Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Vatavidhvamsana rasa, An Ayurvedic herbo-mineral formulation

Background: Inflammation is a complex process mainly comprises of three phases namely acute, sub-acute and chronic. In acute inflammatory conditions fluid and granulocytic cells accumulate at the site of injury because of the changes in small blood vessels. This response often activates systemic response such as leucocytosis, protein catabolism, fever and synthesis of C-reactive protein, an acute-phase protein In Ayurvedic texts, several herbo-mineral preparations to fight against inflammation have been found; among them, Vatavidhvamsana Rasa (VVR) is one, which is said to be remarkable in inflammation condition. Aim and Objectives: To assess the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of VVR in pharmacologically validated models. Materials and methods: Wistar strain albino rats weighing 200 ± 20 of either sex were used in the study. VVR was administered at a dose of 22.5 mg/kg for the rat. Results: Vatavidhvamsana Rasa (VVR) showed a significant decrease in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema after 1-hour interval in comparison to the control group (P<0.05) and at 3 hours and 5 hours intervals it showed a non-significant decrease in carrageenan-induced paw oedema in albino rats.  In the analgesic activity, VVR treated group showed a significant increase in radiant heat response at 30 min. interval (P<0.05) and non-significant increase at 60 mins in comparison to initial and control group. Conclusion: The results concluded that Vatavidhvamsana Rasa has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. Accordingly, it can be used in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions.