Abstract

PHARMACOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF CASSIA TORA: A REVIEW

Shivani, Sunil Jawla and Amit Lather*

ABSTRACT

The increasing incidence of gastrointestinal conditions like hyperacidity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has created greater interest in safer, herbal therapeutic agents as alternatives to standard antacids. Synthetic antacids, though efficient, are usually accompanied by undesirable effects like constipation, imbalance of electrolytes, and renal issues upon prolonged use. It is a review of the development, assessment, and stability of a herbal antacid suspension with the methanolic extract of Cassia tora L., a traditionally used medicinal plant for disorders in digestion, the liver, and inflammation. The herb is endowed with bioactive components like anthraquinones, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, and saponins, responsible for its pharmacological activities with multiple facets such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and mucosal protective activities. The review expounds on the extraction process, formulation strategy using pharmaceutical excipients such as suspending agents, flocculants, preservatives, and sweeteners, and describes the important evaluation criteria like pH, viscosity, sedimentation volume, redispersibility, and acid-neutralizing capacity. Stability testing in accordance with ICH rules also verifies the product's shelf life and safety. Despite ongoing challenges such as phytochemical standardisation and clinical validation, future advancements utilising nanotechnology and combinatorial herbal approaches are highly promising. This research endorses the utilisation of Cassia tora-derived herbal solutions as a patient-friendly, biodegradable, and effective alternative to synthetic antacids, in accordance with contemporary trends in natural product-based pharmacotherapy.

Keywords: Cassia tora, Flavonoids, Herbal antacid suspension, Methanolic extract, Phytoconstituents, Stability study.