Swarna Bhasma and gold compounds: An innovation of pharmaceutics for illumination of therapeutics
Abstract
Mankind, since its genesis i.e. chronological evolution to till date possesses strong desire to live long with continuum power and vigor. He upholds this aspiration by adopting measures in his diet, duties and drugs. Among drugs Gold constantly held supreme stratum on virtue of its therapeutic properties in every system of medicine. Mostly Swarna Bhasma is a functional dosage form in the Ayurvedic treatment along with few others. Whereas in conventional system of medicine several molecules of Gold are accomplished for management of various disorders. The conversion of metallic Gold to medicinal gold (either Swarna Bhasma or Gold compounds; chemical entity of conventional system) is an exemplary example of promising potentials of Pharmaceutical branches of both system of medicines. In this review paper an assortment of facts about clinical application of Swarna Bhasma and Gold compounds have been congregated from both system of medicine and supplemented with concurrent references of research papers. An analysis of essentials of Gold reveals its exclusivity in therapeutics as rejuvenator, immunomodulator and certain chronic disorders.
... Dynamics of an Oral Vaccine against SARS-CoV 2". EC Gastroenterology and Digestive System 7.8 (2020): [58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75]. ...
... It is also used for its anxiolytic, anti-depressant and restorative actions. Studies have also shown effects on immunity; one study in mice showed increased counts of peritoneal macrophages with greater phagocytic index [68]. ...
Citation: Sharadendu Bali and Ram Parajiya. "From Immunosenescence to Immunocompetence by Use of Lipid Delivered Nano Gold-The Dynamics of an Oral Vaccine against SARS-CoV 2". EC Gastroenterology and Digestive System 7.8 (2020): 58-75. Abstract Keywords: Immunosenescence; Immunocompetence; Lipid; Oral Vaccine; SARS-CoV 2 Immunosenescence has been postulated by many workers to be the prime reason behind the increased mortality observed in the ageing population during the ongoing SARS-CoV 2 pandemic. Defects and dysfunctions of the primary immune cells are being considered as the most important causes of the hyper-inflammatory responses seen in the patients admitted to the ICU, and in those that succumb to this highly contagious disease. These defects may be in the efficient and early recognition of PAMPs by the PRRs of the Dendritic cells or in the delayed and hyper-inflammatory cytokine release by the monocytes and macrophages in the lung. The innate immune system response is now being advanced as the critical factor in disease outcome. While Immunosenescence is considered irreversible, yet it is a dynamic process and as such it is amenable to corrections and upgradations. One agent that can revitalize the ageing immune system is Gold nanoparticles (GNP) which have recently been studied because of their ability to act as carriers of vaccines and chemotherapeutic agents. Toxicity studies conducted to assess the impact of these particles on immune cells have yielded some astonishing results. Use of GNP in rats has caused increase in lymphocyte cell populations and induced activation of dendritic cells and macrophages. Since immunosenescence causes a depletion of naive T and B lymphocytes, use of GNP can have a salutary role. Improved recognition of PAMPs by Dendritic cells and Macrophages can help in mounting a more efficient response to the invading virus. Elemental gold formulations have been used in India for millennia, for diseases ranging from fevers and memory loss to senility. Some formulations employ honey and ghee (clarified butter) in combination with GNP. These formulations are prescribed for infants, hence their safety is not suspect. If employed with suitable modifications, such formulations can play the vital role of oral vaccines against not just Covid 19, but also the vast range of other influenza viruses. Abbreviations
... 14 The classical methods of preparation of Ayurveda bhasmas with herbal elements and repeated procedures like Shodhana, Marana and Putt results in a formation of nano-size gold particles. 15,16,17 The oral administration directly puts Swarna bhasma or gold nanoparticles in the gastrointestinal tract through the mouth which may directly involve in virucidal activity inside gastrointestinal tract. After absorption from gastrointestinal tract, it most probably does its immunogenic activity. ...
