Evaluation of Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Ayurvedic Herbal Tonic ‘Gokshuraadi Peyawa’

Abstract

Background: The traditional Ayurvedic tonic ‘Gokshuraadi Peyawa’ includes three herbs, namely; Tragia involucrata L. (Wel Kahambiliya), Tribulus terrestris L. (Heen Nerenchi), and Solanum virginianum L. (Katuwel Batu), for treating urinary tract infections. There are several variations of Peya recipes in Ayurveda and traditional medicine. The traditional Gokshuradi Peyawa used in this research is a rice-free formulation. There is a lack of available research on this peyawa. Objectives: To analyze the phytochemicals, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Gokshuraadi Peyawa Methods: The study analysed phytochemicals qualitatively and assessed antimicrobial activity for selected bacteria and fungi by well diffusion, MIC and MBC tests. Crystal Violet assay was used to study the antibiofilm activity and egg albumin denaturation assay was used to assess the anti- inflammatory effect. Results: Phytochemicals in both extracts, contained phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. Saponins and glycosides were present only in the ethanolic extract, whereas steroids and chalcones were found exclusively in the aqueous extract. Ethanolic extract showed zones of inhibition (ZOI) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (11.67±0.54 mm), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (clinical strain) (11.30±0.60 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (10.30±0.60 mm) and the highest activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 (15.00±1.00 mm). Candida albicans ATCC10231 (22.00±1.00 mm) and Candida glabrata ATCC 90030 (21.30±0.60 mm) showed a significant ZOI among the tested fungi for ethanol extract. Neither extract inhibited Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 1706 or Candida tropicalis ATCC 13803.The aqueous extract showed no inhibition of tested microorganisms. The MIC for E. coli and MRSA was 62.5 mg/mL, while MBC reached 125 mg/mL. Strong anti-inflammatory effect, with maximum denaturation inhibition of 98.54% and 87.67% for the ethanolic extract and aqueous extract were shown respectively at 250 mg/mL. Ethanolic extract inhibited biofilm formation by 22.11% and 19.33% for C. albicans and E. coli at 250 mg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: Compared to the aqueous extract, the ethanolic extract of Gokshuraadi Peyawa exhibited more antibacterial activity, was highly effective against gram-negative bacteria and Candida albicans. Ethanolic extract showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. However, the extract showed less insignificant biofilm inhibition. More investigation is required to study the toxicity of this medicine.