Shelf life of Ayurvedic dosage forms - Traditional view, current status and prospective need

The concept of Saviryta Avadhi (shelf life) for different Ayurvedic dosage forms are not specified in major classics like Charaka, Sushruta, etc. but after 13(th) century, it was considered in various authentic Ayurvedic texts like Vanga Sen, Shrangdhar Samhita and Yogaratnakar. Along with the indication of best before use duration, the importance of quality of package and storage condition is also emphasized in classics. Nowadays, due to development and adaptation of packaging and storage technology by Ayurvedic industries, a need arise to re-study and re-establish the newer ones criteria. Recently, Government of India has also issued a Gazette notification and proposed the shelf life of the Ayurvedic formulations, which seems to be unscientific and the authority has not properly considered the current development in this field. There is also a need to develop a specific guideline for the assessment of shelf life of Ayurvedic drugs. Some of the studies show that the shelf life of these types of dosage forms,can be increased by utilizing current advanced pharmaceutical technologies. Through the paper, a trial is made to explore the knowledge of shelf life of Ayurvedic drugs in classics, the current efforts and the potential need.