Objective- To review the potential benefits of Swarna / Swarnaprashana (a kind of gold therapeutics) in pediatric age for infectious diseases. Data Source- various published researches has been reviewed. Review Methods- qualitative analysis of the themes of the researches done previously was done and potential benefits and future prospects and idea was generated. Results- Swarna (gold) nanoparticles has proven virucidal effect. Conclusion- The use of Swarna in Indian system of medicine is from very ancient times. This sacred element had very broad use since it was incorporated in human civilizations. Today we are facing the covid-19 pandemic with such a disastrous effect on public health. This era has shown the mankind that whatever be the understanding and developments of modern medical system for infectious diseases, the microbe world is always a step ahead of us and modifying itself. The ancient use of Swarna as swarnaprashana in children has better chances of improving the immunity and fighting certain viral infections.
... Moreover, phytoconstituents are valuable and encouraging candidates for synthesizing green silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) which possess great potential for infectious diseases. The use of plant extracts for nanoparticle synthesis is a cost-effective, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly method [13]. ...
... Among all metals, Swarna holds a prominent and distinguished position. It is classified as part of the Sara Loha group, a category of metals representing "essence" or noble metals 16 . ...
Pandu roga, an ancient Ayurvedic term used to describe a specific disease, has been recognized and discussed by various Ayurvedic scholars. According to their teachings, Pandu roga is considered a type of Rasa pradoshaj vikara, with Pitta dosha playing a prominent role in its manifestation. The key characteristic of this disease is Panduthwa, or Pallor, which exhibits clinical features similar to modern-day Anaemia .A condition in modern medicine, involves a deficiency in red blood cells or hemoglobin percentage due to decreased production. It is often associated with poor nutrition and overall health. The problem is commonly observed in low birth weight infants, overweight children who lack energy for physical activity, school-going children, adolescents, and pregnant women. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, there are various formulations suggested for managing Anaemia, one of which is Trikatu Ghrita Yukt Swarnabhasma. This herbal preparation contains Trikatu, a combination of three spices - Shunthi (Zingiber officinale), Marich (Piper nigrum), and Pippali (Piper longum). These spices are renowned for their digestive and metabolic properties. Additionally, Swarnabhasma, derived from gold, has been utilized in Ayurveda for its rejuvenating and tonic effect.
... 5 Ayurveda gold preparations (swarna bhasma), which are different from Siddha preparation, have shown free radical scavenging activity, anti-depressant, analgesic, immunomodulatory activities and also significantly reversed the global ischaemia in animal models of cerebrovascular diseases. 6 So far, no literature is on chemistry, particle size and comparative anticancer activity the Siddha gold among different caners. So, this study was aimed to compare the cytotoxic activity of Siddha gold among various cancer cell lines. ...
Thanga parpam is a gold nanoparticle used in Siddha for many chronic and challenging diseases including cancers. Clinically it shows benefit in some cancer types, but not to all types. This study was aimed to compare the in-vitro anticancer activity of Thanga parpam in various cancer cell lines. The particle size and elements were evaluated using Scanning Electron Microscope coupled with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy. Thanga parpam was added to breast adenocarcinoma cells, Human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, Human prostate cancer cells and Human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells for 24 hours. MTT assay was used to evaluate the cell viability. Graph was drawn from the % cell viability and dose required to kill 50 % cells was calculated. The gold particles are irregular disk shaped, but agglomerated to each other and not in uniform size. The particle size varies from 17.8 nm – 448 nm. About 9.3% of gold element was present in oxide and sulfide form. It showed dose dependent killing effect on all cancer cell lines. IC50% value was 0.63, 3.51, 6.65 and 11.01 µg/ml for breast, liver, prostate and lung cancer cells respectively. Thanga parpam is a potent anticancer drug to all the four cancer cells, however higher efficacy was observed in breast, liver and prostate cancer cells.
