ISSN: 2277- 7695 CODEN Code: PIHNBQ ZDB-Number: 2663038-2 Received: 15-10-2013 IC Journal No: 7725 Accepted: 19-12-2013 Vol. 2 No. 11. 2014 Online Available at www.thepharmajournal.com THE PHARMA INNOVATION - JOURNAL Review on the contribution of Ura-Marunnu, a traditional baby care practice in southern India Arun Raj GR1*, Shailaja U 2, Prasanna N Rao 3, Ajayan S 4, Nivya P Thomas 5 1. Post graduate Scholar, Department of PG Studies in Kaumarabhritya, Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan, India. [E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: +91-8904994413] 2. Professor and Head, Department of PG Studies in Kaumarabhritya, Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan, India. [Email: [email protected]; Tel: +91-9448816433] 3. Principal and CMO, Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan, India. [E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: 9448064277] 4. Associate Professor, Department of Dravyaguna, Ayurveda College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. [E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: +91-9447708665] 5. Post graduate Scholar, Department of PG Studies in Kaumarabhritya, Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Hassan, India. [E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +91-9590937392] Children’s health encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of children from infancy through adolescence. Child and maternal care practices are now being considered as important complements to increasing household income or targeted food interventions to address child growth needs. Traditional medicine has a long history of serving people all over the world. Ura-marunnu is a traditional baby care practice comprising of a group of drugs administered to child from day one in the form of paste widely practised in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu. The current paper will be a review through the various ingredients, traditional uses and pharmacological profile of the same (Ura-marunnu). Keyword: Ura-marunnu, Traditional baby care, Traditional medicine, New-born care, Child Growth, Herbal Medicine. 1. Introduction vulnerable to malnutrition and infectious Health care comprises the prevention, treatment, diseases, many of which can be effectively and management of illness and the preservation prevented or treated[2]. Children’s health of mental and physical well-being through encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and services offered by health professionals. Effective social well-being of children from infancy health care is an important aspect of promoting through adolescence[3]. Child and maternal care good health[1]. Children represent the future, and practices are now being considered as important ensuring their healthy growth and development complements to increasing household income or ought to be a prime concern of all societies. New- targeted food interventions to address child borns are particularly vulnerable and children are growth needs. Vol. 2 No. 11 2014 www.thepharmajournal.com Page | 42 The Pharma Innovation - Journal Traditional medicine has a long history of serving the digestive fire), Grahi (absorbs the excess people all over the world. It is the sum total of moisture), Vyadhikshamatvakaraka (increases knowledge. Traditional medicine-inspired immunity), Roghaghna (destroys diseases), approaches remain important especially for the Medhyam (increases intellect), Bhootaghnam management of chronic diseases as well as to (destroys evil spirits), Nidrakaraka (induces facilitate natural product drug discovery[4-5]. sleep) and Soolaghnam (removes pain). Coming Natural products either as pure compounds or as to the detailing of the different ingredients of standardized plant extracts are the right solutions Ura-marunnu; because of their unmatched display of chemical diversity[6]. Ethnopharmacology and traditional A. Cassia auriculata L. knowledge-inspired approaches have been useful Cassia auriculata Linn. commonly known as in drug discovery and development [7]. According Tanner’cassia belongs to family to Word Health Organization (WHO) more than Caesalpiniaceae and is distributed throughout 80% of the world’s population, mostly in poor the hot deciduous forests of India[18]. It’s a and less developed countries depend on bushy small plant which attains a height of traditional plant based medicines for their about 3-10 feet. Leaves are about 3-4 inch primary health care needs[8]. long. Flowers are large in size and is of yellow colour[21]. Ura-marunnu This plant contains 18% of tannins in its bark. Ura-marunnu is a traditional baby care practice Its leaves also possess Di-ethyl hexyl comprising of a group of drugs administered to phthalate. Besides these it contains alkaloids child from day one in the form