Punarnavadi kashayam (PK), a classical ayurvedic polyherbal decoction prescribed for abating various inflammatory conditions, was analysed for its total phytochemical content, free radical scavenging, and anti-inflammatory activity in order to validate its traditional usage. PK was sequentially fractionated using solvents of different polarity and the preliminary phytochemical screenings were performed. Free radical scavenging activity was determined using various biochemical assays while the anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated by determining the anti-lipoxygenase activity using FOX assay. Ethyl acetate fraction showed better free radical scavenging activity as compared to the corresponding positive controls. The same fraction exhibited the better IC50 for 5- and 12-lipoxygenase inhibition assay than the positive control, showing its anti-inflammatory property. The phytochemical analysis revealed a higher content of phytochemicals in ethyl acetate, dichloromethane and methanol fractions which displayed the correlation between phenolic content and the bioactivity. Overall, PK can effectively scavenge free radicals and inhibit lipoxygenase enzymes, thereby decreasing the production of free radicals and pro-inflammatory leukotrienes.

中文翻译：

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评价阿育吠陀多草药汤剂 Punarnavadi kashayam 各组分中自由基清除和抗脂肪氧化酶活性

Punarnavadi kashayam (PK) 是一种用于减轻各种炎症的经典阿育吠陀多草药汤剂，对其总植物化学成分、自由基清除和抗炎活性进行了分析，以验证其传统用途。PK 使用不同极性的溶剂依次分馏，并进行初步植物化学筛选。使用各种生化试验测定自由基清除活性，而通过使用 FOX 试验测定抗脂肪氧化酶活性来评估抗炎潜力。与相应的阳性对照相比，乙酸乙酯部分显示出更好的自由基清除活性。对于 5- 和 12- 脂肪氧化酶抑制试验，相同的部分表现出比阳性对照更好的 IC50，显示其抗炎特性。植物化学分析显示乙酸乙酯、二氯甲烷和甲醇馏分中的植物化学物质含量较高，这表明酚类含量与生物活性之间存在相关性。总的来说，PK可以有效清除自由基并抑制脂肪氧化酶，从而减少自由基和促炎性白三烯的产生。