Preprint / Version 1

Chyawanprash, An Ancient Indian Ayurvedic Medicinal Food, Regulates Immune Response in Zebrafish Model of Inflammation by Moderating Inflammatory Biomarkers

Authors

  • Acharya Balkrishna Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India
  • Meenu Tomer Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India
  • Moumita Manik Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India
  • Jyotish Srivastava Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India
  • Rishabh Dev Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India
  • Swati Haldar Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India
  • Anurag Varshney Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India

Keywords:

chyawanprash, inflammation, zebrafish, health supplement, medicinal food, nutraceutical

Abstract

The time-tested Ayurvedic medicinal food, Chyawanprash, has been a part of the Indian diet since ancient times. It is an extremely concentrated mixture of extracts from medicinal herbs and processed minerals, known for its immunity boosting, rejuvenating, and anti-oxidative effects. In this study, we have evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of Patanjali Special Chyawanprash (PSCP) using the zebrafish model of inflammation. Zebrafish were fed on PSCP-infused pellets at stipulated doses for 13 days before inducing inflammation through lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. The test subjects were monitored for inflammatory pathologies like behavioral fever, hyperventilation, skin hemorrhage, locomotory agility, and morphological anomaly. PSCP exerted a strong prophylactic effect on the zebrafish that efficiently protected them from inflammatory manifestations at a human equivalent dose. Expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, like interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), were also reduced in the LPS-stimulated zebrafish fed on PSCP-infused pellets. Skin hemorrhage, hyperventilation, and loss of caudal fins are characteristics of LPS-induced inflammation in zebrafish. PSCP prophylactically ameliorated skin hemorrhage, restored normal respiration, and prevented loss of caudal fin in inflamed zebrafish. Under in vitro conditions, PSCP reduced IL-6 and TNF-α secretion by THP-1 macrophages in a dose-dependent manner by targeting NF-κB signaling, as evident from the secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter assay. These medicinal benefits of PSCP can be attributed to its constitutional bioactive components. Taken together, these observations provide in vivo validation of the anti-inflammatory property and in vitro insight into the mode-of-action of Chyawanprash, a traditionally described medicinal food. Keywords: chyawanprash, inflammation, zebrafish, health supplement, medicinal food, nutraceutical

Author Biographies

Acharya Balkrishna, Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India

Department of Allied and Applied Sciences, University of Patanjali, Haridwar, India

Anurag Varshney, Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Institute, Governed By Patanjali Research Foundation Trust, Haridwar, India

Special Centre for Systems Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

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