EVALUATION OF PHARMACOPOEIAL STANDARDS WITH REFERENCE TO AFTIMOON- WHOLE PLANT (CUSCUTA REFLEXA ROXB.)

The herbal single drug Aftimoon is botanically called as Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. (whole plant). In the recent past tremendous attempts are being made to evaluate the scientific standards for Traditional System of Medicine, particularly in Unani System of Medicine. The Physician of Unani System of Medicine has considered this drug as one of the important single drugs and this drug has been used extensively in the preparation of Unani Compound Formulations such as Itrifal-e-Aftimoon, Itrifal-e-Ustukhudus, Itrifal-e-Deedan, Itrifal-e-Ghudadi, Itrifal-e-Mushil, Majoon-e-Ushba and Sufoof-e-Chobchini etc., This drug is therapeutically useful in the treatment of insanity, melancholia, melanous, epilepsy, numpness, paralysis, facial palsy, arthritis, worm infestation, jaundice and in the weakness of liver, stomach and spleen. As per the action the drug is very effective in cathartic to black bile and phlegm, demulcent, resolvent, carminative and antihelmintic. In order to authenticate and to develop its pharmacopoeial standards WHO guidelines were followed provided by CCRUM, New Delhi. For the Evaluation of Pharmacopoeial standards Pharmacognostical and Phyto-chemical parameters were adopted. The Thin Layer Chromatographic studies of petroleum ether (60 – 80°), chloroform and alcohol extract was also carried out to ascertain the quality of this drug.