rasayana

REVIEW ARTICLE

Neuronutrient impact of Ayurvedic Rasayana therapyin brain aging

Ram Harsh Singh Æ K. Narsimhamurthy ÆGirish Singh

Received: 2 April 2008 / Accepted: 26 September 2008 / Published online: 18 October 2008

� Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Abstract Ayurveda is the oldest system of Medi-

cine in the world, its antiquity going back to the

Vedas. It adapts a unique holistic approach to the

entire science of life, health and cure. The areas of

special consideration in Ayurveda are geriatrics,

rejuvenation, nutrition, immunology, genetics and

higher consciousness. The Ayurvedic texts describe a

set of rejuvenative measures to impart biological

sustenance to the bodily tissues. These remedies are

called Rasayana which are claimed to act as micro-

nutrients. Some of these Rasayanas are organ and

tissue specific. Those specific to brain tissue are

called Medhya Rasayana. Such Rasayanas retard

brain aging and help in regeneration of neural tissues

besides producing antistress, adaptogenic and mem-

ory enhancing effect. In addition to the long tradition

of textual and experience-based evidence for their

efficacy, certain recent studies conducted on these

traditional remedies on scientific parameters have

shown promising results which have been reviewed

in this paper for providing lead for further studies.

The popular Medhya Rasayanas are Ashwagandha

(Withania somnifera Dunal), Brahmi (Bacopa mon-

nieri Linn), Mandukaparni (Centella asiatica Linn)

and Sankhapuspi (Convolvulus pluricaulis Chois).

Keywords Brain aging � Ayurveda �Rasayana therapy � Neuronutrition �Medicinal plants

Ayurvedic concept of aging

The cause of aging and its exact mechanism is not yet

clearly known. However, the process of aging is now

known to be controlled largely by genetic, immune

and endocrine mechanisms besides many other allied

contributing factors with the scope of developing

positive interventions. Ayurveda considers aging as

the Swabhava or nature of the living being which is

considered to be a time-bound entity and it biolog-

ically ceases to exist through senescence and death.

However, in this school of thought death is limited to

physical body only, the subtle energetic body

survives death and is claimed to be capable of rebirth.

Vagbhatta (300AD) and Sarangdhara (1300AD)

describe the time-bound sequential biological human

aging in terms of sequential loss of certain biological

qualities of life specific to different decades of life as

described in the following table (Table 1). If these

biolosses are compensated in respective decades by

appropriate life-style, nutrition and Ayurvedic

R. H. Singh (&) � K. Narsimhamurthy

Department of Kayachikitsa, Institute of Medical

Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005,

India

e-mail: [email protected]

G. Singh

Department of Community Medicine, Division of

Biostatistics, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras

Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India

123

Biogerontology (2008) 9:369–374

DOI 10.1007/s10522-008-9185-z

rejuvenative Rasayana remedies described for this

purpose, the rate of biological aging may be retarded.

Rasayana therapy

Since ancient times Ayurveda is practiced through its

eight specialized branches namely (1) Kayachikitsa

(Internal Medicine), (2) Salya (Surgery), (3) Salakya

(Ophthalmology and ENT), (4) Kaumarbhritya (Pedi-

atrics), (5) Aagada tantra (Toxicology), (6) Bhuta

Vidya (Psychiatry), (7) Rasayana (Rejuvenation) and

(8) Bajikarana (Sexology). One of these branches

called Rasayana Tantra deals with therapeutic nutri-

tion, immuno-enhancing and longevity. The

Rasayana remedies of Ayurveda are essentially

molecular nutrients and nutrition enhancing agents

acting through three basic mechanisms: (1) Rasa

enhancing or direct nutrient effect, (2) Agni enhanc-

ers or promoters of digestion and metabolism, (3)

Srotas purifying agents or promoters of microcircu-

lation and tissue perfusion. All these three events

singly or jointly lead to improved nutritional status in

the body leading further to the formation of the best

qualities of cells and tissues which sustain aging

and stress—‘Labhopayo hi shastanam rasadinam

Rasayanam’ (Caraka Cikitsa—1).

