Gold Bhasma and Silver Parpam Used in Indian Traditional Medicines. Scientific Validation of their Interaction with Human Cells

Abstract

Bhasmas in Ayurveda and parpams in Siddha medicine are unique herbo-metallic/mineral preparations, effective remedies, fabricated from highly purified metals, treated with a variety of herbal decoctions and incinerated at high temperatures to, finally, obtain a metal ash, having a significantly reduced size and free of toxic effects. The processing techniques of bhasmas and their use as medicines have been described in ancient texts of Ayurveda such as Rasa Shastra, Charaka Samitha and Sushruta Sambita. It has been emphasized that, while Siddha medicine is close to Ayurveda, Siddha has been closely linked to the Tantric religious movement, traced back to the 6th century AD and it is believed that Alchemy played a more central role in Siddha medicine than in Ayurveda. Some of the most important bhasmas and parpams are briefly described; their fabrication and properties are mentioned. The study of the interaction of gold bhasma and silver parpam with human cells investigated by our group is described in the second part of this work. In this section, the cellular uptake and localization of the gold and silver particles in cancerous and normal cells have been elucidated by using, principally, the hyperspectral imaging method that combines the image with the spectral information.