ABSTRACT
Herbal medicines widely used in health care in both developed and developing countries are complex chemical mixtures prepared from plants and are limited in their effectiveness because they are poorly absorbed when taken orally. Thermal analysis is used to characterize the materials, the physical or chemical changes in various products including herbal drugs, and to study the pre-formulation or drug excipient compatibility. Thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry have been employed to study any physical or chemical changes in various products including herbal drugs and are also used to study pre-formulation or drug excipient compatibility. In Differential Thermal Analysis, the temperature difference that develops between a sample and an inert reference material is measured when both are subjected to identical heat treatments. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis is a technique where a small deformation is applied to a sample in a cyclic manner.