... The treatment was carried out for a period of seven days. Later the patient was advised follow up of 14 days during which the patient was adviced with medicines such as Syrup Intellect (5ml bd), Medya vati (1 bd) and Kumara kalyana Rasa [8] (1/4 th tab bd) along with Sarvanga abhyanga with Ashwagandha bala laskshadi taila. The improvement achieved by the patient during the treatment and follow up period is detailed in table 4. ...
Floating-Harbor syndrome (FHS) is an extremely rare genetic disorder characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, various skeletal malformations, delayed bone age, and expressive and receptive language delays. Children may be below average height for their age (short stature). Floating-Harbor syndrome is a rare disorder; only about 50 cases have been reported in the medical literature. The diagnosis is established by presence of a heterozygous SRCAP pathogenic variant in those with clinical findings of FHS. Early intervention programs, special education, and vocational training to address developmental disabilities; communication rehabilitation with sign languages or alternative means of communication; and behavior management by a behavioral specialist/psychologist with consideration of medication as needed. The present case report is of a two year ten month old male baby who attended the out-patient department of Kaumarabhritya of Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Ayurveda and Hospital, Udupi, Karnataka, India.
... Studies have also shown effects on immunity; one study in mice showed increased counts of peritoneal macrophages with greater phagocytic index [68]. SP has been recommended in Ayurveda for neonates and infants, to be started soon after birth [9]. ...
... It exhibits functions such as Balya (improves strength), Rasayana (rejuvinative), Ojovardhaka (improves immunity), Vrishya, Varnya (improves complexion), Deepana (improves digestion), Swasa-kasa hara (helps in curing respiratory ailments), Brimhana (increases body mass), and Sarva vishapaha (Clears all toxins and allergies). [15] Swarna bhasma has proven nootropic activity at various levels of brain functions such as intelligence, memory, and concentration, which is supported by recent studies. [9,16] Honey is considered as a dietary agent since ancient era. ...
Introduction: To evaluate the effect of Swarnamrithaprashana on immunity (Bala) and general health status in children. Methods: The present study was a randomized double‑blind placebo‑controlled interventional prospective clinical trial wherein 221 healthy children within the age group of 6–12 years were enrolled from the schools of Hassan town. Registered children received one soft gel capsule in trial group – Swarnamrithaprashana (containing 2 mg of swarna bhasma) and in control group – sugar syrup, in morning empty stomach along with luke warm water for a duration
of 30 days. Assessment of the effect of treatment was done by observing the changes seen in serum immunoglobulin G and salivary immunoglobulin A after 60 days of initiation of treatment as primary outcome parameter and changes in anthropometrical parameters, dehabala, agnibala, and manobala as secondary outcome measures. Renal function test (RFT) and liver function tests (LFTs) were done before and after treatment for assuring safety of the formulation. Results: The trial group showed better decrease in serum and salivary immunoglobulin levels, indicating a decrease in immunoglobulin recruitment in circulation, but the changes were not statistically significant at P = 0.05. The trial group showed better improvement in parameters suggesting Dehabala, Agnibala,
and Manobala, which were statistically significant at P = 0.05. There were no significant changes seen in RFT and LFT values done before and after the treatment. Conclusion: Though the changes observed in the levels of immunoglobulins were not statistically significant in the present study setup, Swarnamrithaprashana helps in improving immunity at the level of immunoglobulins. Swarnamrithaprashana was found to be effective in the promotion of immunity in children reflected by improvements in parameters representing dehabala, manobala, and agnibala in children. The
formulation was found to be safe as there were no signs of hepato and nephrotoxicity in RFT and LFT.
Ayurveda is a science of life and more than just a medical system. Ayurveda has taken the
foremost place in the management of crippling diseases. Prameha can be compared with Diabetes mellitus- II due to its clinical appearance. The disease was chosen for the study due to much prevalence in society and the lack of effective medicine.