All Rasayanas are nutrition- promoters in general

but there are certain organ and tissue specific

Rasayanas viz., Medhya Rasayana for brain, Hridya

Rasayana for heart, Twacya Rasayana for skin,

Caksusya Rasayana for eyes and so on. Similarly,

Rasayanas could also be age-specific as they promote

nutrition relevant to the natural bio-losses occurring

at different phases of life span as depicted in Table 1.

The following are some Rasayana remedies which

can be used to compensate age-related bio-losses.

Brain aging

Aging is a generalized systemic involution of the

living body, its tissues and cells of which the brain is

the most vulnerable component because the neurons

are known to be poor in their regenerative capacity.

Ayurveda propounds that the Medha, the core

cognitive function of brain starts depleting by fourth

decade of human life and after the eighth decade the

loss of Buddhi or decision making intellect becomes

inevitable leading to senile dementia as a normal

sequence of events in aging process. Thus, consider-

ing optimum span of life of man of Ayurvedic times

as 100 years the fourth and ninth decades of life are

the major time-sets for brain-aging for which Ayurv-

eda introduced rejuvenative Rasayana therapy to help

fulfill the cherished wish of man to live 100 years

with functioning brain and senses—‘Jivem saradah

satam, Pasyem saradah satam’ (Riguveda).

The contemporary biosciences also register similar

views on brain aging considering it an inevitable

phenomenon. Aging is fundamentally the outcome of

the overwhelming of the evolutionary processes of

the body-mind system by the involutionary events

hallmarked with degenerative changes like physio-

logical disturbances of neurotransmitter secretions,

blunting of dendrites and synapses and formation of

Beta Amyloid plaques warranting reparative and

rehabilitative care. Many elderly persons become

dominantly more handicapped due to the age-related

degenerative brain disorders than the actual gross

Table 1 Sequential

bio-losses during aging

described by Sarangdhara

(1300AD), a medieval text

on Ayurveda and some

suggested restorative

Rasayanas

S.No. Decades Age related bio-losses Restorative Rasayanas

1 0–10 Loss of corpulence Vacha, Gambhari

2 11–20 Loss of growth Amalaki, Bala

3 21–30 Loss of lusture Haridra, Kumari, Louha

4 31–40 Loss of intellect Sankhapuspi,Brahmi

5 41–50 Loss of skin glow Kumari, Somaraji

6 51–60 Loss of vision Triphala, Jyotismati

7 61–70 Loss of virility Kapikacchu, Aswagandha

8 71–80 Loss of strength Amalaki, Bala

9 81–90 Loss of cognitive power Brahmi, Mandukaparni

10 91–100 Loss of locomotive ability Amalaki, Bala, Aswagandha

370 Biogerontology (2008) 9:369–374

123

somatic aging. Therefore brain aging is a matter of

great concern in geriatric health care which has

already emerged as a major task in global health care

program because of rapid population-aging. Most of

the developing countries of the world are already in

the grip of high proportion of elderly persons in their

population displaying significant negative impact on

socioeconomic and health-care planning of the pres-

ent society. Most demographers world over believe

that population aging is going to remain the most

significant demographic trend of the 21st Century

which will influence a wide range of public issues of

our times (Preston et al. 1989). The following table

shows the trend of population aging in major regions

of the world. (Table 2).

Neuronutrient Medhya Rasayanas

Rasayana Tantra, one of the eight specialty branches

of Ayurveda was designed in ancient times to take

nutritive care, immuno-enhancing and longevity. A

large number of herbal and herbomineral Rasayana

remedies are in vogue in the hands of Ayurvedic

practitioners in India in geriatric care. These remedies

in principles are expected to produce their positive

health impact through molecular nutritive effect,

immuno-enhancing and longevity promotion.

The Medhya Rasayanas are a special class of

Ayurvedic nutraceuticals which are specific to brain

and nervous system. They are claimed to promote

cognitive functions of the brain as related to brain

aging. There is a bulk of scriptural and experience-

based evidence for their efficacy besides a number of

recent scientific studies substantiating the ancient

claim (Singh 2007). Some such observations are

reviewed here under to provide a lead for further

studies.

