GB2327608A - Process for producing a herbal homeopathic composition - Google Patents

Abstract

One or more herbs are combined with a solvent, such as water or ethanol/water mixture. The mixture is heated and any ethanol is driven off. The resulting solution is preferably cooled, separated from any solid residue and diluted successively to create a homeopathic composition. Plant species which may be used are Silybum Marianum, Echinacea Angustifolia, Belladonna, Arnica Montana, Thuja Occidentalis, Astragalus Membranaceous, Angelica Sinensis or Panax Ginseng.

Description

"A process for producing a homoeopathic composition" The invention relates to a homoeopathic composition and to a process for producing the homoeopathic composition.

According to the invention there is provided a process for producing a homoeopathic composition for use in the prophylaxis and treatment of ailments, the process comprising the steps: delivering a desired quantity of a selected herb material to a container, delivering a desired quantity of a complementary solvent to the container, soaking the herb material in the container with the solvent, extracting desired active principles from the herb material thus forming a herbal solution in the container, heating the herb and solvent mixture in the container to a desired temperature sufficient to vaporise the solvent, controlling said desired temperature for ref fluxing the solution for a pre-set time period, cooling the herbal solution, separating the herbal solution from solid herb material, and manufacturing a homoeopathic composition from the herbal solution by carrying out a pre-set series of dilutions and succussions of the herbal solution.

Advantageously the process of the invention allows the relatively rapid production of the homoeopathic composition. Herbal extract solutions used to prepare homoeopathic compositions which are prepared by a conventional technique take two to three weeks to produce, whereas herbal extract solutions can be produced according to the process of the invention in about two to eight hours. Further, it has been found that there is a greater concentration of the principal ingredients in the solution by using the ref fluxing technique of the invention and therefore effectiveness of the remedies has been enhanced.

Conveniently, the heating can be regulated such that Vitamin C or other desirable extracts are not destroyed as the temperature does not get high enough.

In one embodiment of the invention the process includes the step of forced cooling of the herbal solution.

Conveniently the diluent used in preparation of the homoeopathic composition is a 30% v\v solution of ethyl alcohol and distilled water.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the homoeopathic composition comprises a number of selected herbs in desired concentrations, the herbs comprising echinacea angustifolia, belladonna, arnica montana, silybum marianum, thuja occidentalis, astragalus membranaceous, angelica sinensis and panax ginseng.

Preferably, the homoeopathic composition comprises in combination two or more selected concentrations of one or more of the herbs. The combination of different potencies of the same herb is intended to produce a broad spectrum benefit in the treatment of chronic to acute conditions.

In another embodiment the process includes the steps: preparing a desired herbal composition, preparing a desired homoeopathic composition; and combining the herbal and homoeopathic compositions in a desired ratio.

Typically the homoeopathic composition is added to the herbal composition at the rate of between 0.25% and 3%.

The combination of the herbal and homoeopathic compositions has a synergistic effect enhancing the action of the herbs.

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only.

Example Herb Echinacea Angustifolia Belladonna Arnica Montana Silybum Marianum Thuja Occidental is Astragalus Membranaceous Angelica Sinensis Panax Ginseng A mother tincture of each herb is prepared by delivering a measured amount of the herb to a container together with a solution of ethyl alcohol in distilled water. The alcohol and water solution is filled above the herb in the container. The solution in the container is then heated, being refluxed for about three hours. Vapours rising from the solution are condensed in an outlet neck of the container which is cooled by a water jacket. When ref fluxing is complete the solution is cooled for about four hours and then separated from the solid material to provide a herbal tincture having an alcohol concentration of about 40%.

Each herbal extract is then potentised by manual succession for a minimum of 100 successions per potency\dilution. The diluent used during potentiation is a 30% v\v solution of ethyl alcohol in distilled water.

A number of different potencies of each herb may be provided and all the components are then mixed to provide a homoeopathic additive composition. A preferred example of homoeopathic additive composition is given below.

Component Potency Percentaae Echinacea Angustifolia 2C 7.5 Echinacea Angustifolia 30C 7.5 Belladonna 30C 7.5 Arnica Montana 6C 5.0 Arnica Montana 30C 5.0 Silybum Marianum 2C 7.5 Silybum Marianum 6C 7.5 Silybum Marianum 30C 7.5 Thuja Occidentalis 6C 5.0 Thuja Occidentalis 30C 5.0 Astragalus Membranaceous 2C 5.0 Astragalus Membranaceous 6C 5.0 Astraguls Membranaceous 30C 5.0 Angelica Sinensis 6C 5.0 Angelica Sinensis 30C 5.0 Panax Ginseng 6C 5.0 Panax Ginseng 30C 5.0 The homoeopathic additive composition described above is added to herbal preparations at the rate of 0.25% to 3% to enhance their effect.

For preparation of the herbal solution herbs can be used in virtually any form. They can be freshly picked, dried whole, as in the case of seeds, flowers, berries, roots and rhizomes and the like. If desired the herbs can be cut to any desired particle size or they can be powdered.

