PHYSICO-CHEMICAL STANDARDIZATION OF A POTENT UNANI DRUG 'SANKHAHOLI' (EVOLVULUS ALSINOIDES LINN.)

Sankhaholi (Evolvulus alsinoides Linn.) of family Convolvulaceae which is available in Indian herb and spices market with the name of Shankhpushpi, widely used in the traditional system of medicine including Unani medicine since ages. It is a perennial herb with a small woody branched rootstock which contains alkaloids: shankhapushpine and evolvine. Fresh plant of sankhaholi contains volatile oil. It also contains a yellow neutral fat, an organic acid, and saline substances. Therapeutic uses of Sankhaholi, mentioned in the Unani text are elexiteric (Mufarreh), cardiac tonic (Muqawwi-e Qalb), brain tonic (Muqawwi-e Dimag), blood purifier (Musaffi-e-Khoon), general tonic (Muqawwi-e-aam), diuretic (Mudirr-e-Baul), anti-inflammatory (Muhallil-e-waram), hypoglycemic (Dafa-e-Ziabitus). It has been used in various ailments such as headache, asthma, hyperlipidemia, etc. In this article, we have provided standardized value of a specimen of sankhaholi, assessed on physico-chemical and analytical parameters viz (i) Macroscopic and microscopic features (ii) extractive values (iii), moisture contents (iv), Ash values (v), loss of weight on drying, (vi), pH of 1 % and 10 % solution (vii) TLC and (viii) HPTLC.