NEPHROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF SHILAJATU & GOKSHURA KWATHA BHAVITHA SHILAJATU: A COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Shilajatu (Asphaltum punjabinum) is a well-known drug mentioned in brihatrayees and laghutrayees. Acharya Charaka says that there is no sadyarupa vyadhi (curable disease) that cannot be treated with shilajatu. The therapeutic values of shilajatu can be increased by undergoing bhavana (impregnation) like samskara with suitable drugs. So, to analyse the variations caused by samskara process, bhavana was given with gokshurakashaya for shilajatu and its effect in nephrotoxicity was evaluated. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of shilajatu and gokshura kwatha bhavitha shilajatu in nephroprotective activity. Methods: Nephroprotective activity of shilajatu was checked on cisplatin induced renal damage in wistar albino mice. Animals were grouped into four categories and group specific drugs were administered for 10 consecutive days. On 8 day an hour after treatment with group specific drugs, Cisplatin20mg/kg was injected intra-peritoneally to all the groups except in normal control mice group. Nephrotoxicity was assessed by biochemical, antioxidant and histological changes in kidney after 72 hrs of cisplatin injection. Results: By the virtue of the ‘mutrala’ and ‘rasayana’ properties and ‘tikta rasa’ the drug ‘shilajatu' (Asphaltum punjabinum) is known to act as nephronprotective.‘Gokshurabhavitashilajatu’ (Asphaltum punjabinum impregnated with decoction of Tribulus terrestris) is comparatively more effective in reversing the nephrotoxicity induced degenerative changes as ‘samskara’ enhanced the properties of the drug.