Shila Sindura: an Antimicrobial Agent

Kupipakwa rasayana is a unique and highly evolved pharmaceutical preparation of the four murchita parada yogas. Shila Sindura is sagandha (with sulphur), sagni (processing with heat), kantastha (near the neck of the bottle) murchita parada yoga, which has mercury (parada), sulphur (gandhaka) and arsenic di sulphide (manashila) as ingredients. It is indicated in all types of skin disorders (sarva kushtahara), skin problems associated with itching (kandu), rakta dosha hara (vitiated raktadhatu) and other diseases of infectious origin like fever (jwara, sannipataja jwara), abscess (vidradhi), gonorrhoea (upadamsha), medhya, rasayana and hridya at a dose of 125-250 mg (1-2 ratti). Antimicrobial activity of Shila Sindura was conducted against gram positive, gram negative bacteria and fungus to evaluate its efficacy as broad spectrum antibiotic. So an attempt had been made to put forth “Shila Sindura: An Antimicrobial Agent”. Shila Sindura has an effective antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in both Gradient plate technique and Kirby bauer method.