EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF DUGDHIKA (EUPHORBIA PROSTRATA W. AIT) FOR THE TREATMENT OF ‘TAMAKA SVASA’ (BRONCHIAL ASTHMA)

The plant Dugdhika belongs to the family Euphorbeaceae and is found all over India up to the height of 6000 ft. Various workers have proved it beneficial for the treatment of Bronchial asthma, on the basis of their clinical and experimental studies conducted on the mixture of two plants i.e. Euphorbia thymifolia Linn and Euphorbia prostrate W. Ait, taken by the name of Dugdhika. Again, both the plant species have two ecotypes – Red & Green. The present study has been exclusively conducted on the red ecotype of E. Prostrata W. Ait. The paper deals with certain experimental studies on water soluble fraction of total alcoholic extract of the plant, to evaluate its efficacy and the mode of action in the treatment of Bronchial asthma. The study reveals that the drug causes relaxation of smooth muscles by virtue of which the spasm of Bronchial muscles during an acute attack of bronchial asthma, is relieved and thus exhibits its beneficial effect.