Research updates on Badarashma

Introduction

Badarashma is a mineral drug used in many formulations of Ayurveda. The detail description of this drug is available in books of Rasashastra written after 20th century1,2. It is also a drug known as hajarulyahud in Unani system of medicine3 . It is a mineral drug included in the sikta varga4 . Badarashma is named so because it is a stone resembling the fruits of badara (jujube fruit)5 . This is round or oval shaped, grey colored, fruit like rocky fossil that originates from stone6 . It is tasteless and having size about 1-1. 5 inch length7 . It contains silica and lime so called silicate of lime having chemical formula Si4 CaO4 8 .

Pharmacologically it possesses madhura rasa, sheeta, sthambhana, sukshma and guru guna, sheeta veerya5 . It is indicated in mutrakrichra, mutrashmari and mutraghata in the form of bhasma and pishti7 . The dose of badarashma bhasma and pishti is 500 mg to 1 gram9 . Kadalimula swarasa-honey-milk 5, coconut water-ashmarihara kashaya 2, mulika swarasa 4, can be used as anupana.

Materials and Methods:

An extensive search was done for published research works on badarashma in both print and digital media. Only peer reviewed indexed journals with ISSN number were considered for this search.

Observation and Results

Total ten research works on Badarashma were found, out of which two was experimental study, one comparative pharmaceutico analytical study, one case study, five clinical study and one conceptual study. The summary of these ten research works are given here.

1.Comparative diuretic activity of badarashma bhasma and badarashma pishti in albino rats :

The study was undertaken to compare the diuretic effect of badarashma bhasma and pisti in albino rats. The Lipchitz et.al 1945 was used for the collection of data for diuretic action of the test preparations. Wistar albino rats were fasted for 18 hour before starting experiment and suspensions of 2 preparations were administered at the dose of 45 mg/kg body weight. After treatment urine was collected for 24 h and diuretic activity was assessed by evaluation of the total volume of urine, sodium, and potassium and chloride concentration. Badarashma bhasma has shown significant results in total urine volume of the rats when compared to badarashma pisti. Significant decrease in potassium excretion was also noted in badarashma bhasma treated group. The observed diuretic effect was comparable to that of the standard drug frusemide10.

2.Formulation of hajarulyahud pishti and its in vitro antiurolithiatic effect:

Another investigation was aimed to formulate and analyze the physicochemical properties of hajarlyahud pishti and its in-vitro evaluation for antiurolithiasis against 0.01M sodium oxalate in artificial urine (AU)11. Hajralyahud pishti was prepared using chandana arka, nagarmotha arka, and jala (water) respectively, as bhavana dravyas. Physicochemical analysis of prepared medicine were carried out using standard methods mentioned in official compendium of Ayurveda. Hajarulyahud pishti in different concentrations, i.e., 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1000 μL showed dose-dependent antiurolithiatic activity. Highest protection of 74.47% was seen in 1000 μL concentration.

3.Comparative pharmaceutical and analytical study of badarashma bhasma and pishti12:

The Badarshma bhasma and pisthi were compared by subjecting them to analytical parameters along with organoleptic characters. The results of this work are tabulated in table 1 and 2.

4. A case study on mutrashmari (Urolithiasis) by using varunadi kwatha and hajarulyahud bhasma:

This is a clinical success report of hajarulyahud bhasma and varunadi kwatha on mutrashmari (urolithiasis) 13. 37 years old female patient diagnosed with urolithiasis was treated with 20 ml varunadi kwatha mix with 250 mg of hajrul yahood bhasma twice a day in before food with lukewarm water for 45 days. Pain in abdomen, dysuria blood report findings USG of both kidney were compared before and after treatment. The results of subjective parameters are in Table 3.

In USG both kidneys showed No E/o calculus/ hydronephrosis/ hydroureter

5. A clinical study on mutrashmari: In this clinical study the combined effect of shunthyadi churna and badarashma pishti in the management of mutrashmari vis-à vis urolithiasis14 was evaluated. The study was conducted on 35 diagnosed patients with a pre and post design. Presence of calculi in USG of KUB taken as primary diagnostic criteria and basti shoola, sarakta mutrata, mutra daha, mutradhara sanga, mutrakrichrata were taken as subjective parameters. Blood investigations like HB%, TC, DC, ESR, and RBS. Urine – Microscopy, sugar, albumin were also done before and after treatment. The intervention drug shunthyadi churna -30ml with 1gm of equal quantity of shuddha hingu, yavakshara and saindhava lavana churna, thrice daily before food and badarashma pishti – 500mg, twice daily before food with honey for 30 days was given.

