EVALUATION OF BIOACTIVITIES OF TWO POLYHERBAL FORMULATIONS FOUND IN SRI LANKAN AYURVEDIC TREATMENTS

Commercially available two polyherbal formulations (Chandra Kalka and Sharkaradi Kalka) were collected from local market. The objective of this study was to determine the Total Phenolic Content (TPC) , Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) of these two ‘Kalkas’ and to investigate the existence of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-tyrosinase activities. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content was determined by Folin Ciocalteu and Aluminium chloride method respectively. Antioxidant activities was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging assay and human red blood cell membrane stabilization assay was used to determine the anti-inflammatory activity. Agar well diffusion method and tyrosinase enzyme inhibitory assay was facilitated to investigate the antibacterial and tyrosinase enzyme inhibition properties of the selected polyherbal formulations, accordingly. The results obtained from the study showed that Chandra Kalka has the highest TPC (53.90 ± 948 mg GAE /g extract) and has the highest TFC (119.25 ± 10.11 mg QE/g extract). Sharkaradi Kalka showed higher antioxidant activity for the DPPH radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory activity, and anti-tyrosinase activity for the assays conducted, compared with the Chandra Kalka. Antibacterial assay was conducted against four pathogenic bacteria; Escherichia coli [ATCC 25922], Staphylococcus aureus [ATCC 25923], Bacillus subtilis [MTCC 121] and Staphylococcus epidermidis [ATCC 12228] using agar well diffusion method. No antibacterial activity was observed for either polyherbal formulations at 1 mg/mL dose used. Both Chandra Kalka and Sharkaradi Kalka demonstrate bioactivities to an moderate extend for the assays conducted.