A Critical Review on Balachaturbhadra Churna: an Effective Ayurveda Formulation for the Pediatric Age
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International Journal of Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS) ISSN: 2654-2706, Volume 2, Number 1, April 2019 A CRITICAL REVIEW ON BALACHATURBHADRA CHURNA: AN EFFECTIVE AYURVEDA FORMULATION FOR THE PEDIATRIC AGE Abhishek Joshi1*, Shrikrishna Rajagopala2, and Patel Kalpana S.3 1Universitas Hindu Indonesia, Denpasar, Bali, Republic of Indonesia 2Department of Bala Roga, All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi 3Department of Kaumarbhritya, IPGT & RA, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Gujarat *<[email protected]> Abstract Balachaturbhadra Churna offers a multitude of health bene›ts for which it has become so poapular prescription by Kaumarbhritya practioners of Ayurveda. It is a combination of four drugs Musta, Pippali, Ativisha and Karkatashringi. This combination was ›rst mentioned in Chakradatta and has been in practice since a millennium. Many queries have been raised on the usage of Aconite species of drugs recently, thus doubting the safety and ef›cacy of Balachaturbhadra Churna. 9ery few works have been published on Balachaturbhadra Churna till now. The aim of the present study was to compile and review such available references from classics and research works published on Balachaturbhadra Churna. Total ›ve studies are published on Balachaturbhadra Churna, which revalidated the impact of classical guidelines. The research papers revealed standards of Quality Control and pharmacological ef›cacy of the drug. All the experimental studies revealed that Balachaturbhadra Churna is having no toxic hazards at very higher Dose levels, proving it safe for therapeutic use. Though certain limitations were observed in these researches, the results can be considered as a lead for further well strati›ed clinical studies. Keywords: Balachaturbhadra Churna, pharmacology, Quality Control, standards, therapeutic use Introduction One among them is Balachaturbhadra Very few medicaments have Churna (BCBC) which is a very been described in Ayurveda specially popular and a bene›cial compound indicated for their usage in children. formulation in pediatric usage. It is a 1 A Critical Review on Balachaturbhadra Churna: An Effective Ayurveda Formulation for the Pediatric Age widely practiced formulation that is in combination with other plant species. indicated in respiratory disorders, fever, The clinical effect also varies with diarrhoea and vomiting of children different dosages, forms and modes of (Joshi, et.al., 2013). administration. The nomenclature of Ayurveda was Very few research have been primarily designed to help a physician published on Balachaturbhadra select a plant for medicinal purposes. Churna. Ativisha (Aconitum This is divided into three sub-topics heterophyllum Wall.), one of the named Nama (name), Rupa (form) and ingredients in this combination has Yukti jnana (therapeutic usage), which been questioned by modern research constitutes the three-tier understanding industry for its safety. Aconite species of ausadhi (drug materials) are reported for its cardiotoxic as well (Viswanathan et.al., 2013). Bala means as neurotoxic effects (Chan, 2009) a child, Chatuhu means combination but no studies related to the toxic of four, and Bhadra means which is effect of Aconitum heterophyllum bene›cial or best (Radhakantadeva, Linn. in particular have been reported. 1961). Thus the term Balachaturbhadra Nonetheless the use of this formulation denotes a combination of four drugs that since millennia without reports of any are meant for use in children. The pre›x untoward effect itself is a testimony to Bala suggests that the combination is its safety. Still, an evaluation based on specially indicated in children and is objective controlled experiments and a potent enough to cure the diseases of the standardization of various parameters pediatric age group. will provide proof for the undoubted India has a rich heritage of usefulness of the drug. In this article an traditional herbal medicines. With the attempt has been made to compile and emerging interest of the world to adopt critically evaluate the ancient classics and study traditional systems, many and recent research publication of the opportunities have opened up to take drug Balachaturbhadra Churna. advantage of the potential based on different healthcare systems (WHO, Materials and Methods 2000). The Ayurvedic pharmaceutical Reviews of all references available preparations evolved gradually from a for Balachaturbhadra Churna in simpler form to more complex forms classical texts as well as very recent based on plants and plant mineral literature were explored. Thorough combinations. This is the unique feature searches were carried out on internet of herbal