Talk:Rasna: Difference between revisions

'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluchea_lanceolata Pluchea lanceolata Oliv.]''', popularly known as '''Rasna''', is a xerophytic perennial herb native to dry and semi-arid regions of India and South Asia. It is highly revered in [[Ayurveda]] as a primary drug of choice for managing painful inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions, particularly Vata disorders and Amavata (rheumatoid arthritis). Modern experimental studies have examined its anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, antioxidant, antimalarial, anti-asthmatic and neuro-inflammatory-modulating effects; these are summarised below together with its classical description.<ref name="Srivastava2012">Srivastava P, Shanker K. Pluchea lanceolata (Rasana): Chemical and biological potential of Rasayana herb used in traditional system of medicine. Fitoterapia. 2012;83(8):1371–1385. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2012.07.008. PMID: 22877846</ref>

Pluchea lanceolata is an erect, perennial undershrub growing up to 30–100 cm in height, with a cylindrical, hairy, branched stem and simple, alternate, oblong to lanceolate leaves. In traditional Indian medicine it is described as an antipyretic, analgesic, bitter, laxative and nervine tonic, and is used for dyspepsia, bronchitis and rheumatoid arthritis.<ref name="Khan2010">Khan S, Rawat R, Rawat AKS, Shirwaikar A. A report on the quality control parameters of aerial parts of Pluchea lanceolata (DC.) Oliv. & Hiern, Asteraceae. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 2010;20. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/rbfar/a/vpXGbMFB45qRpt6V76tyhQn/?lang=en</ref>

== Phytoconstituents ==

=== Triterpenoids, sterols and flavonoids ===

Constituents reported to have been isolated from the plant include the triterpenoids α-amyrin, β-amyrin caproate, moretenol, moretenol acetate, neolupenol and ψ-taraxasterol acetate; the sterol stigmasterol; and the flavonoids quercetin and isorhamnetin. Preliminary screening of aerial-part extracts showed proteins, starch, fixed oil, steroids, glycosides, triterpenoids and flavonoids, with a total flavonoid content of 67.24 ± 1.4 µg/mL in the samples studied.<ref name="Khan2010"/>

=== Volatile oil (aerial parts) ===

GC-MS and NMR analysis of the hydrodistilled essential oil of the aerial parts identified oxygenated monoterpenes (53.4%) as the major group. The principal components were linalool (32.2%), β-caryophyllene (8.5%), α-terpineol (8.0%), spathulenol (7.4%) and linalyl acetate (5.6%).<ref name="Srivastava2015">Srivastava P, Jyotshna, Chanda D, Shanker K. Chemical characterization and acetylcholinesterase inhibition potential of volatile components of aerial parts of Pluchea lanceolata (DC.) Oliv. & Hiern. Records of Natural Products. 2015;9(4):586–591.</ref>

== Therapeutic Efficacy: Pharmacological Evidence ==

The evidence summarised below is preclinical (animal and in vitro studies). No controlled human clinical trial of ''Pluchea lanceolata'' alone was found during the preparation of this monograph.

=== Anti-inflammatory activity ===

A chemical investigation of the plant, carried out alongside anti-inflammatory evaluation, supported the traditional use of Rasna in inflammatory conditions.<ref name="Chawla1991">Chawla AS, Kaith BS, Handa SS, Kulshreshtha DK, Srimal RC. Chemical investigation and anti-inflammatory activity of Pluchea lanceolata. Fitoterapia. 1991;62(5):441–444.</ref>

=== Anti-arthritic, analgesic and antipyretic activity ===

A comprehensive review of the plant's chemistry and pharmacology records anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity, along with analgesic, laxative and antipyretic activities, and attributes the anti-inflammatory effect mainly to its triterpenoids. This agrees with the classical use of Rasna in Amavata and Vatavyadhi, though the review-level evidence is not a substitute for clinical trials.<ref name="Srivastava2012"/>

 

=== Immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory activity ===

 

In LPS-stimulated rat astrocytoma (C6) cells, the triterpene taraxasterol, isolated from the plant, significantly reduced the release of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-6. Its acetate derivative did not inhibit IL-6 at lower concentrations. This offers an experimental basis for the traditional use of Rasna in neurological (Vata) disorders.<ref name="Srivastava2014">Srivastava P, Mohanty S, Bawankule DU, Khan F, Shanker K. Effect of Pluchea lanceolata bioactives in LPS-induced neuroinflammation in C6 rat glial cells. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology. 2014;387(2):119–127.</ref>

 

 

In isolated guinea pig tracheal chain, the ethyl acetate fraction of the leaf extract (100 µg/mL) significantly reduced histamine-induced contraction; the maximum contraction fell from 100% in controls to 57.81 ± 1.22%. This is an in vitro finding and has not been confirmed in clinical studies.<ref name="Arora2011">Arora R, Gill NS, Dhingra VK, Rana AC. Evaluation of anti-asthmatic potential of ethyl acetate fraction of Pluchea lanceolata. Pharmacologyonline. 2011;2:1126–1133.</ref>

 

