Bioactive Constituents in Indian Medicinal Plants Traditionally Recognized for Brain Health Benefits
Abhai Kumar, Debasis Bagchi in Antioxidants and Functional Foods for Neurodegenerative Disorders, 2021
This plant is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical parts of countries such as India, China, and Indonesia. Amla is an important Indian medicinal plant in the traditional system of medicine and is native to India. It is one of the three constituents of the famous Ayurvedic preparation called “triphala,” which is prescribed in many health indications. It is a rich source of vitamin C. Amla is mainly cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. Brain health benefits of the fruits of Amla have been highlighted in the Indian traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and Unani. In Ayurvedic texts, the plant is mentioned under “Rasayana,” which means it promotes memory, intellect, and vitality in addition to the overall well-being. Neuroprotective and memory-related benefits of the fruits have been well studied in the modern literature (Husain et al., 2019). The fruit exhibits activities such as antioxidant (Khopde et al., 2001), immunomodulatory (Suja et al., 2009), antipyretic, analgesic (Perianayagam et al., 2004), cytoprotective (Ram et al., 2002), antitussive (Nosal’ova et al., 2003), neuroprotective agent (Mathew et al., 2014), memory-enhancing factor, and is involved in treating ophthalmic and gastroprotective disorders (Al-Rehaily et al., 2002) (Table 18.13).
Herbs in Health Management
Raj K. Keservani, Anil K. Sharma, Rajesh K. Kesharwani in Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements, 2020
Terminalia belerica is a large deciduous tree, 50 m tall and up to 3 m in diameter with a round crown. The plant is native to India; its more than 100 species are distributed throughout the world. This tree is grown as an avenue tree and can be found growing in lower hills and plains of Southeast Asia. In India, it is found in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan. The plant bears dark green, large, and glabrous alternate leaves. The plant has small, solitary, and greenish-white flowers with honey-like odor. The generic name “Terminalia” comes from a Latin word “terminus” or “terminalis” (ending) and refers to the habit of the leaves being crowded or borne on the tips of the shoots. The fruits are drupes, gray-brown in color, ovoid, and have a sweet kernel inside. Its fruits are similar to Terminalia chebula but without ridges. The fruits are an ingredient of famous Ayurvedic formulation Triphala. In Ayurveda, the fruits are believed to nourish the dhatus and pacify the tridosha. Fruits are rich in tannins like gallic acid, ellagic acid, and chebulagic acid. They also contain mannitol, glucose, galactose, fructose, and rhamnose (Saroya, 2011).
Triphala
Mehwish Iqbal in Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
Studies have confirmed several potential benefits of triphala, which comprise free radical hunting, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune-stimulating, pain alleviating, cicatrizant, gastric hyperacidity decreasing, appetite-stimulating, chemopreventive, antibacterial, dental caries preventing, antipyretic, high blood glucose reducing, antistress, adaptogenic, hepatoprotective and radioprotective effects. The composition of triphala may also encourage appropriate assimilation and absorption of food, decrease cholesterol levels in serum, make the circulation better, relax bile ducts, prevent gradual weakening of the immune system and enhance the production of haemoglobin and RBCs. These myrobalans preserve the process of homeostasis in the endocrine system (Baliga et al., 2012). Triphala has been established to have a radioprotective influence in rats susceptible to γ radiation (Jagetia et al., 2002). Each herb utilised in this composition has numerous other health advantages, such as Terminalia chebula having anticancer, antimutagenic, antimicrobial and anti–dental caries properties and reducing confined anaphylaxis. Emblica officinalis has cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, gastroprotective, antioxidant and hypolipidemic activity. Similarly, Terminalia belerica is described to work as a hepatoprotective agent, protect against necrosis of cardiac muscles and diminish fat-stimulated atherosclerosis (Mukherjee et al., 2006).
