A biochemical approach to understand the concept of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Snigdha-Ruksha Guna</i>

Abstract

According to Ayurveda, all food is medicine because all food affects the body. However, these two subjects are rarely studied to find out precise biochemical mechanism of the interrelation between food and their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Gunas</i>. Objectives of the present work are : 1) to associate the food properties in terms of antioxidant potential and macronutrient bioavailability with their known type of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Snigdha</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Ruksha Gunas,</i> and 2) to evaluate the influence of roasting on this association. To achieve this, antioxidant potential of food extracts was measured by seven <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">in-vitro</i> methods and capacity of extracts to prevent H₂O₂ induced erythrocyte oxidative damage by estimating four cellular antioxidant parameters. By using an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">in-vitro</i> digestion method; fat, carbohydrate and protein absorption was estimated. Results indicated that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Ruksha</i> samples have higher antioxidant potential and can better protect the erythrocytes from oxidative damage with more protein and triglyceride absorption as compare to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Snigdha</i> samples. In the comparison of raw and roasted rice samples, erythrocyte protection was superior in raw samples with enhanced triglyceride and carbohydrate intestinal absorption. These results clearly indicate the differential behavior of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Ruksha</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Snigdha</i> samples at antioxidant, erythrocyte and intestinal absorption levels.