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  2. Volume 3 | Issue 2 [April to June]
  3. HERBO-MINERAL FORMULATIONS OF AYURVEDA IN CANCER: A SCOPING REVIEW OF PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL EVIDENCE
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Tushar Tapadiya

HERBO-MINERAL FORMULATIONS OF AYURVEDA IN CANCER: A SCOPING REVIEW OF PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL EVIDENCE

Background: Herbo-mineral formulations (Rasaushadhi), including bhasmas of gold, mica, zinc, diamond and other materials, are increasingly promoted for cancer, often as nanomedicines. Patients with cancer frequently use them, sometimes instead of conventional treatment. Objective: To map the nature and extent of preclinical and clinical evidence on Ayurvedic herbo-mineral formulations in cancer, and to identify gaps and risks. Methods: A structured narrative review following scoping principles. Studies were identified through bibliographic databases and reference lists of recent reviews and charted by formulation, study type, cancer model and outcomes. Results: The evidence consists mainly of in vitro cytotoxicity studies in cancer cell lines (for example Abhraka bhasma in MCF-7 cells with an IC₅₀ of about 193 µg/mL, and Arkeshwara rasa in MDA-MB-231 cells with an IC₅₀ of about 25–32 µg/mL), a smaller number of animal studies, mostly with modified or nano-formulated products, and clinical case reports or small uncontrolled studies. A gold nanoparticle formulation derived from Swarna bhasma has been tested in a pilot study in metastatic breast cancer alongside standard care. Many active concentrations in vitro are high relative to plausible tissue levels, selectivity for cancer cells is rarely shown, and characterisation and safety data are often incomplete. No randomised controlled trial of a classical herbo-mineral formulation in cancer was identified. Conclusion: The evidence is early-stage and does not support use of herbo-mineral formulations as cancer treatment. A structured pipeline from characterisation to controlled trials, ideally in integrative settings alongside standard care, is required.