Abstract
Strychnos nux vomica Linn.(Loganaceae) commonly known as Nux vomica (Kupeelu), is a poisonous plant and its seeds are used widely in Ayurvedic system of medicine since time immemorial. Ayurveda advocates that nux vomica seeds are to be administered in therapeutics only after going through certain purificatory measures (Shodhana). There are more than six media: cow's urine (Go mutra), cow's milk (Go dugdha), cow's ghee (Go ghrita), Kanji (thin gruel), castor oil (Eranda taila) and fresh ginger juice (Ardraka swarasa) etc., which have been reported in different classical texts of Ayurveda for proper processing of nux vomica seeds. In this study, an attempt has been made to purify the seeds by using three different methods as described in ancient treatise by using cow's urine and cow's milk as media alone and together. This study revealed that all the methods studied reduced the toxicity of strychnine and brucine contents in comparison to the raw seeds as determined by HPTLC. Out of these three methods maximum reduction in strychnine and brucine contents was found when the seeds were purified by keeping them in cow's urine for seven days followed by boiling in cow's milk for three hrs.
Highlights
Kupeelu (Strychnos nuxvomica Linn.) is a therapeutically potent plant in Ayurveda and its seeds are being used extensively in different classical formulations (Gogte, 2000)
In Ayurveda, different methods are in practice for the specific Shodhana procedures of nux vomica seeds (Sharma et al, 2000; Trikamji, 2008; Anonymous, 1978)
65.23% and 69.26% of processed Kupeelu were obtained after proper processing in Cow’s urine and Cow’s milk respectively, whereas 69.60% final product was obtained in the third method
Summary
Kupeelu (Strychnos nuxvomica Linn.) is a therapeutically potent plant in Ayurveda and its seeds are being used extensively in different classical formulations (Gogte, 2000). The plant is reported under the poisonous group (Sharma et al., 2000) and the major chemical constituents of the nux vomica i.e strychnine and brucine have been reported for their adverse effects (Nadkarni, 1976). Strychnine (C21H22O2N2 ; m.p. and strongly toxic alkaloids present in 286 to 2880 C) this, besides and brucine other minor alkaloidal constituents. These alkaoids occur in the seed and in the roots, bark, leaves, fruit-pulp, and the hard fruit-shells (Anonymous, 1998) and twenty-two identified alkaloids have been isolated from the root bark and leaves of S. nux vomica (Baser Kemal et al, 1982). In Ayurveda, different methods are in practice for the specific Shodhana (purificatory measures) procedures of nux vomica seeds (Sharma et al, 2000; Trikamji, 2008; Anonymous, 1978). It was reported that aconite (Vatsanabha) purified by cow’s urine is converted to cardiac stimulant, whereas raw aconite is cardiac depressant (Singh et al, 1985)
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