It was observed that, the number of the calculus was considerably reduced in many of the patients. The main symptom basti shoola was reduced in maximum number of patients in the mid of intervention itself. Overall assessment of the therapy was done based on reduction in symptoms and size of calculi. Out of 35 patients, maximum 16 (45.7%) patients had complete remission, 8 (22.8%) patients had marked improvement, 8 (22.8%) patients had moderate improvement, 2(5.7%) patients had mild improvement and 1(2.8%) patient had no improvement. Overall results on reduction in symptom and size of calculi showed statistically significant effect at the end of intervention with p value of 0.003.

6. Comparative study of effect of badarashma pishti and kshar parpati in management of mutrashmari W.S.R. To urolithiasis15: It was a randomized, controlled, single blind, prospective, comparative clinical trial, done on two groups of 30 patients each. The drug badarashma pishti 500 mg orally Before food thrice a day for Group A and kshar parpati 500 mg after food thrice a day with water for group B were given for 45 days as intervention on diagnosed cases of mutrashmari.

It was found that, in 30 patients of group A, total 45 number of calculus noted, out of which 37 calculi were found in kidney and 8 calculi in ureter. Out of 37 kidney stones of group A, 31(84%) are expelled out and size of 6(16%) stones are reduced, whereas all the ureteric calculi were expelled out. In 30 patients of group B, total 56 numbers of calculi were noted. Out of which 47 were in kidney and 9 in ureter. Out of 47 kidney stones of group B, 20(42.5%) expelled out and size of 22(47%) stones reduced, 2 stones remained unchanged, size of one stone increased and even 2 new calculi formed. All the ureteric calculi expelled out.

7. A clinical study of mutrashmari w.s.r. to urolithiasis and the effect of ashmarivedanadi yoga16: For the study 30 patients with diagnosis of urolithiasis were are randomly selected and given trial drug ashmaribhedanandi yoga (pashanveda, gokshurna, varuna, sunthi, erandapatra- 4.8 kg and badarashma /hazarulyahud bhasma- 1.2 kg) in the dose of 30 ml BID before food for 60 days. The subjects were asked for follow up once in fifteen days for consecutive 2 months. After completion of study the results were assessed basing on percentage of relief before and after treatment, basing on symptomatic relief and ultrasonography. The statistically analyzed results of therapy are shown in tabulated form.

S.D*-Standard Deviation                   S*-Significance

S.E*-Standard Error                           E.S*-Extremely statistically

significant D.F*-Degree of freedom  V.S*-Very statistically significant

8.Pharmaceutico-analytical study of badarashma bhasma and pishti and their clinical efficacy in mutrashmari¹⁷: Patients suffering from ashmari were selected in two groups of 15 patients in each. Group A were treated with 500 mg Badarashma bhasma in powdered form thrice daily and Group B were treated with badarashma pishti 500 mg thrice a day for the period of 3 months. Assessment of therapy was done according to scoring technique in the relief of signs and symptoms of the diseases mutrashmari. The result are shown in tabulated form.

9.Clinical study on effectiveness of gokshuradi anubhuta yoga in mutraashmari¹⁹: 33 diagnosed cases of mutraashmari were selected for study and given with gokshuradi anubhuta yoga (gokshura, manjishta, narikela lavana and hajarul yahood bhasma) for a period of 28 days in the dose of 1tea spoon full in divided dose after food at day and night. The subjects were asked for follow up once in a month for three consecutive months.

The subjective and objective assessment was done after collecting data and analyzed with relevant statistical parameters. It is observed that after two weeks 30 subjects were relieved from subjective symptoms. Out of 67 calculi among 33 patients 60 stones were expelled and rest got reduction in their size.

