Evaluation of Siddha Compound Formulation Mahathoothulai chooranam in Combating Respiratory Illness: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Siddha medicine is an ancient Indian medical system originated in South India. The holistic approach of the Siddha system finds cure for many ailments and also guides to a perfect living right from conception to death. The ‘S’ in the acronym AYUSH represents Siddha. The Siddha multiherbal formulation Mahathuthulathi chooranam, found in the classical text book Koshayi Anuboga Vaithiya Bramma Ragasiyam - part 2, is indicated for Aiyam (Phlegm) predominant diseases. The review seeks to establish the documented literature on the therapeutic efficacy of the Mahathuthulai chooranam in respiratory illness through a critical review. It was carried out by searching Siddha classic texts from the library of Siddha Central Research Institute, electronic search engines, databases such as Google scholar, Pub Med Central, NLM, Mendeley, Embase, Science Direct etc. The results of the review suggest that the drug can be a part of the comprehensive treatment of adverse respiratory illnesses in addition to prevention of complications in vulnerable risk patients. The drug is substantiated to be a safe and efficacious drug in treating acute respiratory illnesses through supporting evidences. A robust clinical trial is essential to evaluate the clinical outcomes to prove the drug’s efficiency.