Jasada bhasma (JB) is a zinc oxide-based Indian traditional
Ayurveda-based
herbo-metallic nanoparticle used for the treatment of zinc (Zn) deficiency
and autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. JB is made by following
the Ayurveda-based guidelines using zinc oxide (ZnO) as a raw material
and going through 17 cycles of the high-temperature incineration and
trituration process known as “Ma̅raṇa”
in the presence of herbal decoctions prepared from the leaves ofAzadirachta indica andAloe vera gel. These cycles improve the purity of the parent material and
transform its physicochemical properties, converting it into nanoparticles.
However, there still exists a knowledge gap regarding the role of
incineration in the physicochemical transformation of the Zn raw material
into JB nanoparticles and the biological interaction of the final
product. In the present study, the JB samples obtained during different
Ma̅raṇa cycles were carefully studied for their physicochemical
transformation using analytical methods such as powdered X-ray diffraction
(XRD), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), field emission scanning
electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy,
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy,
and dynamic light scattering (DLS). According to the XRD results,
the Zn and oxygen molecules in hexagonal ZnO wurtzite crystals gradually
realigned as a result of repeated heat treatments that caused lattice
tension and crystal size reduction from 53.14 to 42.40 nm. A morphological
transition from 1.5 μm rod shape to 31 nm in the JB particles
can be seen using FESEM and SAXS analyses. The existence of 10 nm-sized
nanoparticles in the finished product was confirmed by HRTEM. The
presence of ZnO was confirmed in all samples by FTIR and Raman spectroscopies.
Cell viability analysis showed an inhibitory concentration 50% of
>1000 μg/mL for JB nanoparticles, revealing no adverse effects
in human colon Caco-2 cells. A dose-dependent uptake and intracellular
accumulation of JB nanoparticles were observed in Caco-2 cells using
inductively coupled plasma-based mass spectroscopy (ICP–MS).
Bioavailability of Zn2+ ions (6% w/w) through JB dissolution
in acidic pH 4.0 was observed, representing the stomach and intracellular
lysosomal physiological conditions. Therefore, the study showed that
the repeated incineration cycles produced biocompatible JB nanoparticles
through the physicochemical transformation at molecular levels capable
of delivering bioavailable Zn2+ ions under physiological
conditions. In conclusion, the medicinal properties of JB nanoparticles
described in Ayurveda were found to originate from their small size
and dissolution properties, formed through the classical incineration-based
synthesis process.