An alternative to synthetic drugs having severe side effects, the use of Ayurvedic preparations from natural sources like herbs, metals, and minerals may be efficient due to better activity profile to combat the harmful nature of the diseases. Ayurvedic therapy can treat those diseases better, which do not respond to the treatment by western medical practices. This preparation may have anticancer, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory effect as evidenced earlier. Further, it may have a specific role in preventing cancer metastasis, neuro-diseases, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and many other chronic diseases. Modern biotechnology and molecular biology-based techniques have contributed to the identification of active components and mechanical effects of these preparations having ethnobiological importance. Treatment with Ayurvedic herbometallic preparations is practiced in India since 5000 BC to prevent, delay, or diminish the incidence of significant ailments. These are having a holistic approach as traditional medicine and have less toxicity and ignorable side effects. However, the experimental validity and nano-materialistic method of different Ayurvedic herbometallic preparations are not sufficiently acknowledged. An evidence-based validation of Ayurvedic herbometallic preparations, their mechanism of action in disease prevention or remedy is the main focus of this chapter. The information from the in vitro and in vivo studies on these preparations and mechanism-based analyses and challenges to evaluate its efficacy can add on therapy to improve the quality of life in patients.
Before unknowingly dumping a huge amount of dangerous nanomaterials into the environment, we need to investigate the solubility and degradability of engineered NPs in soils and waters, to establish baseline information on their safety, toxicity and adaptation of soil and aquatic life. Development of novel NPs must be followed by the assessment of their potential risks on life and environment, and possible remedial measures.
Nanosized gold particles (27 +/− 3 nm) have been proven to be effective in ameliorating the symptoms of mycobacterial-, collagen-
and pristane-induced arthritis in rat models. This contrasts with the drug sodium aurothiomalate that was only effective against
mycobacterial-induced arthritis but not to the same extent as Au0. Gold in the traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine,Swarna bhasma (gold ash), has been characterized as globular particles of gold with an average size of 56–57 nm.
An unambiguous determination of the three-dimensional structure of nanoparticles is challenging. Electron tomography requires
a series of images taken for many different specimen orientations. This approach is ideal for stable and stationary structures.
But ultrasmall nanoparticles are intrinsically structurally unstable and may interact with the incident electron beam, constraining
the electron beam density that can be used and the duration of the observation. Here we demonstrate that high-angle annular
dark field (HAADF) in a spherical-aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), coupled with imaging
simulation, can be used to obtain a snapshot of the size, shape, orientation and atomic arrangement of size-selected metallic
nanoclusters.
Nanosized gold particles (27 +/- 3 nm) have been proven to be effective in ameliorating the symptoms of mycobacterial-, collagen- and pristane-induced arthritis in rat models. This contrasts with the drug sodium aurothiomalate that was only effective against mycobacterial-induced arthritis but not to the same extent as Au0. Gold in the traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine, Swama bhasma (gold ash), has been characterized as globular particles of gold with an average size of 56-57 nm.
Oxidation is an important method for the synthesis of chemical intermediates in the manufacture of high-tonnage commodities, high-value fine chemicals, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals: but oxidations are often inefficient. The introduction of catalytic systems using oxygen from air is preferred for 'green' processing. Gold catalysis is now showing potential in selective redox processes, particularly for alcohol oxidation and the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. However, a major challenge that persists is the synthesis of an epoxide by the direct electrophilic addition of oxygen to an alkene. Although ethene is epoxidized efficiently using molecular oxygen with silver catalysts in a large-scale industrial process, this is unique because higher alkenes can only be effectively epoxidized using hydrogen peroxide, hydroperoxides or stoichiometric oxygen donors. Here we show that nanocrystalline gold catalysts can provide tunable active catalysts for the oxidation of alkenes using air, with exceptionally high selectivity to partial oxidation products ( approximately 98%) and significant conversions. Our finding significantly extends the discovery by Haruta that nanocrystalline gold can epoxidize alkenes when hydrogen is used to activate the molecular oxygen; in our case, no sacrificial reductant is needed. We anticipate that our finding will initiate attempts to understand more fully the mechanism of oxygen activation at gold surfaces, which might lead to commercial exploitation of the high redox activity of gold nanocrystals.
