FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF POLYHERBAL SYRUP CONTAINING ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS (SHATAVARI) AND CONVOLVULUS PLURICAULIS (SHANKHPUSHPI) FOR DEPRESSION MANAGEMENT

Depression is a widely observed mental health condition that affects emotional stability, thinking ability, and daily activities of an individual. In recent years, herbal medicines have been considered as a better alternative to synthetic drugs because of their fewer side effects and good patient acceptability. Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) and Convolvulus pluricaulis (Shankhpushpi) are well known traditional medicinal plants which have been reported to possess antidepressant and calming effects on the nervous system. The present work was carried out to formulate and evaluate a herbal syrup containing extracts of Asparagus racemosus and Convolvulus pluricaulis for the management of depression. The extracts were prepared using simple extraction methods such as decoction or maceration. These extracts were then mixed with a suitable syrup base along with required excipients like sucrose, sodium benzoate, and flavoring agents. The prepared formulation was evaluated for different parameters such as pH, viscosity, appearance, and stability. The results obtained showed that the syrup was stable and had acceptable characteristics. Hence, it can be suggested that the prepared herbal syrup may be useful in the supportive management of depression.