The hexane extract and taraxasterol acetate showed antimalarial activity against ''Plasmodium falciparum'' in vitro and ''P. berghei''-infected mice in vivo. Taraxasterol acetate also inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines and raised blood glucose and haemoglobin levels in infected mice. No synergy with chloroquine was seen.<ref name="Mohanty2013">Mohanty S, Srivastava P, Maurya AK, Cheema HS, Shanker K, Dhawan S, Darokar MP, Bawankule DU. Antimalarial and safety evaluation of Pluchea lanceolata (DC.) Oliv. & Hiern: in-vitro and in-vivo study. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2013;149(3):797–802. PMID: 23954323</ref>

 

In mice challenged with benzo(a)pyrene, pretreatment with the plant extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) restored renal glutathione and its dependent enzymes, increased catalase and quinone reductase, reduced micronuclei formation in bone marrow cells, and restored DNA integrity.<ref name="Jahangir2013">Jahangir T, Safhi MM, Sultana S, Ahmad S. Pluchea lanceolata protects against benzo(a)pyrene induced renal toxicity and loss of DNA integrity. Interdisciplinary Toxicology. 2013;6(1):47–54. doi:10.2478/intox-2013-0009</ref>

 

== Safety, Toxicity, and Precautions ==

* '''Toxicity:''' The hexane extract was reported as non-toxic at higher concentrations in in vitro and in vivo safety evaluation.<ref name="Mohanty2013"/> No formal human safety data were found.

* '''Precautions (inference, not from a cited study):''' Because the extract showed immunosuppressive activity in mice, caution is reasonable in patients taking immunosuppressant drugs. Data on use in pregnancy, lactation and children are lacking, and people with known sensitivity to the Asteraceae (Compositae) family should be watchful for allergic reactions.

|+ Therapeutic Applications of ''Pluchea lanceolata'' (preclinical evidence)

! Indication !! Experimental finding !! Type of evidence

| '''Swasa / Kasa (asthma, cough)''' || Reduced histamine-induced tracheal contraction || Isolated guinea pig trachea

| '''Jvara (fever, malaria-like fever)''' || Antimalarial activity of hexane extract and taraxasterol acetate || In vitro; mouse model

| '''Oxidative stress / DNA damage''' || Restored renal antioxidant enzymes and DNA integrity || Mouse model

<ref name="Srivastava2012">Srivastava P, Shanker K. Pluchea lanceolata (Rasana): Chemical and biological potential of Rasayana herb used in traditional system of medicine. Fitoterapia. 2012;83(8):1371–1385. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2012.07.008. PMID: 22877846</ref>

<ref name="Khan2010">Khan S, Rawat R, Rawat AKS, Shirwaikar A. A report on the quality control parameters of aerial parts of Pluchea lanceolata (DC.) Oliv. & Hiern, Asteraceae. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 2010;20. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/rbfar/a/vpXGbMFB45qRpt6V76tyhQn/?lang=en</ref>

<ref name="Srivastava2015">Srivastava P, Jyotshna, Chanda D, Shanker K. Chemical characterization and acetylcholinesterase inhibition potential of volatile components of aerial parts of Pluchea lanceolata (DC.) Oliv. & Hiern. Records of Natural Products. 2015;9(4):586–591.</ref>

<ref name="Chawla1991">Chawla AS, Kaith BS, Handa SS, Kulshreshtha DK, Srimal RC. Chemical investigation and anti-inflammatory activity of Pluchea lanceolata. Fitoterapia. 1991;62(5):441–444.</ref>

<ref name="Bhagwat2010">Bhagwat DP, Kharya MD, Bani S, Kaul A, Kour K, Chauhan PS, Suri KA, Satti NK. Immunosuppressive properties of Pluchea lanceolata leaves. Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2010;42(1):21–26. doi:10.4103/0253-7613.62405</ref>

<ref name="Srivastava2014">Srivastava P, Mohanty S, Bawankule DU, Khan F, Shanker K. Effect of Pluchea lanceolata bioactives in LPS-induced neuroinflammation in C6 rat glial cells. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology. 2014;387(2):119–127.</ref>

<ref name="Arora2011">Arora R, Gill NS, Dhingra VK, Rana AC. Evaluation of anti-asthmatic potential of ethyl acetate fraction of Pluchea lanceolata. Pharmacologyonline. 2011;2:1126–1133.</ref>

<ref name="Mohanty2013">Mohanty S, Srivastava P, Maurya AK, Cheema HS, Shanker K, Dhawan S, Darokar MP, Bawankule DU. Antimalarial and safety evaluation of Pluchea lanceolata (DC.) Oliv. & Hiern: in-vitro and in-vivo study. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2013;149(3):797–802. PMID: 23954323</ref>

<ref name="Jahangir2013">Jahangir T, Safhi MM, Sultana S, Ahmad S. Pluchea lanceolata protects against benzo(a)pyrene induced renal toxicity and loss of DNA integrity. Interdisciplinary Toxicology. 2013;6(1):47–54. doi:10.2478/intox-2013-0009</ref>