Objectives: To study traditional gold preparations for anti-cataleptic, anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects. Methods: Swarna Bhasma used in Ayurveda, Kushta Tila Kalan used in Unani-Tibb and Auranofin used in modern medicine were subjected to videopath analyzer, vogel conflict/anxiometer, elevated plus maze, and social behavioural deficit tests for anxiolytic activity, behavioural despair and learned helplessnes tests for antidepressant activity, haloperidol-induced catalepsy tests for neuroleptic activity, and maximum tolerated dose, gross behavioural observations and hematological parameters for safety evaluation in rats and mice. Results: The test drugs caused significant increase in punished drinking episodes in anxiometer and open arm entries and time in elevated plus maze and decrease in behavioural deficit. A decrease in immobility time in forced swimming test, normalization of shock-induced escape failures in learned helplessness test, and reduction of haloperidol-induced catalepsy scores were also noted in treated animals. The maximum tolerated doses were found to be more than 80 times the effective doses and no weight loss or untoward effects were observed on gross behaviour and hematological parameters. Conclusions: Traditional gold preparations used in Ayurveda and Unani-Tibb exhibited anxiolytic, antidepressant and anticataleptic actions with wide margin of safety.
The adsorption properties and reactivities of gold are summarized in terms of their size dependency from bulk to fine particles, clusters and atoms. The catalytic performances of gold markedly depend on dispersion, supports, and preparation methods. When gold is deposited on select metal oxides as hemispherical ultra-fine particles with diameters smaller than 5 run, it exhibits surprisingly high activities and/or selectivities in the combustion of CO and saturated hydrocarbons, the oxidation-decomposition of amines and organic halogenated compounds, the partial oxidation of hydrocarbons, the hydrogenation of carbon oxides, unsaturated carbonyl compounds, alkynes and alkadienes, and the reduction of nitrogen oxides. The unique catalytic nature of supported gold can be explained by assuming that the gold-metal oxide perimeter interface acts as a site for activating at least one of the reactants, for example, oxygen. Some examples and future prospects in applications are also briefly described.
Au-based catalysts have great potential because of their unique activity and selectivity for a variety of important reactions. The special catalytic properties of supported Au nano-particles depend critically upon the particle morphology, i.e. size, shape and thickness, as well as support effects. This paper reviews the current understanding of CO oxidation on supported Au catalysts. The electronic structure of Au particles at various nucleation sites and on different supports is summarized, and the effect these changes have on catalytic performance is discussed. Recent results from our laboratories have demonstrated the synthesis of well-ordered Au mono- and bi-layer films on a titanium oxide support and show that the active Au structure for CO oxidation is an electron-rich, Au bi-layer. In contrast, the monolayer structure, which may involve the TiOx support, is significantly less active (by less than an order of magnitude) than the Au bi-layer. The oxidation state of the Au and how this relates to the catalytic activity are also discussed.
While inert as bulk material, nanoscale gold particles dispersed on oxide supports exhibit a remarkable catalytic activity. Temperature-programmed reaction studies of the catalyzed combustion of CO on size-selected small monodispersed Au{sub n} (n ⤠20) gold clusters supported on magnesia, and first-principle simulations, reveal the microscopic origins of the observed unusual catalytic activity, with Auâ found to be the smallest catalytically active size. Partial electron transfer from the surface to the gold cluster and oxygen-vacancy F-center defects are shown to play an essential role in the activation of nanosize gold clusters as catalysts for the combustion reaction.
Separate concurrent injection of organic gold compounds and antigen into mice resulted in immunoenhancement that could be measured by direct and indirect plaque-forming cells, rosette-forming cells, and serum antibody assays. Kinetics of the immune response showed variable effects through day 9 of the experiment. Studies with British anti-lewisite, a gold antagonist, showed that the gold must stay in the system 1 day to obtain immunoenhancement.