Pharmacognostical and preliminary physico-chemical profiles of Blepharispermum subsessile DC. root.

INTRODUCTION: Blepharispermum subsessile DC. is a folklore medicinal herb, found in Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. It is locally known as Rasnajhadi in Odisha and its roots are being used as Rasna in treating rheumatic, gynecological, nervous disorders. In spite of its high medicinal as well as market values, the pharmacognostical characters of its root is not reported till date. AIM: To evaluate pharmacognostical and preliminary physico-chemical profiles of B. subsessile root. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Roots of B. subsessile were collected from Odisha; its macroscopic, microscopic, powder characters and preliminary physico-chemical characters were studied following standard procedures. RESULTS: Microscopically, outer multilayered lignified cork cells, cortex, border pitted xylem vessels, tracheids, isolated or groups of thick-walled xylem fibees were seen. Physico-chemical parameters showed that water soluble extractive value (31.3%) is more than alcohol soluble extractive value (23.2%) and 5.5 pH value, etc. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study will be useful in the identification and standardization of the B. subsessile root.

Evaluation of Stambhanakaraka Yoga and counseling in the management of Shukragata Vata (premature ejaculation).

Premature Ejaculation (PE) is a very common male sexual problem. Anxiety, stress, fear etc., are the main predisposing factors of PE. In Ayurveda, this condition can be correlated with Shukragata Vata. In the present study, fifty five patients with PE were grouped into two and were treated with Stambhanakaraka Yoga (n = 30) and Placebo (n = 20) for a duration of two months, with luke warm water as anupana. Psychological counseling was given to the patients in both the groups. After completion of treatment, Stambhanakaraka Yoga showed significant results against placebo in all parameters, namely Intravaginal Ejaculation Latency Time (IELT), voluntary control over ejaculation, patient and partner's satisfaction, performance anxiety.

Pharmacognostical and Preliminary physicochemical evaluation of Triphaladi granules - A polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation.

Triphaladi Kwatha, a polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation, is recommended by Chakradatta and Yogaratnakara in the management of Prameha which has resemblance with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The present study deals with development of pharmacognostical and preliminary pharmaceutical profile of Triphaladi granules. The pH (5% aqueous extract) was 6.0, water-soluble extract 48.66% w/w, alcohol-soluble extract 33.91% w/w, ash value 5.97% w/w, and loss on drying at 105°C was 6.53% w/w. High performance thin layer chromatography were carried out after organizing appropriate solvent system in which maximum nine spots were distinguished and few of the Rf values were identical in the alcoholic extract.

Evaluation of Saptarangyadi Ghanavati in the management of Apathyanimittaja Prameha w.s.r. to type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Type-2 diabetes mellitus is a persistent health problem that requires innovative strategies to improve health and needs a multifactorial approach for the treatment. Saptarangyadi Ghanavati, a new formulated Ayurvedic compound consists of herbs with anti-diabetic potential, in addition to a folklore herb Saptarangi (Salacia chinensis) has been evaluated. In a total of 67 patients, 36 patients were of newly detected type-2 diabetes mellitus and 31 patients were of chronic type-2 diabetes mellitus and they were divided into group A and group B, respectively. Group A consisted newly detected subjects of type-2 diabetes and were not taking any regular medication and group B consisted of chronic cases of type-2 diabetes mellitus, who were taking modern ant-diabetic medication, but their blood-glucose level was not controlled to desired level. Patients in group A were administered Saptarangyadi Ghanavati each of 200 mg, 5 Vatis, 3-times a day-after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Patients in group B were administered Saptarangyadi Ghanavati, in the same dose in addition to the concomitant anti-diabetic (Allopathic) medication. Serum insulin investigation, both fasting and post-prandial levels were evaluated in six patients of group B, showed a highly significant increase in first-phase insulin response. Glycosylated hemoglobin (serum HbA1c) evaluated in six patients of group A showed statistically significant reduction. There was also statistically significant reduction in the fasting blood sugar (FBS) and post prandial blood sugar (PPBS) parameters, both in newly detected cases as well as chronic cases of type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Observational study on external social and lifestyle related factors and their role in pathogenesis of premature ageing and stress.

