Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. (Sarphuka, Wild Indigo): An important drug of Unani system of medicine

Tephrosia purpurea is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, widespread in the Indian subcontinent. In Unani system of medicine it is either used as a single drug or as an ingredient in many Unani formulations which are use in the treatment of various ailments of the body. In the present manuscript the information available about this drug in Unani literature, phytochemical and pharmacological investigations carried out upto August 2018 are summarized. Sarphuka is a blood purifier, diuretic, digestive, laxative, resolvent, antidote etc. It is used in the treatment of syphilis, gonorrhea, leprosy, pruritus, inflammation, hemorrhoids and skin diseases. Pharmacological and clinical investigation of Tephrosia purpurea revealed anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, antileishmanial, anti-carcinogenic and anti-lipidperoxidative activities.Â

Pharmacological and therapeutic potential of Oxalis corniculata

Oxalis corniculata is commonly known as Indian wood Sorrel. In Unani it is called as Hummaz and distributed in the whole northern temperate zone, United State of America, Arizona and throughout India. Oxalis corniculata is used in Unani medicine in the management of liver disorders, jaundice, skin diseases, urinary diseases etc. The plant been proven to possess various pharmacological activities like liver tonic, appetizer, diuretic, anthelmintic, emmenagogue, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-pyretic, blood purifier etc. Here we summarize the therapeutic potential of Oxalis corniculat

A review on Phytochemical and biological properties of Calotropis gigantea (Linn) R.Br.

Calotropis gigantea Linn is a well known medicinal herb commonly known as Madar and has been used in Unani, Ayurveda and Siddha system of medicine for years. It is a native of India, China and Malaysia and distributed in almost all over world. All parts of the plant have been used as a medicine as well as an important ingredient in a number of Unani formulations used for the treatment of various ailments. In classical Unani literature it is mentioned to have anthelmintic, appetizer, anti flatulence, astringent, tonic, expectorant, emetic, diaphoretic, anti inflammatory, sedative, wound healer, antidote and digestive properties and used in asthma, stomach ache, cholera, amenorrhea and toothache. Phytochemical constituents include giganteol,ï¡ and ï¢ calotropeol, ï¢-amyrin, giganteol and isogiganteol etc. The drug has been reported for its anti asthmatic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, wound healing, antiinflammatory, antidiarrhoeal, hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic activities. In this article the recently published papers were reviewed. Well known scientific search engines viz. Pub med, Medline, Google scholar, and Science Direct were used to retrieve online literature. All referred studies published in peer reviewed indexed journals were included. For Unani literature classical text and manuscripts were referred

Effect of combination of Withania somnifera Dunal and Tribulus terrestris Linn on letrozole induced polycystic ovarian syndrome in rats

Background: To investigate the effect of the combination of hydroalcoholic extract of Withania somnifera (WS) and Tribulus terrestris (TT) on letrozole induced polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in rat. Methods: Twenty four female Wistar rats of regular estrus cycle were divided into four groups of six animals each. The negative control group received 1 mL of 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose. The animals of the other groups were treated with letrozole (1 mg/kg) for 21 days for induction of PCOS. The animals of the positive control group were sacrificed on the 22nd day. In the test and standard groups, the treatment was started from the 22nd day and continued for a further 28 days. The test group was treated with hydroalcoholic extract of the combination of WS and TT (198 mg/kg) and the standard group with clomiphene citrate (1 mg/kg). Throughout the study, vaginal smears were collected daily from each animal for the determination of different phases of the estrus cycle. After completion of the treatment schedule all the animals of each group were sacrificed; analysis of hormones, total cholesterol, blood glucose, ovarian and uterine weight, and histopathological study of the ovary were carried out. Results: The combination of the test drugs showed significant effects in normalizing the estrus cycle after being altered by letrozole. In the positive control group follicle-stimulating hormone level was decreased although luteinizing hormone, estradiole, and testosterone levels were increased (p < 0.05), however, after treatment the reverse effect was observed in the level of these hormones. Significant reduction in serum total cholesterol was also observed (p < 0.05). The test drugs decreased ovarian weight, and uterine weight was also returned to normalcy. Histopathology of the ovary showed almost normal ovary. Conclusion: The above findings indicate the effectiveness of the combination of hydroalcoholic extract of WS and TT against letrozole induced polycystic ovarian syndrome in rat. This validates the usefulness of combination in PCOS and other related disorders as mentioned by Unani physicians