%0 Journal Article
%T Mycobiota of Commercially Available Triphala Powder: A Well Known Dietary Supplement of Indian System of Medicine
%A Sushil Sharma
%A Madhu Gupta
%A Rekha Bhadauria
%J Journal of Mycology
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/836036
%X Sixty samples, categorized on the basis of manufacturers, were analyzed during the study. A total of 16 fungal species, belonging to 7 different genera, were isolated from the collected samples. Aspergillus was recorded as the most dominant genus with 9 species, namely, A. niger, A. carbonarius, A. luchuensis, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. nidulans, A. terreus, A. ochraceous, and A. wentii. A. niger was the most predominant species with frequency of occurrence of 63.33%. A large variation in fungal load and diversity was observed among the samples of different manufacturing categories. The percent moisture content and pH of samples were directly related to the extent of contamination. Samples with low pH and high moisture content were more contaminated. The higher incidence of A. niger (74.36%) was observed among the triphala powder of all manufacturing categories. Detection of ochratoxin producing fungi in triphala powder may pose a serious risk of ochratoxin production. Thus, there is an urgent need to enforce quality standards and regulation to minimize the fungal contamination to the globally expectable limit. 1. Introduction Triphala powder is a world widely used herbal formulation of Indian system of medicine. It is easily available in the global market as a dietary supplement. It is a powdered mixture of shade dried fruit pulp of three important myrobalans, that is, Emblica officinalis Gaertn., Terminalia bellerica Roxb., and Terminalia chebula Retz. in equal proportion. It is considered as an important rejuvenating formulation in Ayurvedic system of medicine. The recipe for this formulation is described in the ancient books on Ayurveda (most prevalent Indian system of medicine), the ¡°Charak Samhita¡± and ¡°Susruta Samhita¡± (ancient Ayurvedic literature), which date back to 1500 BC [1]. A popular folk saying in India is ¡°No mother? Do not worry so long as you have triphala.¡± This means triphala can care for the internal organs of the body as a mother cares for her children. It is also mild, nonhabit forming, the safest, and most strengthening laxative and purgative formulation, hence recommended for all age groups. Triphala encompasses the phytochemical constituents of all the three ingredients. Tannins, phenolics, flavonoids and ascorbic acid have been reported as major phytochemical constituents from this formulation [2, 3]. Ayurvedic doctors and herbal practitioners recommend this formulation for the treatment of the constipation, weight loss [4], enhancement of intelligence, strength, youth, luster, sweetness of voice, and vigor [1]. However,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jmy/2014/836036/