Ayurvedic lipid based rasayans - A perspective on the preparation and pharmacological significance of lipids on the bioavailability of phytoconstituents

For thousands of years, lipid based Ayurvedic formulations have been made in India, and the craft has survived down the millennia up to the present time. Some of these deliciously potent phytonutrient preparations are very popular and have sustained the test of time pertaining to their efficacy. Recent researches on the role of phytonutrients in promoting cardio-pulmonary, brain and immune health substantially buttress the philosophy underlying the use of lipids in preparing these emulsions, since a large number of these bioactives are lipophilic. Being lipoidic, they are absorbed through the lacteals in the small intestine, and are then transported through the thoracic duct directly to the heart, bypassing the liver. The formulations utilizing ghee (clarified butter) or sesame oil as the carrier lipid, either while frying the myrobalams or as Anupana (adjuvant), have special significance in modulating bodily immunity, since the immune system is housed in lymphatics which are lipid rich. Amla and lipid based Ayurvedic rasayans (rejuvenating formulations) are a popular and highly palatable group of phytonutraceutical preparations. This group of polyherbal adaptogenic formulations is classified separately from other formulations in Ayurvedic therapeutics. Several of these health-promoting rasayans are suitable to be consumed by all age-groups in the recommended season and dose. Current research on endothelial and immune cell receptor mediated uptake of lipoidic molecules, together with the knowledge of lipid absorption pathways, lends credence to the usefulness of rasayans in targeting the cardio-pulmonary and immune systems. An attempt has been made in this paper to elucidate the mechanisms underpinning the complex interplay between lipid delivered hydrophobic phyto-molecules, systemic lymphatics and the Immune system.