Role of ayurvedic formulation in the treatment of anorexia: An experimental study

Abstract

Ayurveda system of medicine is well known to treat loss of appetite; clinically known anorexia. Intuppu Churna is a commonly used Ayurvedic formulation for the treatment of Agnimandya i.e anorexia. The medicine consist three types of herbs: Terminalia chebula (Combretaceae), Piper longum (Piperaceae), Trachyspermum roxburghianum (Umbelliferae) and one mineral - rock salt. The objective of the study was to determine the antianorectic effects of these drugs individually and to compare these effects with the effect of Intuppu. The activity of the drugs was studied after anorexia was induced in rats by (1) physical stress arising from immobilization for 60min; (2) intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 μg/kg body weight); and (3) intraperitoneal administration of fluoxetine (8 mg/kg body weight). Similar doses of the extracts were tested on freely feeding rats and on rats that had been food deprived for 20 h. Corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF, 0.3 μg/rat) can induce anxiogenic-like behavior and reduced food intake. This model was also studied, and the results were compared. The present study shows that Intuppu churna effectively reduces the marked anorexia induced in rats by exposure to different stressful conditions. IF 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly reversed restraint stress, LPS, Fluoxetine and CRF induced anorexia. While the drug in the used dose range does not affect food intake of freely feeding and non-stressed food deprived rats. IF shows the anti-anorectic effect in restraint stress, LPS, Fluoxetine and CRF induced anorexia models which indicates that the action of IF is nonspecific.