermal cells, starch grains, and fragmented vessels. T2 brand had porous region of tracheid pits containing torus, oils droplets,
crystals in different shapes, stones cells and scleroid. More anatomical structures were identified in
Tз brand followed by T2 and T1 brands. All these structures were found in the fruits used for the
preparations of 'triphala' brands and there were no specific structures observed from adulteration.
Microbial analysis of marketed 'triphala' brands revealed that T3 brand was free from viable aerobic
bacteria and other two brands showed the presence of viable aerobic bacteria. Fungal contamination
was absent in all three brands. However microbial contaminations in 'triphala' brands were within. the acceptable limit according to the WHO guidelines. Further studies needed to evaluate quality of 'triphala' brands using modern analytical techniques.
