Herbal Drugs as Brain Tonics (Muqawwi-e-Dimag) Mentioned in Unani Medicine-A Review

Abstract

Major global public health challenges include neurological and mental health disorders, which weaken the brain, change a person’s behaviour and impair its ability to accomplish everyday tasks. Modern medications provide costly symptomatic treatment for neurological illnesses but have negative effects. So, people are turning to herbal remedies in search of superior treatments that are less expensive and have fewer negative effects. Mental health has been a very important topic in past in Unani System of Medicine and also its importance may not be refused today. Majority of toxins and disease-causing biological agents harm our essential organs; impair immune systems, results in complications and death. There is a need for medications that protect internal organs, preserve physiological functions and provide time and energy to recover from negative consequences. One distinctive aspect of the Unani medical approach is the use of tonics. Numerous herbal medications have been recommended by Unani physicians as Muqawiyat (tonics) to sculpt the body’s essential organs shielding them from toxins/illnesses and enhance bodily processes. Muqawiyat are non-toxic drugs having the power to sustain and improve human health when used consistently over an extended period of time. In the current review some single herbal drugs mentioned as Brain Tonics (Muqawwi-e-Dimag) in Unani literature have been discussed and their pharmacological properties like antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, memory enhancing have been screened out which can provide a scientific reason and possible mechanism by which action of these Unani drugs as brain tonics can be interpreted with modern aspects.