In some cases the juices can be squeezed out of a herb to be used on its own or in combination with other herbs in any desired form. Ideally, the herbs should be as pure as possible, free from contaminants such as sprays or industrial contaminants, lead from petrol, damage or decay. Preferably the herbs should be organically grown or where possible picked from wild. Further, ideally the herbs should be harvested at the time of highest content of the active principles and then dried.

A number of solvents or solvent mixtures may be used. If the remedy is to be taken or used internally then the solvent must be potable. If for external use the range of solvents can be much wider, but overall they must not be poisonous, or have any undesirable side effects and must be as uncontaminated as possible.

Water may be used as the solvent, purified to British Pharmacopoeia or similar standards, filtered, sterilised, distilled, some times up to treble distillation, or even common tap water of food standard.

Since not all the active principles in herbs are soluble in water and would therefore not be available, an alcohol such as ethanol may be used as the solvent, not only for its availability to dissolve most of the desirable active principles, but also because it acts as a preservative.

Examples of other possible solvents which can be used are glycerol, iso-propyl alcohol, ethers and many others, selected according to the criteria mentioned above.

Mixtures of one or more of the solvents may be used, for example a mixture of ethanol and water. The normal minimum acceptable level of alcohol in a tincture is 25%, but this needs to be varied depending on the herbs involved and the active principles\ingredients to be extracted. For example the key resin in calendula officinalis is only soluble in 90% alcohol in water. It may in some cases be desirable to use a three component solvent, for example to produce a sweet tasting tincture for children or a lotion which has a higher viscosity than an alcohol\water solvent or because a better extraction is achieved. Even though the boiling point of the key solvent could be very high, the alcohol still vaporises and thus the temperature is controlled. An example of such a multi-component solvent would be water: ethanol: glycerol in the ratio 25:25:50 by volume.

Heating of the solvent in the container should be controllable so that at maximum a slow simmering of the herb/solvent mix is achieved. Where alcohol is used as the solvent, the temperature is normally automatically controlled at the boiling point of the alcohol such as ethanol i.e. 780C. At this temperature not more than three hours heating would be required to achieve a satisfactory level of extraction. Heating can be achieved by water bath, electrical elements, steam jackets, electrical mantels or any suitable and preferably controllable means.

It is not essential for the herbal solution to be at this or any higher temperature. In fact where temperature is controlled it might in some cases be desirable and beneficial to use temperatures at or close to 400C. This however would slow down the rate of extraction and lengthen the process considerably.

After the heating process the herbal solution may be allowed to cool naturally at room temperature.

Alternatively to expedite cooling, forced cooling may be used, for example using a cold water jacket or tube coils in the container or any other suitable method. Cooling at room temperature normally would take about 4 hours but would be much faster with forced cooling.

When the cooling has been completed the separation of the exhausted herb from the herbal extract solution can proceed. If the herb used was a hard seed such as silybum marianum, usually simple filtration is sufficient. If desired the mixture may be passed through a press for separation, which can be either continuous or batch as required. Pressure can be applied manually, by means of a screw, a gearbox motor, or a suitable hydraulic arrangement. Other possibilities are vortex or centrifugal separation devices.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a process for the efficient production of high quality homoeopathic compositions.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may vary in detail.

Claims (9)

1. A process for producing a homoeopathic composition for use in the prophylaxis and treatment of ailments, the process comprising the steps; delivering a desired quantity of herb material comprising one or more selected herbs to a container, delivering a desired quantity of a complementary solvent to the container, soaking the herb material in the container with the solvent for extracting desired active principles from the herb material thus forming a herbal solution in the container, heating the herb and solvent mixture in the container to a desired temperature sufficient to vaporise the solvent, controlling said desired temperature for refluxing the solution for a pre-set time period, cooling the herbal solution, separating the herbal solution from solid herb material, and manufacturing a homoeopathic composition from the herbal solution by carrying out a pre-set series of dilutions and succussions of the herbal solution.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process comprises the step of forced cooling of the herbal solution.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the homoeopathic composition comprises two or more selected concentrations of one or more herbs.

4. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the diluent used is a 30% v\v solution of ethyl alcohol and distilled water.

5. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the homoeopathic composition comprises a number of selected herbs in desired concentrations, the herbs comprising echinacea angustifolia, belladonna, arnica montana, silybum marianum, thuja occidentalis, astragalus membranaceous, angelica sinensis and panax ginseng.

6. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the process includes the steps: preparing a desired herbal composition; preparing a desired homoeopathic composition; and combining the herbal composition and the homoeopathic composition in a desired ratio.

7. A process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the homoeopathic composition is added to the herbal composition at the rate of between 0.25% and 3%.

8. A process for producing a homoeopathic composition substantially as hereinbefore described.

9. A homoeopathic composition whenever produced according to the process as claimed in any preceding claim.