Gallic acid (3,4, is a naturally occurring hydrolysable tannin and a potent antioxidant molecule. In Ayurveda, Rasayana therapy has been proposed as a remedy for ageing and associated ailments. The present study aims to analyse the gallic acid (GA) content in an important Rasayana used in Ayurveda viz., Amalaki Rasayana. High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method was carried out to delineate the phytoconstituents present in the methanolic extract of shade-dried powdered berries of Amla, the stem of Palasa and Amalaki Rasayana. The TLC plate developed in mobile phase toluene: ethyl acetate: formic acid (6:5:1v/v) had revealed 10, 6 and 5 phytoconstituents respectively for Palasa, Amla and Amalaki Rasayana. Densitometric scanning of GA had shown the absorption spectra λ max at 276 nm and polynomial regression analysis had revealed a good linearity response (r = 1.0000) in the concentration ranges of 1.44 -15.84 µg/spot and mean content of GA in raw berries of Amla was estimated as 0.364% of its dry weight and that of processed Amla (i.e., Amalaki Rasayana) as 0.415%. The chromatographic data could fail to produce any detectable amount of GA in the stem of Palasa. The scaling up of the content of GA (5.33%) in thermal processing is suggestive that heat might have induced degradation of the polyphenols (viz., the polymers of ellagic acid, or gallic and ellagic acids) of the flesh of Amla berries, due to a combination of leaching, oxidation by polyphenol oxidase, enzymatic action and isomerization.

The last decade witnessed an accelerated increase of the global acceptance of traditional medicines and herbal products. But unfortunately there is no organized cultivation of the medicinal plants and most of the precious species are facing the threat of destructive harvesting. Majority of the manufacturers are thus forced to substitute or avoid the unavailable ingredients thus hindering the quality and safety of the marketed products. For analysing this scenario an in depth study was undertaken taking drugs of Dasamoola group as a representative of raw drug category facing huge consumption. The study intended to document the current availability status of Dasamoola drugs in the Kerala Ayurveda drug manufacturing industry and the measures adopted by the industry to overcome the scarcity of these drugs through a Cross sectional survey. Result of the study points out that over usage, destructive harvesting and lack of cultivation have alarmingly reduced the availability of Dasamoola group drugs in Kerala pharmacies. It has also documented the substitution of these drugs by the pharmacies and data regarding the adulteration faced by them. Thus this study invites an attention on the urgent need of judicious usage, cultivation and strict government regulations for such medicinal plants like Dasamoola which has high global demand.