Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13:504-07, 2009. Laxative Property of Safoof-E-Sana, a Unani
Formulation Ashok Kumar, B.S.*, Bharathi,
T., Anupama, K., Swapna, Pallavi, K., Usha, Gayathri, N., Swetha Reddy and
M., Shailaja Department
of Pharmacognosy, Sri Krishna Chaithanya College of Pharmacy, Madanapalle, *Corresponding author Issued Abstract An investigation was carried out to study the laxative property of aqueous extract Safoof-E-Sana in the unani formulation. Aqueous extract of Safoof-E-Sana was evaluated for laxative property and was measured by weighing the fecal out at 8th and 16th hour of drug administration. Safoof-E-Sana at 50, and 100 mg/kg showed dose dependent laxative effect. The results are compared with standard Senna. Safoof-E-Sana was showed significant laxative activity. Keywords: Safoof-E-Sana, Unani formulation, ash values, moisture content, foaming index, laxative activity. Introduction Safoof-E-Sana is a fine powder
form (Unani Formulation), which is widely used as laxative at dose of 3- Materials
and Methods Preparation of safoof Ingredients; Senna leaves, dry ginger, haritakee, and balck salt. are made fine powder by passing through sieve no. 100. Fine powders are mixed geometrically in plastic tray and packed in polythene cover. Animals Wister rats weighing about 150- Laxative activity The laxative activity was performed according
to Ganapaty et al. (2002), on rats of either sex, fasted for 12 h
before the experiment, but with water provided ad
libitum. The animals were divided into 4 groups of six animals
each. The first group of animals, serving as control, received normal saline
(25 ml/kg); the second group serving as reference, received aqueous extract
of Senna (30 mg/kg) while third, fourth and
fifth groups received aqueous extract of Safoof-E-Sana at doses of 50, and
100 mg/kg respectively. Immediately after administration of dose, the animals
were isolated and housed separately in polypropylene cages suitable for
collection of feces. Results and Discussion Cassia aungstifolia used in
constipation, fever, skin diseases, and gout abdominal disorders. Zingiber officinale used in asthma,
diarrhea, cardiac diseases, wounds; Terminalia
chebula used in cardiac diseases, jaundice, cough, carcinoma (Nadkarni,
1999; Yoganarasimhan,
2000) and Vitlavana claims to posses laxative and carminative
(Nadkarni, 1999). Safoof-E-Sana showed significant laxative activity at both
50 and 100 mg/kg, may be due to the presence of Cassia aungstifolia, Terminalia chebula and Vitlavana. Senna
known as laxative, contain anthraquinone glycosides,
sennosides (A, B, C and D), which are gastric irritants (Goodman and
Gialmann, 2001). Table 1:
Laxative activity of aqueous extract of Safoof-E-Sana in rats.
Mean ± S.E.M. (n=6),
*P<0.05, **P<0.01 Vs control (normal saline) Acknowledgment Authors are thankful to Sri Naveen Kiran, Chairman, Sri K.V.College of Pharmacy, Chickballapur, for providing facilities to carryout the work and for presentation. References Ganapaty
S, Subburaju T, Dash GK, and Suresh B. 2002. Diuretic, Laxative and Toxicity
studies of Cocculus hirsutus aerial parts. Fitoterapia. 73 : 28-31. Goodman
& Gilmann. 2001. The
Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 10th edn. McGraw-Hill, Medical Publishing
Division, New York, pp. 1045-46. Khandelwal, K.R. 2006. Practical Pharmacognosy, Techniques and Experiments, Nirali Prakashan, Pune, p.159-160. Kokate, C.K. 1986. In: Practical Pharmacognosy, Ist ed., Vallabh Prakashan, New Delhi, p. 111. Nadkarni, K.M., Nadkarni, A.K. 1999. Indian Materia Medica, vol. I, 3rd edn. M/s Popular Prakashan Pvt, Ltd., Bombay, p. 481-484, 1028-1030,1205-1210,1308-1315. Yoganarasimhan, S.N. 2000. Medicinal Plants of India, Tamilnadu vol.1 p. 211,113, 601-602, 541. |