Volume 1, Issue 6 
Physico-Chemical Standardization of Tankana (Borax): An Ayurvedic Mineral Drug
Author: Srinivasulu B, Bhadra Dev P, Murthy P H C
Abstract: Tankana, which is one among the Ksharatrayas has been used since very long time in Ayurveda. It has a wide range of therapeutic applications, including diseases like Vrana (ulcers), Shvasa (asthma), Kasa (cough), etc. The present study was conducted to generate a fingerprint for raw and purified Tankana by using techniques like X-ray Diffraction (XRD), SEM, EDAX and Chemical analysis to find out the structural and chemical compositions. The raw Tankana contains Na2B4O7 10H2O (structure- Rhombohedral), Na2B4O7 5H2O (structures- Orthorhombic), and purified Tankana contains Na2B4O7 5H2O (structures- Orthorhombic) by the XRD method. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) studies showed that Tankana was uniformly arranged in agglomerates of size 10 microns as compared to the raw Tankana which showed an arrangement of grains of size 3 microns. Quantitative chemical analysis showed that Purified Tankana contains more Boran (13.48%) compared to raw Tankana (10.08%). This study revealed that identification of physicochemical changes, standardized Tankana carrying out during the purification procedures and it is useful for further research.
Keyword: Tankana, Borax, Purification, XRD, SEM, Quantitative analysis
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