Abhava pratinidhi dravya: A Comparative Phytochemical Study of Bharangi and Kantakari

Abhava pratinidhi dravya excites the scientific curiosity concerning the Ayurvedic principles behind selection of the substitute drug. Present study had reported a comparative phytochemical study of one such Ayurvedic substitution pair: Solanum surattense Burm.f., a substitute for Clerodendrum serratum L. The study was conducted to understand the logic behind the Abhava pratinidhi dravya (Drug substitution). The strategy was to scrutinize and compare their Ayurvedic properties by literary studies and test the phytochemical profile of these two herbs for biochemical similiarties and differences. On analyzing their Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna properties), findings show that both the drugs possess katu and tikta rasa, but Bharangi is katu rasa dominant and Kantakari is tikta rasa dominant drug. Along with this, both drug possess laghu, ruksha and ushna guna in common. Kantakari which contain different properties i.e. sara and tikshna guna. Both drug possess katu vipaka and ushna veerya. Both drugs had been stated to treat majority of respiratory ailments. Phytochemical observations suggest that in Bharangi root extract alkaloids and tannins was present whereas Kantakari root extract was rich in flavonoids content. Saponins was present in maximum amount in both the plant extracts. Despite taxonomically unrelated and morphologically dissimiliar, Bharangi has been substituted by Kantakari drug. In Ayurveda, more importance was given to pharmacological properties of raw drug rather than its botanical classification. Further comparative pre-clinical studies and bio-equivalence clinical studies has been needed to explore the different pharmacological properties.

A review on the pharmaceutical activity of Solanum surattense

The traditional medicinal plants are believed to be an impotent source of phytochemicals with potential therapeutic effects, and caring for different diseases. The plant Solanum surattense has active phytochemicals like saponins, alkaloid, phenols, solamargine, solasurine, solasonine, gum, ascorbic acid, sterols, torvoside K, torvoside L, khasianine, glycosides, flavonoids, aculeatiside A, solamargine, glycoalkaloid, steroidal compound, steroidal alkaloids, polyphenol (caffeic acid), coumarins (esculentin and aesculin), steroids (carpesterol, campesterol, daucosterol, stigmasterol, cycloortanol, and cholesterol), triterpinins, and sapogenin. This medicinal plant is widespread in pharmaceutics and still presents a large source of active phytochemicals with different activity such as antimicrobial, anti-larvicidal, anthelmintic, antimalarial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-asthmatic, and anti-cancerous. This review of the literature revealed new researches on the phytochemicals of S. surattense that how the active phytochemicals are performed different activities on the molecular level in vital aspects.

Characterization of a Bowman–Birk type trypsin inhibitor purified from seeds of Solanum surattense

A Bowman–Birk type trypsin inhibitor protein (SSTI) from seeds of the medicinal plant Solanum surattense was isolated, purified and characterized. SSTI showed a single band on SDS-PAGE corresponding to 11.4 kDa molecular weight. It is a glycoprotein (2.8% glycosylation) that differentially interacted with trypsin and chymotrypsin in a concentration-dependent manner. Its peptide sequence is similar to other Bowman–Birk type protease inhibitors found in Glycine max and Phaseolus acutifolius. The inhibitory activity was stable over a wide range of pH (1–10) and temperatures (10–100° C). Far-UV Circular Dichroism (CD) studies showed that SSTI contains β sheets (~ 23%) and α helix (~ 6%) and demonstrated structural stability at wide pH and high temperature. The kinetic analysis revealed a noncompetitive (mixed) type nature of SSTI and low inhibitor constant (Ki) values (16.6 × 10−8 M) suggested strong inhibitory activity. Isothermal titration calorimetric analysis revealed its high affinity towards trypsin with dissociation constant (Kd) 2.28 µM.