Some observations

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Dunal.) is a pop-

ular Indian medicinal plant. Its roots are used as a

nervine tonic and adaptogen for centuries. Dwivedi

and Singh (1997) studied the effect of this plant drug

on mental and physical health of elderly volunteers

measuring the impact through a standardized biolog-

ical age scale (BAS), brief psychiatric rating scale for

mental health (BPRS) and immediate memory span

test using fine powder of Ashwagandha roots in the

dose of 5 g twice a day for 6 months orally in elderly

persons ([60 years). BAS and BPRS contained rated

items related to the features of biological aging and

mental state, respectively, administered in the form of

standardized questionnaires. Singh et al (1987) studied

the antistress effect in normal and stressed rats using

total alcoholic extract of the dry roots of the Ashwa-

gandha in standardized doses and reported significant

activity, being twice more effective than P. gensin

in terms of Ed 50. Archana and Namashivayam

(1999)studied further the humoral basis of the anti-

stress and anti inflammatory activities of this drug.

Singh and Malaviya (1978) and Bhattacharya et al.

(1997) reported anxiolytic activity in the Glycowit-

hanolides from Withania somnifera (Tables 3–5).

More recently Kuboyama et al. (2005) reported

neuritic regeneration and synaptic reconstruction

induced by Withanolide-A isolated from Ashwagan-

dha. It was also shown to prevent the formation of

Beta Amyloid plaques.

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri Linn.) is another Medhya

herbal plant in extensive medicinal use in India as a

memory enhancer and brain tonic. Singh and Singh

(1978) reported memory enhancing effect in this plant

(Table 6) which has been substantiated by many

subsequent studies (Singh and Dhawan 1997; Stough

et al. 2001). Holcomb et al. (2006) reported that this

Table 2 Observed and forecasted percentages of the elderly

(65 ? years) in the population (Kinsella and Victoria 2001)

Countries/Regions Year 1950 Year 2000 Year 2050

World 5.0 6.9 19.3

China 4.5 6.9 22.7

India 3.3 5.0 14.8

Japan 4.9 17.2 36.4

Europe 8.2 14.7 29.2

USA 8.3 14.7 29.2

Table 3 Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in

elderly persons in terms of certain indices of Biological and

Mental Aging (BAS and BPRS) after Dwivedi and Singh 1997

Variables Before treatt.

Mean ± S.D

After six months

treatt. Mean ± S.D

P

BAS total score 19.33 ± 4.57 14.95 ± 4.53 \0.01

Immediate

memory score

4.55 ± 0.86 4.85 ± 1.00 \0.01

BPRS total score 32.40 ± 5.22 22.93 ± 2.86 \0.01

Biogerontology (2008) 9:369–374 371

123

drug reduces amyloid levels in PSAPP. This drug has

significant neurotransmittral balancing effect (Singh

et al. 1979a, b, c; Pathak and Singh 1986).

Mandukaparni (Centella asiatica) was reported to

possess anxiolytic and memory enhancing effect by

Mishra and Singh (1980) which has been reconfirmed

by Wigneweera (2006, personal communication).

Agrawal and Singh (1998) conducted an open trial

of Mandukaparni in cases of educable mental retar-

dation indicating significant improvement in

performance IQ, Social Quotient, immediate memory

span and reaction time. The psychomotor and cog-

nitive functions were measured using (1) Bhatia

Battery for performance test of intelligence and

memory, (2) Vineland Social Maturity Scale for

behavioral and social adaptability (Table 7). The

drug was administered in the form of whole plant fine

powder in the dose of 2.5 gm twice a day orally for

six months.

Sankhapuspi (Convolvulus pluricaulis), another

Medhya plant is reported to possess anxiolytic and

memory enhancing and mood elevating effect and is

claimed to retard brain aging (Singh and Mehta 1977;

Koirala and Singh 1992; Dhingra et al. 2007).

Kapikacchu (Mucuna pruriens) is a Rasayana-

Bajikarana plant drug. It is frequently used for the

treatment of Parkinsons disease and depressive illness

in elderly persons. On Phytochemical studies Mucuna

pruriens seeds have been shown to contain significant

quantity of L-Dopa which could be the basis for its anti-

Parkinsonism effect. This drug is also used as an

aphrodisiac in polpular Ayurvedic practice (Singh

2001, 2003).