of paste. In the and resins. Presence of vitamins and minerals southern part of India, especially in the states of like calcium and phosphorus has also been Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu, practice reported.21 This plant is also said to contain a of preparing paste of herbal drugs ie., Ura- cardiac glycoside (sennapicrin) and sap, marunnu and administering to the children. leaves and bark yield anthraquinones, while the latter contains tannins[20]. The plant is 2.1 Ingredients of Ura-marunnu: The different reported as hepatoprotective[10], ingredients of Ura-marunnu have been shown in antibacterial[11], antipyretic[12], antioxidant[13], table 1. anthelmintic[14], diuretic[15], liver protective[16], antiulcer[17] and 2.2 Method of preparation: The different antihyperglyceamic[19]. ingredient drugs are triturated with Breast milk / Honey / Cow’s milk / Butter in a mortar and B. Psoralea corylifolia Linn. administered to children [9]. It grows throughout the plains of India, especially in Himalayas and in the regions of 2.3 Time: Once in a week. Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Dehra Dun, West Bengal, Bihar, Deccan, Karnataka and 2.4 Age: Starting from new born till the age of 2 in the tropical and subtropical regions of years. China and Southern Africa[31-34]. It is an erect annual herb of about 30 -180 cm high. Leaves 2.5 Benefits of this procedure are: It is a broadly elliptic, incisodentate; flower yellow preventive and curative aid for digestive disorders or bluish purple. in infants and children. It helps to ease griping, The major active constituents of Psoralea stomach discomfort, flatulence and colic and has corylifolia are corylifols a-c a calming effect on the digestive system. Added (prenylfoavanoids) that are present in the to these it is also Balya (increases strength), seeds[35], other active compound such as Deepana (increases appetite), Pachana (kindles psoralen, isopsoralen and neobavaislflavones Vol. 2 No. 11 2014 www.thepharmajournal.com Page | 43 The Pharma Innovation - Journal are found in the dried ripe fruits[36]. Daidzein Phytochemical studies revealed that (4:7 dihydroxuisoflavon) and genistein (4’5’7 cardamom contains α-terpineol, myrcene, trihydroxyisoflavon) are presence in natural heptane, subinene, limonene, cineol, plants of P. corylifolia as well as in-vitro menthone, α-pinene, β-pinene, linalol, cultures[37]. Other active constituents have nerolidol, β-sitostenone, phytol, eugenyl since been identified, including neoba- acetate, bisabolene, borneol, citronellol, vaislfloavone, borachin, Bavaislfavooz, geraniol, geranyl acetate, stigmasterol and bavachalcone, bavachromene psoralidin, terpinene[61-62]. The plant is reported to corylifolinin, barachini psoralenoside, possess analgesic[50-51], antiulcerogenic[52], isopsoralenoside and coumarins[38-39]. The antiasthmatic[53], gut modulatory, blood plant is reported to possess antibacterial[22], pressure lowering, diuretic and sedative antifungal[23], antitumor[24], pesticidal[25], anti- activities[54], blood pressure lowering, inflammatory[26], anthelmintic[27], fibrinolysis enhancing, antioxidant[55], hepatoprotective[28], osteoblastic antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, proliferative[29], and antioxidant activities[30]. carminative, diuretic[56-57], gastroprotective[58], immunomodulatory and C. Santalum album Linn anti-cancer activities[59]. Santalum album L. is found in the tropical mountainous regions of Southern India, Sri E. Curcuma longa Linn. Lanka and several islands of the Indonesian Curcuma longa Linn. belonging to family archipelago[47]. It is a small evergreen Scitaminae is a tall herb cultivated throughout glabrous tree with slender drooping branches. tropical and other regions in India. It is a The heartwood yellowish brown strongly perennial herbaceous plant, which reaches a scented. Leaves of dimension 3.8-6.3 by 1.6 stature of up to 1 meter. There are highly to 3.2 cm[48]. branched, yellow to orange, cylindrical, The oil consists about 90-97% of aromatic rhizomes[127]. sesquiterpene alcohols, which is distinguished for the purpose of analysis as ‘santalol’[49]. The most important chemical components of The plant is reported to possess antifungal[40], turmeric are a group of compounds called antibacterial[41-42], antiviral[43], skin cancer curcuminoids, which include curcumin and chemo preventive[42], antioxidant[43], anti- (diferuloylmethane), demethoxycurcumin, ulcerogenic[44], sedative[45], anti- and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The best studied inflammatory[45-46], and antipyretic[46] compound is curcumin, which constitutes properties. 3.14% (on average) of powdered turmeric[128]. In addition there are other important volatile D. Elettaria cardamomum Maton. oils such as turmerone,