Abstract:
Sri Lanka has a rich indigenous system of traditional medicine known as Ayurveda, which combines Sinhala traditional medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Siddha systems, Greek Unani medicine through Arab influence, and the unique Desheeya Chikitsa. The objectives of this research were to identify the essential practices for equipment development in the Ayurvedic sector, to examine the scientific principles underlying traditional practices, and to design Ayurvedic machinery. To achieve these goals, a needs identification survey was conducted involving over 10 institutes in Sri Lanka and more than 300 indigenous doctors across the country. Data were collected from 120 of these doctors to ascertain the specific requirements of the sector. In Ayurvedic preparations, herbal juice extraction is done manually, and ‘Pehe’ is used to extract oil from hard materials like “mee” and to extract the remaining oil from Kalka, making the process time-consuming and labour-intensive. To address this challenge, a hydraulically operated juice/oil extractor was designed to fulfil one of their requirements. This machine operates at low temperatures, which helps to preserve the nutrients and flavour of the juice/oil. It is operated using 4-ton hydraulic jack. Extracted juice percentages (wet basis) were 65% and 60% for Gotukola and Neeramulliya leaves respectively. Extracted oil/juice % (wet basis) were 36%, 48.89%, 19.8%, 20.4%, 68.52% and 52% for Mee (without steaming), Mee (steamed), Sesame (black), Sesame (normal), Nelli (without seeds) and Nelli (with seeds) respectively. Results revealed that using this method juice/oil can be extracted efficiently using this extractor than traditional methods. An extractor is a portable device which can be operated by a single person. Since the raw material contaminating machine components of the extractor are made of food-grade stainless steel, the hygienic extraction process is secured. The extractor has a capacity of approximately 3 kg of crushed leaves or 1 kg of crushed seeds per batch. Over 100 machines have been distributed to small and medium-scale Ayurvedic practitioners involved in medicine preparation.