In the present era of stress, when lifestyle disorders are high on rise, premature ageing is also one of the most prevalent disorders. It is needed to study the external environmental psychological causative factors in premature ageing and stress. An observational study was carried out to evaluate the relationship of lifestyle, occupational and social factors and mental makeup in individuals diagnosed with premature ageing. A total of 108 patients of premature ageing and stress fulfilling the criteria of inclusion as per ageing scale were selected from outpatient Department of Panchakarma and Manasa Roga, Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar. The diagnosed patients of premature ageing were subjected to specialized proforma enlisting all the factors as well as ageing scale, Manasa Bhava Pariksha, and Manasa Vibhrama Pariksha. The method of survey was by a questionnaire about the points regarding the lifestyle causative factors. Maximum patients had shown signs of premature ageing with Mana-Buddhi-Smriti-Bhakti Vibhrama (100% each) and involvement of negative Manasa Bhava. The 78.70% patients in this study felt of having excess responsibility on them in family. The 52.77% patients had average good relationship with their family members, while remaining 47.22% narrated history of disturbed relationship. The center of stress was found to be at personal level in all patients; at family level in 73.14%; at professional or work level in 64.81%. Various external, occupational, social and familial factors play significant role in the pathology of premature ageing by disturbing the overall psychological status. This proves the link of Manasa affecting Sharira and vice versa with reference to modern contemporary concept of psycho-neuro endocrinology.

Management of rheumatoid arthritis (Aamavata) using symbiohealth healthcare system.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), according to modern medicine, and Aamavata according to Ayurveda, has an etiological and clinical relationship. Aamavata is a disease complex of which RA is a part. A comparative study of the pathophysiology of this disease by both systems reveals that modern medicine has investigated the mechanism of inflammation and has developed an offense strategy to control it. Ayurveda follows a defense strategy and it focuses its search on the etiological process, where disequilibrium at a higher level of physiology affects the gastrointestinal tract, causing an immune response that results in inflammation. Understanding the pathophysiology of both systems will help the treating physician to institute a dual treatment plan of modern medicine's offense strategy and Ayurvedic medicine's defense strategy at appropriate stages of the disease. Studying the pathophsiology of the two systems also gives insight into the genetic and epigenetic phenomenon in the treatment of disease and opens the doors for groundbreaking research.

Role of Virechana Karma in cure and prevention of recurrence of Vicharchika (Eczema).

Mandip and Chandola reported that administration of Rasayana (Guduchi and Bhringaraja) after Koshtha Shuddhi with Aragvadha Hima and simultaneous giving of Shirishadi decoction orally and applying of Snuhyadi Lepa externally provided complete remission to 22.6% patients of Vicharchika (Eczema) and checked the recurrences of the disease in the 89.5% patients. As in this group, cure rate was not up to the expectation; therefore, it was thought desirable to see whether performing of Virechana Karma instead of Koshtha Shuddhi prior to the administration of the above drugs enhances the cure rate for the Vicharchika (Eczema) patients. For the present study, 39 patients of Vicharchika (Eczema) were registered, of which 32 patients completed the full course of the treatment. These patients were given Virechana after preparing with the proper internal Snehana, Abhyanga, and Svedana as per classical method. After the Samsarjana Krama, they were administered the Shirishadi decoction and Guduchi-Bhringraja Rasayana powder orally with simultaneous local application of Snuhyadi Lepa on the eczematous lesions. The results of this study showed that when Virechana Karma was performed prior to the administration of Guduchi-Bhringaraja Rasayana and Shirishadi decoction orally and SnuhyadiLepa externally, it not only increased the cure rate to 81.3% in the patients of Vicharchika (Eczema) but also checked the recurrences to great extent as only negligible number of the patients reported the recurrence.

Provocative dietary factors in geriatric hypertension: A surveillance study.

Hypertension is the most common psychosomatic disorder affecting 972 million people worldwide being more prevalent in old age. The present survey of hypertensive patients fulfilling the standard diagnostic criteria of WHO/ISH (2004) is carried out in geriatric age group from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in India to observe the dietary pattern and provocative factors. Total 120 patients of 50 to 80 years of age having systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg and ≤180 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg and ≤110 mm Hg irrespective of gender and religion were selected for the present study. They were interviewed for list of provocative factors enlisted in Ayurveda. As observed, the study supported the facts described in Ayurveda that dietary etiological factors, such as excess intake of Lavana (salty), Amla (sour), Katu (pungent), Tikshna, Ushna (hot), Vidahi (producing burning sensation), Viruddha (incompatible), Snigdha (unctuous), Abhishyandi (leading to obstruction), Madhura (sweet), Guru (heavy to digest) dietary articles, Ajirnashana (taking diet before complete digestion of previous meal), Adhyashana (repeated eating at short intervals), will vitiate Rakta dhatu as well as Pitta dosha in the body leading to disorders like hypertension. Hypertension in old age is found to be a disease of Vata-Pitta dominant vitiation with the involvement of Rasa, Rakta, Meda as main Dushya (vitiated factors) and dietary factors can contribute to worsening of the disease. The etiological factors having role in the pathogenesis can also be applied for preventive guidelines for the management of hypertension.

