An appraisal of therapeutic implications of Unmada Gaja Kesari Rasa in Various Neuropsychiatric disorders

Abstract

Unmada Gaja Kesari Rasa is a traditional herbo-mineral compound cited in the lexicon of the 15^th century AD. As the name suggests, it is commonly prescribed in Unmada. The classics also recommend its use in Apasmara and other psychiatric conditions, such as Jwara (fever) and Bhootonmada (exogenous Unmada). The standard antipsychotics pose adverse effects that may substantially affect the quality of life of psychiatric patients. Therefore, there is a need to explore the novel drug in the management of psychotic diseases. In Ayurveda, psychiatric disorders are referred to as Unmada, and the line of management of Unmada has proven to be beneficial in various psychiatric conditions such as MDD, Schizophrenia, etc. Unmada Gaja Kesari Rasa is the first drug of choice in Unmada. Therefore, we planned to study the formulation, its variations in composition, dose, adjuvant, therapeutic utility, and method of preparation. As the formulation contains a potent toxic drug, we also studied its toxicity profile. Citations of relevant studies are enumerated.