Pharmacological effects of Chatuphalatika in hyperuricemia of gout
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2018
Vilasinee Hirunpanich Sato, Bunleu Sungthong, Prasob-Orn Rinthong, Narawat Nuamnaichati, Supachoke Mangmool, Savita Chewchida, Hitoshi Sato
CTPT has a composition similar to triphala, which has been shown to be beneficial for gouty arthritis (Naik et al. 2006; Sabina and Rasool 2008; Kalaiselvan and Rasool 2015). We have reported the pharmacological mechanisms associated with triphala (Sato et al. 2017). Recently, CTPT has been advertised as a food supplement which is beneficial to several diseases, including hyperuricemia in gout. However, mechanistic studies to support these beneficial pharmacological activities (i.e., antihyperuricemic and anti-inflammatory effects) of CTPT have been lacking so far. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to evaluate the antioxidative and antihyperuricemic effects of CTPT under in vitro and in vivo conditions. In particular, direct in vivo evidence for the effect of CTPT on XOD activity was evaluated using potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice. An enzyme kinetic analysis using Lineweaver–Burk plots was performed to assess the type of XOD inhibition by CTPT. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effects of CTPT were determined using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
Effect of oral administration of Triphala, a polyphenol-rich prebiotic, on scalp sebum in patients with scalp seborrhea a randomized clinical trial
Published in Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022
Elham Zareie, Parvin Mansouri, Hamed Hosseini, Omid Sadeghpour, Laila Shirbeigi, Someyeh Hejazi, Majid Emtiazy
Triphala is an herbal medicinal product that has been used for hundreds of years in traditional and Ayurvedic medicine. To the best of our knowledge, no adverse effect has been reported for Triphala in animal or human studies (20,21,23,31). Clinical trials showed no adverse effects for Triphala consumption (20,22,23). Kamali et al. showed there are no significant changes in renal function or in the liver- associated enzymes in laboratory tests in Triphala group (22). Earlier pre-clinical studies have investigated the safety of Triphala consumption using LD50, MTT, and LDH assays and noted that in doses up to 240 mg/kg, Triphala has no toxic effects (23). The accumulation of heavy metals, including arsenic and lead, was reported at rates below the permitted limits in all formulations (23,37). This clinical trial showed there were no serious adverse effects in the Triphala group, except constipation. The overall patients’ satisfaction with the treatment process in the Triphala group was significantly superior in comparison with the placebo group as well as the observed overall perception of scalp greasiness in the study of probiotic ST11 (12). The study limitation was the lack of quantitative assessment of scalp microbiota. The strengths of our study were the use of Triphala as a well-known and safe herbal medicament in the traditional and Ayurvedic medicine which is available and inexpensive in the Iran pharmaceutical market. To the best of our knowledge the current study was the first clinical study to determine the effect of oral administration of Triphala on the scalp seborrhea. Designing a study to determine the effect of Triphala on the skin microbiota is recommended by authors.
Synergistic effect of ursolic acid and piperine in CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity
Published in Annals of Medicine, 2021
Sayan Biswas, Amit Kar, Nanaocha Sharma, Pallab K. Haldar, Pulok K. Mukherjee
Many of the potent phytomedicines available in the market as whole extracts of plants and practitioners have always relied on the synergistic interactions between the components of individual or mixtures of herbs of these formulations to play a vital part in their therapeutic efficacy. The mechanism of action of many herbal formulations containing herbal extracts is still unknown and there are several reports observed where a total herb extract was found to provide a better effect than an equivalent dose of an isolated compound. One of the most important examples of such formulation is available in the Indian traditional medicinal system “Ayurveda” which uses many fixed combination formulae with “Trikatu” featuring in many of them. This mixture contains black pepper (Piper nigrum), long pepper (Piper longum) and ginger (Zingiber officinalis). Traditionally, this formulation is used as first-line treatment for cough, cold, fever, asthma and other respiratory problems. In a recent study, it has been shown to act by synergistic activity [1]. Similarly, another well-known ayurvedic formulation “Triphala”, a mixture of three dried fruits amla (Emblica officinalis), behera (Terminalia belerica) and haritaki (Terminalia chebula) in equal proportions (1:1:1) is considered to act synergistically [2]. Drug combinations are therefore an effective treatment approach involving many pathways and targets [3,4]. Synergistic interactions on the basis of effect can be broadly classified into two categories: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics. Pharmacokinetic synergism involvers improving the systemic bioavailability of drugs with a concomitant administration of another drug. The drug used to enhance the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic properties of the other drug are bio-enhancer or bio-potentiator [5]. An example of pharmacodynamics synergism is observed in Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), where different saponin glycosides present in it act synergistically to improve heart muscle function resulting in enhanced pumping activity. Another such example is lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) whose essential oil contains geranial, neral, and myrcene which are antimicrobial in nature. It has been observed that the combination is more effective than individual phytomolecules against microbial growth [6].
Related Knowledge Centers
- Ayurveda
- Phyllanthus Emblica
- Rasayana
- Vitamin C