treatments, that one plant sources while articles published species can cure a particular disease and on Balachaturbhadra Churna in also can cure a number of other ailments various journals were analyzed for 2 Abhishek Joshi, Shrikrishna Rajagopala, and Patel Kalpana S. comprehensive understanding of the treatment of various pediatric diseases formulation. like Jvara (fever), Atisara (diarrhoea), Svasa and Kasa (respiratory disorders) Observations and Chardi (vomiting) (Chakradatta, The observations made from the 1976, Sharma and Vijnana, 2001). review are mentioned under various 2. Pharmaceutical standardization headings as follows. Ajazuddin et.al. in 2012 carried 1. Classical references of BCBC out investigations to study the Balachaturbhadra Churna is physicochemical, phytochemical mentioned for the ›rst time in the text and spectrophotometric analysis of Chakradatta (Chakradatta et.al., 1976). formulation (Ajazuddin, 2012). The Later period the same reference is found values of percentage loss on drying, in several text books. The detailed angle of repose, Hausner ratio, Carr’s description of references available is index of the lab formulation were shown in table 1. calculated as 6.84 ± 0.224, 27.36, All the texts have mentioned the 1.25 and 20 respectively. Total ash, same four ingredients. Table 2 shows acid insoluble ash and water soluble the constituents of Balachaturbhadra ash were found 8.148 ± 0.337, Churna. It is a ›ne powder prepared 3.281 ± 0.286, and 45.602 ± 0.414 by mixing equal proportions of Musta respectively. Alcoholic and aqueous (Cyperus rotundus Linn) rhizome, extracts of formulations and ingredients Pippali (Piper longum Linn) fruit, were prepared and evaluated for Ativisha (Aconitum heterophyllum phytochemical analysis and the results Wall.) root and Karkatashringi (Pistacia of extractive values shows higher integerrima Stew.) gall. It is given in the alcoholic extractive value (39.294 ± Table 1. References available for Balachaturbhadra Churna Sr. No. Name of text books Reference Time period 1 Cakradatta 64/22 11th century A.D. 2 Gadanigraha 11/93 12th century A.D. 3 Sharangadhar Samhita 6/16 13th century A.D. 4 Bhavaprakasha 71/151 16th century A.D. 5 Yogaratnakara 71/39 17th century A.D. 6 Bhaishajya Ratnaval 71/39 18th century A.D. 7 Bhaishajya Samhita 7/50 20th century A.D. 8 Bharat Bhaishajya Ratnakar 7/24 20th century A.D. 9 Bala Tantra 13/10 20th century A.D. 10 Ayurvedic formulary of India part 1/page 92 20th century A.D. 3 A Critical Review on Balachaturbhadra Churna: An Effective Ayurveda Formulation for the Pediatric Age Table 2. Constituents of Balachaturbhadra Churna Sr. No. Name of text books Reference Time period 1 Cakradatta 64/22 11th century A.D. 2 Gadanigraha 11/93 12th century A.D. 3 Sharangadhar Samhita 6/16 13th century A.D. 4 Bhavaprakasha 71/151 16th century A.D. 2.226) of formulation depict that alcohol it had a pleasant odour and bitter taste is a better solvent for extraction. Three for both the formulations. Quantitative laboratory batches of formulation and Analysis of microscopic constituent of Piper longum powder were estimated standard and market formulations of for their piperine content against Balachaturbhadra Churna observed standard piperine solution on double were 3.43 and 3.24 for Starch Grains, beam UV-Visible spectrophotometer at 55.12 and 52.56 for Xylem vessels and max 342.5 nm. it was 170.76 and 176.34 for ›bres Shahebaz et.al. in 2012 made (length). Screening of phytoconstituents an attempt to evaluate and compare in standard and market formulations market formulation with in-house of Balachaturbhadra Churna showed sample of Balchaturbhadra Churna presence of alkaloids, fiavonoids, by performing physico-chemical phenolics, carbohydrates, tannins, screening, phytochemical screening, Sterols and triterpenoids whereas microscopic characterization and coumarins and saponins were absent. fiuorescence analysis (Ghadiyali Estimation of phytoconstituents et.al., 2012). Respective physical in standard and market formulations parameters observed for standard and of Balachaturbhadra Churna were market preparation of Balchaturbhadra respectively 0.107% and 0.096% for Churna were Bulk Density (gm/ Flavonoids, 0.84% and 0.76% for Na+ ml.) 0.5882 and 0.434, Tap Density ion salts, 0.62% and 0.38% for K+ ion (gm/ml) 0.8 and 0.625, Carr‘s Index salts, 2.91 % and 3.74 % for Tannins 26.47 and 30.43, Hausner’s Ratio and for Crude ›bre content it was 1.36 and 1.43 and Angle of Repose 15.5% and 13%. Fluorescence analysis 32.32 and 34.43. Morphological was performed by observing the powder study of Balachaturbhadra Churna of the standard and market formulation showed ›ne consistency for standard of Balachaturbhadra Churna with 1N formulations and very ›ne for market HCL, 1N H2SO4, 1N HNO3, aquous formulations; colour was brown for and alcoholic NaOH,