Conversion of a semisolid Ayurvedic preparation (Vasavaleha) to an oral solution (syrup) form and evaluation of its clinical effects on patients with bronchial asthma
image: Schematic diagram of the possible mechanism of action of the Vasavaleha syrup
Credit: Prasanta Kumar Sarkar, Baisali Nag
Background and objectives
Semisolid oral preparations (Avaleha) are used in Ayurvedic therapeutics. The problems with these preparations include a bitter taste and the use of a sugar base. Here, we aimed to modify the semisolid Vasavaleha (VA) preparation to an oral solution (syrup) and to observe the efficacy of the VA syrup on patients with bronchial asthma.
Methods
VA syrup was prepared by dissolving the water-soluble extracts of Adhatoda vasica leaves and Piper longum fruits in purified water; sorbitol solution and honey were used as sweeteners. Organoleptic tests as well as pH, specific gravity, and viscosity measurements were performed. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the VA syrup was carried out using an Agilent UHPLC-MS/Q-TOF (6545) system coupled with a Dual AJS ESI source. An open-label clinical trial of the VA syrup was performed on 13 patients with bronchial asthma at a dose of 10 mL (oral, twice a day) for 30 days.
Results
The prepared VA syrup was brown in color and sweet in taste. The pH, specific gravity, and viscosity of the prepared VA syrup were 7.52, 1.10, and 1.922, respectively. Piperine, piperdardine, vasicine, vasicol, vasicinol, and vasicinone were determined to be the major phytochemical compounds. This preparation significantly improved all clinical symptoms of asthma and lung function test results in patients with bronchial asthma. It had mucolytic, bronchodilator, and anti-allergic properties. It had no adverse effects at the indicated dose.
Conclusions
The oral solution (syrup) might be an effective alternative for Ayurvedic semisolid preparations. The VA syrup may be taken as an alternative for VA as it was found to be an effective formulation for the management of bronchial asthma.
Full text:
https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2835-6357/FIM-2023-00031
The study was recently published in the Future Integrative Medicine.
Future Integrative Medicine (FIM) publishes both basic and clinical research, including but not limited to randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, cohort studies, observational studies, qualitative and mixed method studies, animal studies, and systematic reviews.
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