Anjana Therapy as an Ocular Drug Delivery System: An Ayurvedic–modern Perspective

Shalakya Tantra, one of the eight branches of Ashtanga Ayurveda, deals with diseases occurring in the region above the clavicle, particularly those involving the sensory organs. Among these organs, the eye is considered highly significant because vision plays a crucial role in perception, learning, and daily activities. Classical Ayurvedic texts therefore describe several preventive and therapeutic measures aimed at preserving ocular health. Among these approaches, localized therapeutic procedures collectively known as Netra Kriyakalpa are regarded as important interventions because they deliver medicines directly to ocular tissues and produce relatively rapid therapeutic effects. Anjana is an important procedure among Netra Kriyakalpa in which medicated formulations are applied to the inner surface of the eyelid, usually over the lower palpebral conjunctiva or conjunctival sac. From a modern biomedical perspective, this procedure can be considered a specialized form of topical ocular drug delivery. The effectiveness of the therapy depends on several physicochemical factors, including pH, viscosity, tonicity, molecular size, molecular weight, and lipid solubility of the active constituents. Traditionally, Anjana is classified into three forms: Gutika, Rasakriya, and Churna. Rasakriya preparations resemble ophthalmic solutions, whereas Gutika and Churna forms may be conceptually correlated with ophthalmic suspensions containing fine particles that remain longer in the conjunctival sac, thereby enhancing drug retention and ocular bioavailability. The present article aims to review the classical concept of Anjana and interpret its probable mechanism using modern perspectives of ocular pharmacokinetics and drug delivery, thereby highlighting its relevance in contemporary ophthalmic practice.