Taila kalpana (Medicated Oil) in Ayurveda

Medicated oil/ghee is one of the important dosage form widely described in Ayurvedic pharmaceutics. Four types of Snehas (Fatty preparation) are described in Ayurvedic literature. These are ghrita, taila, vasa and majja. Among these taila(medicated oil) and ghrita (medicated ghee) are more popular in therapeutic uses. Taila murchhana is the first step of taila prepartation. This process has been adopted for enhancing the potency of oil and to remove the bad odour and amadosa. Researches show that murchana process decreases the acid value and increases saponification value. Reduced acid value indicates less percentage of free fatty acids and increased saponification value indicates higher content of low molecular weight fatty acids. Medicated oils containing low molecular fatty acids are absorbed fast. Fat/Water soluble active principles of drugs are extracted into medicated oil in this method. Medicated Taila are having more therapeutic potency and shelf life than crude Taila. Formulations prepared from the Taila enhance life, complexion, strength and anabolism of body. The water soluble as well as fat soluble active principles can be transformed into Taila media and this addition of properties of material made the Taila potent and effective.