Ayurvedic herbal formulations have been used in India since a long time. These are prepared by single or by a mixture of crude drugs meant to be dispensed as such. The safety and quality of herbal medicines has become increasingly important for health authorities, scientific community and the public alike. The presence of certain trace-elements and heavy metals, like lead has a great significance in these medicines, affecting health of the consumers. Lead is a soft, malleable heavy metal used in a variety of consumer products. It is a potent neurotoxin which is particularly harmful to children. It disrupts the nervous connections, hindering cognitive development. Lead toxicity damages the kidneys, liver and other organs. Various case studies have been done, reporting that some Ayurvedic formulations contained lead content up to 2%, which is in very high concentration as compared to the maximum tolerable limit of only 10 parts per million (ppm), according to WHO and AYUSH The study was aimed to determining 19 physicochemical parameters and the evaluation of lead content, in different catagories of Ayurvedic preparations of three major herbal manufacturers: Dabur, Unjha, Divya. Estimation of lead was done by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The parameters of about 33formulations of different categories were evaluated for the standards given by Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia, Indian Pharmacopeia, AYUSH and WHO. It was concluded that almost all the formulations complied with the standard parameters given by the above mentioned reference books. The major herbal manufacturers are aware of the standardization of their preparations.

Ayurveda, herbal medicines, lead toxicity, atomic absorption spectrophotometer