Trace elemental fingerprinting of Ayurvedic formulation Nishakatakadi using XRF and NAA

XRF and NAA techniques have been used for the determination of major, minor, and trace elements in Ayurvedic compound formulation Nishakatakadi, a preparation used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The concentration of major elements Al, Ca, Cl, K, Mg, P, S, and Si, minor elements Na, Fe, and Ti, and trace elements, Ba, Br, Cr, Co, Cs, Cu, Mn, Pb Rb, Sr, La, Sm, W, and Zn, were determined. The accuracy of the result was evaluated by analyzing NIST certified reference sample. A good correlation between the results of XRF and NAA has been observed for elements detected using both the methods in the individual herbs analyzed. Elemental profile of the herbs and formulations so generated can serve as a fingerprint data of the herbs and formulation that can be used for quality assurance of the formulations