Background:Ethno-medical claims indicate that leaf of Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch is being used in pain, inflammatory conditions by the Koya tribes.Aim:To evaluate and compare the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of leaves of H. integrifolia in powder and decoction forms.Materials and Methods:The leaves of H. integrifolia were made into powder and decoction form using guidelines mentioned in Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India. The anti-inflammatory activity of test drug was evaluated against carrageenan and formalin induced paw edema and analgesic activity with formalin induced paw licking and tail flick response using Wistar albino rats.Results:Administration of leaf powder showed insignificant inhibition of carrageenan induced paw edema at 1 h (21.62%) compared to the control group. Administration of decoction of leaves showed insignificant inhibition of carrageenan induced paw edema at 1 h (18.12%) and 3 h (9.78%). Administration of leaf powder decreased the paw edema at 24 h (37.65%) and 48 h (66.30%) while treatment with leaf decoction showed apparent decrease in paw edema at 24 h (13.68%) and 48 h (52.42%) but failed to reach at significant level of formalin induced paw edema in rats. The test drugs did not produce any effect on radiant heat induced pain in rats and formalin induced paw licking response.Conclusion:Leaf decoction of H. integrifolia has better anti-inflammatory activity than leaf powder while they have not shown significant analgesic effects in both the experimental models.

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Acharya Charaka had mentioned Madhuraskandha in the context of Asthapana Basti dravya. There are total 85 drugs mentioned in the Madhuraskandha. The drugs included in Madhuraskandha usually possess Madhurarasa or Madhuravipaka and Madhuraprabhava. Madhuraprabhava is the phenomenon in which the drug shows the action attributed to Madhurarasa or Madhuravipaka though it does not contain either of them. In Madhuraskandha, there are in total 25 drugs which exercise their action through Madhuraprabhava. In Ayurvedic pharmacology, Prabhava is referred as inexplicable principle. But, basing upon the active constituents of the medicinal plants their respective activities can be explained. The active constituents of plants have been recently isolated. They have been divided into16 main groups viz. alkaloids, anthocyanin, anthraquinones, glycosides, minerals etc. The active constituents in plants are the chemicals that have a medicinal effect on the body. Rasayana dravyas mainly possess Madhurarasa. The Rasayana activity (antioxidant activity one of the indices of Rasayana Karma) is well explained in the light of presence of phenol compounds, triterpenoids, flavonoids, gallic acids etc. In the present study, the anti-oxidant activity of the Madhuraskandha dravyas who act through their Madhuraprabhava can be explained by the presence of terpenoid, flavonoids and total phenol content etc. A review of such reported researches have been made to explain the activities of drugs having Madhuraprabhava.

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