Comments

Brain aging and its manifestations form the most

important component of aging process as it may lead

Table 4 Showing the

humoral basis of the

antistress activity of the

extracts of Ashwagandharoots in normal and stressed

rats (Archana and

Namashivayam 1999)

Observation Mean ± SD Normal Control Swimming Stress Swimming Stress ?

Ashwagandha

Plasma corticosteron mg/dl 98.95 ± 0.51 107.2 ± 0.38

P \ 0.05

99.77 ± 0.14

P \ 0.05

Phagocytic index 68.50 ± 0.56 78.0 ± 0.58

P \ 0.05

68.83 ± 1.20

P \ 0.05

Total swim time 5.30 ± 0.24 8.90 ± 0.50

P \ 0.05

Table 5 Antistress effect of the extract of some Rasayana drugs in terms of Ed 50 in almino rats (Singh N et al. 1987)

Plant drugs screened Prevention

of increase

of adrenal wt.

Prevention

of adrenal

ascorbic acid

Prevention

of increase of

adrenal cortisol

Prevention

of restraint

induced ulcer

Antistress

unit activity

as Ed. 50

1. Tulasi (O. sanctum) 12.0 ± 1.6 13.0 ± 1.5 13.4 ± 2.0 15.3 ± 1.2 13.7 ± 1.3

2. Ashwagandha

(W. somnifera)

13.0 ± 1.4 14.5 ± 1.5 16.0 ± 1.8 15.9 ± 1.8 14.9 ± 1.5

3. P. gensin 15.0 ± 1.8 24.1 ± 2.1 24.7 ± 2.2 18.0 ± 1.6 25.2 ± 2.3

Table 6 Effect of Brahmi(Bacopa monnieri) on

certain mental health

indices in human subjects

after Singh and Singh 1978

Observations (n = 22) Mean Scores ± SD P

Before Treatt. After Treatt.

Immediate memory span 5.94 ± 1.18 6.37 ± 1.17 \0.01

Mental fatigue index

1. Work output/5 M 711.15 ± 270.15 855.85 ± 233.55 \0.01

2. Error score/5 M 7.85 ± 12.65 1.15 ± 2.49 \0.05


123

to more crippling impact than gross somatic aging

warranting specialized care. The conventional system

of Medicine does not offer much in this direction.

Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of Medicine in

its Rasayana tantra/Rejuvenation Therapy offers a

range of anti-aging remedies in general and specific

remedies for brain-aging such as Ashwagandha,

Brahmi, Mandukaparni, Sankhapuspi, Kapikacchu

and several other such herbal and herbomineral

drugs. Besides textual and experience-based evidence

for their efficacy now several new scientific studies

have been conducted showing interesting results as

reviewed in this paper as a lead for further studies.

Conceptually it is held that all Rasayana drugs

produce their effect by acting through nutrition

dynamics (Rasa, Agni, Srotas) at molecular level.

They may not possess sharp pharmaceutical activities

if used in holistic form and hence as such they may be

treated as soft and safe medications which are the

popular professional demand in present times.

The evidence-base for the efficacy of these med-

ications is three-fold viz., (1) Literary and conceptual

evidence, (2) Experience-based evidence and long

tradition of use and (3) New scientific evidence which

is being attempted now to be generated with the help

of selected clinical and experimental studies which

are obviously not adequate at present but it is

worthwhile to project such evidences to provide lead

for further studies.

References

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functions and social adaptability in mental retardation.

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Archana R, Namashivayam A (1999) Antistress effect of

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Bhattacharya SK et al (1997) Anxiolytic activity of Glyco-

withanolides from Withania somnifera. J Exp Biol 35:236

Choudhary MI et al (2004) Cholinesterase inhibiting Withan-

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Observations Mean ± SD Before treatment After treatment P

Performance I.Q. 56.395 ± 04.65 60.385 ± 05.931 P \ 0.05

Immediate memory span 3.00 ± 0.87 3.66 ± 0.88 P \ 0.01

Social quotient 59.03 ± 14.56 66.20 ± 14.04 P \ 0.01

Biogerontology (2008) 9:369–374 373

123

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