Efficacy of Aristolochia rotunda Linn in hyperuricemia: A randomised standard controlled study.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperuricemia (HU) is a health risk that may go undiagnosed and is on the rise in both developed and developing countries. Gout, the most common inflammatory arthritis characterized by painful, disabling acute attack, is widely known to be caused by hyperuricemia. Its prevalence ranges from 2.6% to 36% in different populations. The commonly used drugs for alleviating uric acid and gout have obvious side effects, so herbal therapeutic drugs are in high demand. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Aristolochia rotunda Linn in Hyperuricemia. METHODS: Present study was designed as a single-blind randomized standard controlled trial with 20 patients in each group. Participants in the test group were administered A. rotunda Linn 4 gms in two divided doses in capsule form and the control group was given Febuxostat 40 mg once daily after meals for 28 days. Participants were asked to follow up weekly for the assessment of subjective parameters. The objective parameter was assessed pre- and post-trial. The results were analysed statistically. RESULTS: After the intervention, the test and control groups showed a statistically significant reduction in serum uric acid p = 0.021 and p < 0.01 respectively, while the reduction in the control group was found to be more statistically significant than the test group (p = 0.009). Subjective parameters also showed statistical significance at the end of the trial. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the A. rotunda Linn in a dose of 4 gm for 28 days effectively lowers serum uric acid. The trial was registered in the clinical trial registry of India under CTRI No. CTRI//2020/02/031587.

Efficacy of herbal anti-microbial soap in Tinea corporis: A randomized controlled study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Curcuma longa L., Azadirachta indica A Juss. Cassia tora L. has been used in Unani medicine for various skin ailments. Several researches have been conducted on these plants which have shown anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, anti-oxidant, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, and immune modulation activities. Skin diseases and the use of these drugs are mentioned in classical Unani literature like The Canon of medicine, Continens Liber, Hippocratic treatments, The Complete Book of the Medical Art etc. AIM: The aim of the study was to formulate anti-microbial soap and to evaluate its clinical efficacy of in the management of Tinea corporis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-microbial soap was prepared by hydroalcholic extracts of Curcuma longa L., Azadirachta indica A Juss. and Cassia tora L. The prepared soap was evaluated for various physicochemical parameters, microbiological evaluation, stability study, skin irritation, In-vitro anti-microbial activity, GCMS analysis, and a clinical trial was carried out to evaluate its efficacy. A Single Blind Randomized Placebo Controlled trail on 30 patients aged between 18 and 60 years of either gender was carried out. The participants were randomly allocated to receive either anti-microbial soap or Placebo soap for 4 weeks. Subjective parameters including erythema, pruritis and desquamation were assessed weekly while as objective parameter including Photograph of lesion, Total Symptom Score (TSS) and KOH mount was assessed at baseline and at the end of the trial. RESULTS: The improvement in subjective parameters was found significant in test group. Erythema, scaling, and desquamation was completely relieved by 70%, 80% and 25% patients respectively in test group while as none of the patients got complete relief in control group. There was statistically significant reduction in average TSS 8.65 ± 0.6708 to 3.05 ± 1.35 p < 0.001. KOH mount turned negative in 80% patients in test group while as only 20% turned negative in control group. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that Unani drugs can be utilized in better way by modifying into a convenient dosage form. Anti-microbial soap was formulated by adding minimal additives to achieve effectiveness, with cost effective benefits and less or no side effects. Anti-microbial soap was effective in management of management of Tinea corporis. Moreover further studies on large sample size are required to fine-tune these observations.

Taqashure Jild: Its similarities and differences with psoriasis.

Taqashure jild (TJ) is an Arabic word for scaling or sloughing of the skin. There are numerous skin diseases included in the Unani system of medicine; several of these diseases may resemble psoriasis, with TJ being the most likely candidate. The classic literature of the Unani system of medicine, including The Canon of Medicine (Al-Qanun Fittib), Continens Liber (Kitabul Hawi), Hippocratic Treatments (Moalajat Buqratiya), and The Complete Book of the Medical Art (Kamil-u-Sana), have described TJ as a disease characterized by scaling, roughness, and increased thickness due to abnormal melancholic humor (Sawda Ghayr Tabiiyya).

Efficacy of Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC in essential hypertension: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC, commonly known as muskroot and Indian spikenard, is a small, perennial, flowering, rhizomatous species of the Caprifoliaceae family. Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC (Sumbul-ut-teeb) has been used in Unani Medicine since antiquity. It is one of the important drugs mentioned by Ibn-e-Sina (Avicenna) in his treatise "Kitab al-Adwiya al- Qalbiya" for cardiac diseases. The drug has been shown to exhibit anxiolytic, sedative, antispasmodic, tranquillizing, and anti hypertensive activity. AIM: The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of Nardostachys jatamansi in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients. METHODS: The single blind randomized, placebo controlled study was conducted with 40 patients aged between 35-70 years. The participants were randomly allocated to receive either a total of 3 g of N. Jatamansi (1capsule 3 times a day) or placebo for 4 weeks. Patients using ≤ 2 antihypertensive drugs with stage 1 hypertension were included in the study. Systolic and diastolic Blood pressure was recorded at baseline and at every week for four weeks. MINICHAL score (for Quality of Life) was recorded at baseline and at the end of the trial. RESULTS: After the four weeks of treatment, there was a statistically significant reduction in average systolic blood pressure 144.20 ± 11.35 mmHg (CI, 138.89-149.51) to 134.30 ± 10.08 mmHg (CI, 129.58-139.02), p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (94.9. ± 3.4 mmHg (CI 93.30-96.49) to 83.10 ± 5.29 mmHg (CI 80.62-85.57), p < 0.001) in the N. Jatamansi group whereas there was no significant difference in systolic blood pressure (143.40 ± 8.39 mmHg (CI, 139.47-147.33) to 142. ± 11.68 mmHg (CI, 136.53-147.47) p = 0.148) and diastolic blood pressure 95.10 ± 3.70 mmHg (CI, 93.37-96.83) to 94.80 ± 3.69 mmHg, (CI93.07-96.52) p = 0.186) in placebo group. A comparison between baseline and post treatment, MINICHAL score in N. Jatamansi group showed significant reduction 10.85 ± 1.27 (CI, 10.25-11.44) to 6.20 ± 1.77, (CI, 5.37-7.02) p < 0.001) whereas there was no significant difference in placebo group 11.05 ± 1.50 (CI, 10.34-11.75) to 10.85 ± 1.26, 95 % (CI, 10.25-11.44) p = 0.103). CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that N. Jatamansi is effective in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in essential hypertension. Moreover studies on efficacy of different doses and treatment duration of test drug are required to finetune these observations.