10.Role of badarashma pishti in the management of mutrashmari19: In this study 25 patients in group- A, are treated with badarashma pisti 500 mg thrice daily for 3 months. 10 patients in Group B were treated with 500mg capsule filled with starch thrice daily for 3 months as placebo control group. Category I= stone size less than 5mm in diameter irrespective of site and variety. Category II= stone size more than 5mm in diameter irrespective of site and variety. In Group-A, highly significant effect was observed in pain (54.76%), burning micturition (75%), hematuria (72.97%), dysuria (62.85%), pain in renal angle (42.85%), nausea and vomiting (57.14%), fever with rigor (71.42%), local irritation and urgency (71.72%) respectively. In group-B (Placebo) there was insignificant effect on the above symptoms. It was observed that in the Group-A 32% patients cured, 16% patients markedly improved and 16% remained unchanged. In placebo group 20% got improved. Stone size less than 5mm of 10 patients in group-A 6 stones expelled out, 2 stones were decrease in its size, 3 stones were in downward movement and 1 stone remains unchanged. Stone size more than 5 mm of 18 patients in group-A 3 stones expelled out, 7 stones were decrease in its size, 5 stones were in downward movement and 3 stone remains unchanged.

Discussion

After reviewing the articles, it was observed that the pharmaceutico-analytical study of badarashma bhasma and pishti shows that the ayurvedic and modern parameters are within standard range20, 11. Badarshma bhasma was hey colour and pishti was white. There was no marked colour change in comparison to raw badarshma. Slight change in color of bhasma may be due to the temperature generated during puta. pH is observed more in bhasma than pishti may be due to bhavana dravya and methods of preparation. Loss on drying was more in pishti than bhasma indicating moisture content in pishti because of niragni sanskara done for pishti preparation. Total ash content of bhasma was more than the pishti due to the nature of bhasma kalpana and inorganic contents of radish used for bhavana dravya before marana. The particle size of pishti was less compared to bhasma because of long duration of bhavana, continuous friction generated during pishti preparation. And there is no much differences in contents of potassium, chloride and magnesium except calcium, magnesium and sulphate. Whereas calcium is more in bhasma and magnesium in pishti.

A good diuretic should excrete sodium along with water, however both badarashma pishti, bhasma showed no significant effect on sodium excretion in urine comparision to normal control group. In comparision of badarashma pishti, bhasma showed significant diuretic activity, though both the formulation did not affect the electrolyte excretion in the urine. In-vitro study of hajarulyahud pishti showed dose-dependent antiurolithiatic activity in prepared AU and 1000 μL concentration exhibited maximum 74.47% protection. For the treatment of urolithiasis, many treatment modalities have been adopted using traditional as well as allopathic system of medicines, but the pathogenesis behind the stones is not always avoidable. Ayurvedic system of medicine exemplifies ahara dravyas as well as aushadha dravyas for the treatment of urolithiasis^21,22.

Clinical study done on badarshma bhasma, pishti as single or along with any other formulation also showed significant result. Badarashma because of madhura rasa, enhanced the quality of mutra i.e. mutrala property and dilutes the concenterated urine. So the dissolving of urinary stones will take place. The slakshna, snigdha and sukshma properties of the drug will act as sharkara rechaka and anulomana, so that downward propagation of the crystals is found. The madhura and sheeta property of the drug work as vedanahara. The sukshma and guru properties will function as shodhana, bhedana and rechana of the mutrashmari. The sheeta, madhura and guru properties will reduce the mutradaha and sarudhira mutrata. Hence the drug badarashma bhasma, pishti, along with other formulation such as varunadi kwatha, sunthyadi churna, gokshuradi churna, kshara parpati will help in the management of mutrashamari due to vedanahara, ashmaribhedana, anulomana, mutrala, dysuria and rasayana for the mutravaha srotas vikara.

Out of ten research works six were clinical study done on badarashma bhasma and pishti as single or with other compound medicine where other medicine also showed significant result with badarshma bhasma.

Conclusion

All the above works showed that for pharmaceutico- analytical study a standard protocol is being followed for the preparation. The badarashma bhasma and pishti were assessed for analytical study. Clinical study done on this drug showed significant result in diseases like mutrashamari and mutrakruchra. There might be any other works which yet to be published or unpublished. This gives a positive for clinical practice in mutrashmari or associated symptoms like mutradaha, mutrakruchra.