Anti-inflammatory activity of root bark and stem bark of Shyonaka

Background:

Shyonaka (Oroxylum indicum Vent.; Bignoniaceae) root bark is one of the ingredients of dashamoola (a group of 10 roots), and is used for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic action in a number of compound formulations in Ayurveda.

Aim:

Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) recommends using the stem bark instead of root bark.

Material and Methods:

An attempt has been made to study the anti-inflammatory activity of both root bark and stem bark kashaya (decoction) experimentally.

Conclusion

Results showed significant anti-inflammatory activity of root bark and stem bark decoction.

Experimental evaluation of Hingusauvarchaladi Ghrita and Saptavartita Hingusauvarchaladi Ghrita with special reference to their anticonvulsant activity

Incidence of epilepsy is 0.3 to 0.5% in different populations throughout the world, and the prevalence of epilepsy has been estimated at 5 to 10 persons per 1000. Scanning of the Ayurvedic classics reveals that 90% of the formulations mentioned to have action on sajnavaha srotas are ghrita-based formulations. Ghrita because of its yogavahi guna, incorporates the qualities of the drugs added to it without losing its own qualities. In the present study Hingusauvarchaladi ghrita and saptavartita Hingusauvarchaladi ghrita have been selected, to prove their anticonvulsant activity experimentally on albino mice, by the chemoshock method. The observations recorded have been analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Scheffe's test, statistically. Saptavartita Hingusauvarchaladi ghrita has shown better anticonvulsant activity in comparison to Hingusauvarchaladi ghrita.

Importance of media in shodhana (purification / processing) of poisonous herbal drugs

In Ayurveda, a series of pharmaceutical procedures which converts a poisonous drug into a therapeutically very effective medicine for various ailments is termed as Shodhana. Various medias are being used for processing the herbal poisonous drugs, are quite interesting to understand with modern scientific technology. The analysis of media before and after Shodhana (purification /processing) will give clear rationale behind the selection of the particular media for the particular drug. The change that takes place during the Shodhana process can be explored by modern analytical methods. Researchers have proved the presence of strychnine and brucine in milk after Shodhana of Nux-vomica highlighting the role media for Shodhana. Importance of Shodhana, the role of media used for Shodhana process of few poisonous drugs is dealt briefly with scientific view.