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As per Ayurveda symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis resembles with Amavata disease. Action of Hinguleshwara rasa on Amavata is mentioned in the text of Rasatarangini in Ayurveda. In this study investigation was made to find out preventive & curative changes occurred in rat paw of Freuds Complete Adjuvant induced RA model. Indomethacin was kept as standard control and Hinguleshwar rasa as a treatment. After induction of arthritis with FCA on day 14, animals were treated up to 28th day of the study with indomethacin and Hinguleshwar rasa. After completion of 28 days of daily single oral dose administration of Hinguleshwar rasa and Indomethacin, animals were sacrificed. Ankle joints were severed and processed for histological studies. It was observed that the joints of Hinguleshwar rasa treated animals showed recovery towards normal histological architecture whereas all other joint samples of bones of rats were showing focal and minimal pathological changes, focal and minimal congestion of blood vascular tissue. Similar normal Histo-architecture was found in Indomethacin treated animals. However it was observed that, Hinguleshwar rasa showed better restoration of joint Histopathological changes occurred due to FCA damage. Hence the efficacy of Hinguleshwar rasa on Amavat (Rheumatoid arthritis) was better than Indomethacin treatment.

Background Rasashastra needs to be upgraded using the technological advances, with regards to drug processing, development and therapeutics. The potential of Rasaaushadhis need to be explored by subjecting them against newer life threatening diseases like cancer where contemporary medicine has limitations. Abhrak Bhasma, one of the drugs of Rasashastra, has some peculiar attributes. According to classical Rasashastra texts, Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma is regarded as a Rasayan, whose efficacy is in direct proportion to the number of Putas. Thus increasing number of Putas not only has a significant effect on the physical, analytical aspects but also the therapeutic effect of the Abhrak Bhasma. Objectives To screen in vitro anticancer activity of Abhrak Bhasma at various stages of Putas (20, 50, 100). To evaluate and thus validate the principle from classical Rasashastra texts, which explains direct relation of number of Putas with therapeutic efficacy. Materials and methods Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma, at various stages of its preparation was subjected to in vitro anticancer activity on three different cancer cell lines (LungHOP62, LeukemiaU937, ProstateDU145) at Tata Memorial Centre- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research Education in Cancer, Navi Mumbai. SRB assay was followed to evaluate the anti-proliferative activity. Results It was found that Abhrak Bhasma shows concentration dependent positive in vitro anticancer activity on all three cell lines with highly significant activity on prostate cancer cell lines. Anticancer activity of Abhrak Bhasma is in the order 100 Puti > 50 Puti > 20 Puti. Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma had maximum activity on prostate cancer cell lines almost equivalent to positive control drug adriamycin. Conclusion The in vitro anticancer activity of Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma increases with increasing number of Putas, thus revalidating the direct relation between number of Putas and efficacy of the drug.

In Ayurveda Shodhan (purification) process plays a very significant role in purification of Herbal & Mineral drugs like Hingul (Cinnabar) & Vatsanabh (Aconitum ferox) for internal administration. Hinguleshwar rasa is one of the important Herbo-mineral formulation in Ayurveda. In this study we performed purification (shodhan) of Hingul (cinnabar) & Vatsanabh (Aconitum ferox) according to text and after using it in Hinguleshwar rasa we try to find out elemental changes during whole purification & trituration process. Because of the need of purification & standardisation in Ayurveda we do ICP AES Elemental qualitative analysis of drug and formulation. After doing ICP AES test of purified Hingul we found elements like Chromium, Sodium, Tungsten. but these element were not present in sample of raw Hingul (Cinnabar). In the sample of purified and un-purified Vatsanabh (Aconitum ferox) we not found any significant different element in this test. In Hinguleshwar rasa we not found elements which are present in purified Hingul (Cinnabar) & purified Vatsanabh (Aconitum ferox) like Chromium, Gallium, Nickel and Tungsten. Hence this study concludes that some elemental changes may happen after purification, trituration process and during preparation of any formulation. ICP AES elemental qualitative analysis helps to find out elemental changes in the given sample.