ABSTRACT
In The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India the “properties and actions” of a herb have been assessed on the basis of Rasa, Guna, Veerya, Vipaaka and Karma. Except for Rasa, which is perceivable, other parameters are not perceivable, inferable; these are linked to physiological manifestations. Arvind Chopra and Vijai V. Doiphode opined that, to a certain degree, modern analytical chemistry has been used to assign properties of each of the tastes (Rasas). The sour, sweet, pungent and astringent tastes are determined by acids, starches and sugars, aromatics and tannins. The Ayurvedic philosophy describes a unifying hypothesis linking the universe with all living and nonliving matter. Human and plant in the hierarchy of cosmic evolution consist of the same basic matter – Panchbhuutas.
