Dravyaguna Vigyan Department

Ayurvedic Pharmacology & Medicinal Plants Laboratory

rt="5230" data-end="5251">Dravyaguna Vigyan focuses on the study of medicinal plants, Ayurvedic pharmacology, properties of herbs, bio-energetics (Rasa, Guna, Virya, Vipaka, Prabhava), and their therapeutic applications. A Dravyaguna lab must be designed to provide hands-on exposure to crude drugs, plant identification, organoleptic evaluation, phytochemical tests, and herbal specimen storage.

Objectives

• To develop skills for identification and authentication of medicinal plants.

• To teach classical Ayurvedic principles of Dravya, Guna, and Karma.

• To perform practical pharmacognosy and phytochemical tests.

• To link Ayurvedic therapeutic actions with modern pharmacological evidence.

Lab Infrastructure Requirements

1. Herbal Museum
   More than 200 herb samples stored in transparent jars with proper labeling, botanical names, Sanskrit names, part used, actions, and indications.

2. Microscopic Examination Section
   Dissection microscopes, compound microscopes, slides, staining reagents, microtome, camera microscope.

3. Phytochemical Testing Area
   Test tubes, beakers, reagent bottles, solvent extraction units, heating mantle, Soxhlet apparatus (optional), filtration units.

4. Crude Drug Storage
   Wooden/glass shelves, humidity-controlled area, airtight containers for raw samples.

5. Live Herbal Garden (Per NCISM norms)
   Minimum 100–200 species of medicinal plants with signage:

   • Latin name

   • Sanskrit name

   • Family

   • Part used

   • Pharmacological action

6. Digital Learning Tools
   QR-based herb identification system, interactive plant database, smart board teaching.

Learning Outcomes

Students master identification of herbs, understand Ayurvedic pharmacodynamics, perform quality testing, and develop skills required for Ayurvedic drug formulation, research, and clinical application.

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