Open AccessEvaluation of adaptogenic and anti-stress effects of Ranahamsa Rasayanaya-A Sri Lankan classical Rasayana drug on experimental animals
Author(s) -
K.I.W.K. Somarathna,
HM Chandola,
B Ravishankar,
K N Pandya,
Amp Attanayake,
B K Ashok
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
ayu
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 0976-9382
pISSN - 0974-8520
DOI - 10.4103/0974-8520.68201
Subject(s) - medicine , drug , traditional medicine , pharmacology , behavioural despair test , mental stress , hypothermia , anesthesia , psychiatry , antidepressant , anxiety
Various types of stress not only harm the mental function, but also cause diseases by weakening body defenses. Rasayana therapy has an advantage over the conventional Kayachikitsa treatment in such conditions, as it is capable of counteracting the stress, promote the adaptogenic abilities of the body, enhance mental endurance, etc. These are the some of parameters for evaluation the rasayana effect of a drug, therefore the same have been studied to assess the rasayana effect of Ranahamsa Rasayanaya (RR). Experimental models such as forced swimming induced hypothermia and stress induced gastric ulcer formation have been carried out befitting on Charles Foster strain albino rats to determine the rasayana effect of RR. Statistically highly significant decrease in forced swimming induced hypothermia and non-significant decrease in gastric ulcer formation were observed in the treatment groups, when compared to the stress control group. These results show the probable adaptogenic and anti-stress activities of the test drug. The study results support the claims made by the Sri Lankan traditional practitioners that, the test drug is a potent rasayana formulation.