Mahesh K.’s research while affiliated with Centre for Medicinal Plants Research and other places

Guggulutiktam Kashayam (GTK) is an important Polyherbal formulation used in Ayurveda for the treatment of various ailments such as ulcers, cardiac diseases, skin disorders, arthritis and cancer. It is prepared from parts of 29 plants. Polyherbal formulations are rich in active phytochemicals. Active phytochemicals like Caffeic acid and Scopoletin have been quantified in GTK by a validated HPTLC method. Analysis was carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with auto sampler, documentation unit and densitometry scanner. The method was validated in terms of assessing precision, accuracy, linearity, specificity, robustness, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) as per the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) Guidelines. The quantity of Caffeic acid and Scopoletin in GTK are found to be 0.0262 (%w/w) and 0.00209 (%w/w) respectively. A novel and validated HPTLC method has been developed for the quantification of active compounds of an important Ayurvedic formulation which can be used as a powerful analytical tool for the quality standardization of the formulation. This method can also be used for the quality checking of similar types of other Polyherbal formulations.

This paper examines over 5,03,220 institutional outpatient and 42,492 inpatient cases, and 1492 patient surveys to analyse the adoption trends and utilisation patterns of Ayurveda healthcare. The analyses reveal significant adoption of Ayurveda for various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) related explicitly to neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and inflammatory arthritis, among other diseases across different age groups with some gender differences in their adoption. Given that the global burden of these diseases is very high, the findings underscore the importance of Ayurveda in treating NCDs and advocating for inclusive healthcare policies and increased research for empowering patients to make informed choices that contribute to universal healthcare access.

Background Guggulutiktam Kashayam (GTK) is a water decoction used in Ayurveda for the treatment of various diseases like skin diseases, ulcers, anemia, thyroid problems, stress, liver disease, and leucorrhoea. It is a polyherbal formulation prepared from specific parts of 28 medicinal plants. Objectives The study aimed at a comparative phytochemical evaluation of an important polyherbal formulation with its ingredient plants. Materials and Methods Chemical profiling of GTK has been carried out in comparison with its ingredient plants. Spectrophotometric estimation of major class compounds and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) profiling were done using a standardized protocol. Results The results of the study showed that the phytochemical contents of the finished formulation are different from those of the ingredient plants, which might be due to the numerous synergistic and antagonistic interactions of numerous chemical components extracted from different ingredient drugs. HPTLC-based comparative chromatograms showed the differences and similarities in certain compounds that are specific to some of the plant ingredients. Conclusion The study established the cumulative chemical interactions of various phytochemicals during the preparation of an important polyherbal formula used in Ayurveda.

Background The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the global health concern since December 2019. It has become a big challenge for the researchers to find a solution for this newly evolved pandemic. In Ayurveda point of view, COVID-19 is a Janapadodhwamsa vikara (epidemic disease), a situation where the environment—air, water, land, and seasons—is vitiated, causing a simultaneous manifestation of a disease among large populations. The aim of this study is to identify the active compounds of selected Ayurveda medicines recommended for COVID-19. Results The selected preparations are traditionally recommended for the management of various kinds of fever including the infectious ones and to enhance the immunity. HPTLC analysis of the same showed presence of many active molecules like umbelliferone, scopoletin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, piperine, curcumin, berberine, and palmatine. Conclusion The study provided valuable scientific data regarding the active ingredients of the selected medicines with proven therapeutic potentials like anti-viral, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Cyanthillium cinereum is a medicinal plant commonly known as little ironweed is used in various traditional systems of medicines. In Ayurveda, it is known as Sahadevi and is used as remedy for many ailments. It has been reported to possess numerous biological properties including diaphoretic, anthelmintic, diuretic, lithontriptic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. Metabolite profiling of aqueous extract of C. cinereum (CCE) and its herbal formulation KGS tablet has been carried out by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopic analysis. ESI-MS/MS based characterisation led to the identification of several bioactive phytochemicals belonging to various classes of metabolites like phenolic acids, phenolic glycosides, flavonoids and anthocyanin. Most of the identified compounds are known for their various biological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.

Background Gugguluthiktham Kashayam (GTK) is the decoction form of Panchatikta Guggulu Ghrita , a classical Ayurvedic formulation used for treating various diseases like skin disorders, ulcers, sinus, asthma, cardiac diseases, arthritis, and cancer. Results Tandem mass spectroscopic analysis of GTK was carried out by different ionization techniques such as electro spray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in both positive and negative modes using Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (Q-TOF) mass spectroscopy. Data processing of molecular ions obtained by ESI and APCI mass fragmentation led to the identification of several phytoconstituents belonging to various classes of compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, and coumarins. Conclusion The study concluded that GTK contains variety of phytochemicals with numerous biological properties that might be responsible for its various therapeutic effects.

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the global health concern since December 2019. It has become a big challenge for the researchers to find a solution for this newly evolved pandemic. In Ayurveda point of view, COVID-19 is a Janapadodhwamsa vikara (epidemic disease), a situation where the environment - air, water, land and seasons - is vitiated, causing a simultaneous manifestation of a disease among large populations. The aim of this study is to identify the active compounds of selected Ayurveda medicines recommended for covid-19. Methods: Chemical profiling of selected Ayurveda medicines such as Indukantham Kwatham (IK), Vilvadi Gulika (VG) and Mukkamukkatuvadi Gulika (MMG) were carried out by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) analysis. Results: The selected preparations are traditionally recommended for the management of various kinds of fever including the infectious ones and to enhance the immunity. HPTLC analysis of the same showed presence of many active molecules like Umbelliferone, Scopoletin, Caffeic acid, Ferulic acid, Gallic acid, Piperin, Curcumin, Berberine and Palmatine. Conclusion: The study provided valuable scientific data regarding the active ingredients of the selected medicines with proven therapeutic potentials like anti-viral, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities and it will be beneficial to acquire immunity against Coronavirus-2 attack.