A CRITICAL REVIEW OF DASHAMULA FORMULATIONS IN VARIOUS DISEASES

Dr. Kanchan Sharma* and Dr. M. R Pandya

ABSTRACT

Dashamula (group of ten plants) as the name suggests contains roots of ten different plants. Of these, five are known as Brihat Panchamula and the remaining as Laghu Panchamula. It is used in the form of Kwath or Arishta according to Ayurveda. These formulations are used by the Ayurvedic practitioners in various conditions such as headache, relief of pain and swelling related to arthritis, pyrexia, abdominal distension and costo-chondral pains. It is described as an analgesic, anti-arthritic and anti-rheumatic combination. It is believed that the 10 ingredients in Dashamula may be serving different roles like adjuvant, carrier agent and stabilizer etc. Some of these ingredients have been evaluated in experimental models of inflammation and pain and have shown to possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Here this review article aims to give an overview on the various Dashamula formulations in the ancient text, it’s probable mode of action as well as the recent scientific information of Dashamula, an Ayurvedic traditional herbal formulation with potential for the prevention and treatment of different diseases.

Keywords: Dashamula, Laghu Panchmula, Brihat Panchmula, Arishta, Kwatha.