Clinical efficacy of Shankhapushpi and a herbo-mineral compound in type-II diabetes.

Diabetic population is more than 245 million worldwide and expected to be b380 million by 2025. One of the main causes of increasing rate of diabetes is stress and tension in day-to-day life, disturbing the homeostasis of positive and negative emotions to initiate pathophysiology of stress-induced diabetes. In the present study, in Group A of 34 patients, a herbo-mineral compound containing Shuddha Shilajatu, Shuddha Guggulu, Vijayasara Ghana, Saptarangi Ghana, and Triphala Ghana was administered in the dose of 3 gm/day in three divided doses with luke-warm water before meal for the duration of 8 weeks, which significantly relieved symptoms (60.52%) like Prabhuta Mutrata (54.55%), Avila Mutrata (66.67%), Daurbalya (61.36%), Shrama (59.32%), etc. with fasting blood sugar (4.05%) and postprandial blood sugar (9.95%). In another series of 34 patients (Group B), where psychological health promoting drug Shankhapushpi was administered in the dose of 1.5 gm/day in three divided doses for 8 weeks along with herbo-mineral compound. The percentage relief was found to be more better on symptoms (71.13%) like Prabhuta Mutrata (76.92%), Avila Mutrata (83.33%), Daurbalya (75%), Shrama (70.37%), fasting blood sugar (18.04%) and postprandial blood sugar (27.75%). Group B showed better results on psychological parameters like disturbed Manasabhava (29.16%) and Brief Psychiatry Rating Scale (38.28%). The high significance of χ(2) (15.50) on overall effect of therapy indicated better results in group B.

Pharmacognostical and analytical study of Tulsi-Amla-Yasti Ghrita.

Tulasi Amla Yashti Ghrita is an Ayurvedic formulation, which is beneficial in the management of the side effects of Head and Neck Malignancies induced by Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy. A pharmacognostical study involving both the macroscopic and powder microscopy of raw drugs of Tulasi Amla Yashti Ghrita and a physicochemical analysis of the finished product were carried out, to evaluate the quality of the formulation. The specific gravity of the formulation was 0.9130 and pH was 3.5. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) were carried out after organizing the appropriate solvent system, in which five spots were distinguished in TLC and nine spots in HPTLC. Most of the Rf values for the spots observed were identical. The observations could be considered to be the reference standards in future studies.

Pharmacognostical and phytochemical studies of Curcuma neilgherrensis (Wight) leaf - A folklore medicine.

Curcuma neilgherrensis Wight is a folk medicinal plant used in the management of diabetes mellitus. The leaves of this herb are said to be successful in managing high blood glucose levels. This study is aimed at assessing the scientific appraisal of C. neilgherrensis in the course of pharmacognostical characters and phytochemical parameters, as these are not yet been done. Pharmacognostic study mainly covered the macroscopic and microscopic features of the leaves including powder microscopy, and revealed the presence of trichomes, spiral vessels etc. Phytochemical parameters such as pH, total ash value, water-soluble extract and MeOH extract values were assessed in the preliminary physicochemical screening. Qualitative analysis revealed the existence of certain chemical constituents such as flavonoids, tannins, organic acids and saponin glycosides. The crude extract of leaves was subjected to TLC and HPTLC for the separation of components.

Analytical profile of Brahmi Ghrita: A polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation.

Brahmi Ghrita, a polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation is recommended in the management of various psychological disorders like Unmada, Apasmara and Graharogas. The present study deals with the pharmacognostical identification of ingredients of Brahmi Ghrita and its physico-chemical analysis. Pharmacognostical study containing both macroscopic and powder microscopy of raw drug revealed the quality and genuineness of all the constituents of Brahmi Ghrita. Organoleptic features of coarse powder made out of the crude drugs were within the standards prescribed. Acid value was 0.16075, saponification value 184.17, Refractive Index value 1.467 at room temperature, Iodine value 26.715, Specific gravity at room temperature was 0.9133. HPTLC was carried out after organizing appropriate solvent system in which maximum 9 spots were distinguished and most of the Rf values were identical in alcoholic extract which shows the presence of certain definite constituents in Brahmi Ghrita.