PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF DRONAPUSHPI AS AN EKAMOOLIKA PRAYOGA IN THE MANAGEMANT OF KAPHAJA SHIRASHOOLA.

*Dr. Anulakshmi R. and Dr. Vishnu V. Nath

ABSTRACT

Ethnomedicine played a vital role in the development of a healthy society. The mono herb therapy (Ekamoolika prayoga) effectively uses a single plant for treating a particular condition. “Malanad” coming under Western Ghats, which is one of the eight “hottest Hot-spots” of biological diversity in the world, with diverse flora which are indigenous and rarely found elsewhere in the world. Shirashoola is a very common disease in the clinical practice both in rural and in urban places. Among different types of shirashoola the kaphaja verity (Acharya-Vagbhatta) affects patients with Tandra, Shoonakshikuta, karna-kandu, Aalasya and headache persisting all around the day and may increase at night. Elimination of Kapha is the best line of treatment for this condition and Nasya considered as prime treatment modality in all type of shirashoola, is taken here. This study aims in bringing light to the use of Dronapushpi, which is abundantly available all round Malanad, This is used as an Ekamoolika prayoga through Shodhana-nasya in Kaphaja-shirashoola; considering its theekshna, ushna and kaphharana properties. Along with this the phytochemical analysis of the source plants of Dronapushpi Leucas aspera spreng and Leucas cephalotes (Roth) will also be discussed.

Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Eakamoolika-Prayoga, Nasya, Dronapushpi.