Ancient Ayurvedic Texts Research Articles

Ayurvedic Science-An Undergraduate Perspective

Ayurvedic medicine is considered as the world’s oldest medical system. Ayurveda originated in India over5000 years ago in the magnificent Himalayas.Ayurveda is a pseudoscientific system of medicine withhistorical roots in the indian subcontinent. Ancient Ayurvedic texts also taught surgical techniques,includingrhinoplasty,kidney stone extractions,sutures, and the extraction of foreign objects. It is still practiced in theSouth Indian population. There are studies showing data that about 80% of Indian patients use ayurvedictherapy instead of allopathy. This is a cross sectional study conducted among 100 dental students througha questionnaire with the help of an online survey link. The responses show 79% of the participants agreethat knowledge about Ayurveda is important to dental students. 80% of the participants agree that Ayurvedashould be integrated with modern medicine. Dental students have a good knowledge about Ayurvedicmedicine and medicinal herbs that are used in the process.

Ayurvedic Management of Diabetes Mellitus Type-II: A Case Study

Diabetes mellitus is a major health pandemic effecting mankind since ancient times. It is a well-known multifactorial metabolic disorder characterized by abnormally high blood glucose levels due to absolute or relative lack of insulin. The incidence of Diabetes has increased drastically in the recent times because of sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy dietary habits, which happens to be the main etiological factors for this disease. Latest IDF data shows that currently 72.9 million people are living with diabetes in India. In ancient Ayurvedic texts this disease is described as Madhumeha, a form of Vataja Prameha, characterized by passing of excessive amount of sweet urine. The present case study is of a 51 years old male patient visiting Ayurvedic Clinic, Delhi with the chief complaints of body ache, sweet taste of mouth, burning sensation at sole, excessive hunger, excessive thirst, excessive mental stress and increased frequency of micturition. On the basis of physical findings and investigations the diagnosis of Madhumeha (Diabetes mellitus, type-2) was made. The treatment plan opted was use of Sanshamana aushadhi along with modification of diet and lifestyle. Regular follow up visits at the interval of seven days were done for a period of 1 month. After 1 month of treatment significant responses was observed.

Seasonal dynamics of Shatavarin-IV, a potential biomarker of Asparagus racemosus by HPTLC: Possible validation of the ancient Ayurvedic text.

The medicinal property of Asparagus racemosus is primarily attributed to its constituent steroidal saponins, particularly the major component, shatavarin-IV. Thus, it can serve as a biomarker and its level can decide of the utility of the plant cultivar as a drug. Hence, a sensitive, reliable and quantitative High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method has been established for quantification of shatavarin-IV in the methanolic extracts of the roots collected in both summer and rainy seasons. The extracts of the powders of dried roots were applied to silica gel 60 F 254 aluminum-supported precoated TLC plates and developed with n-hexane: ethyl acetate: methanol, 80:10:10 (v/v), as the mobile phase. Shatavarin-IV was detected and quantified by densitometry at λ = 336 nm. The accuracy of the method was checked by conducting recovery studies at three different levels of shatavarin-IV. The average recovery was found to be 101% and 107% for summer and rainy seasons respectively. The shatavarin-IV contents, as estimated by the proposed method were 12.5 μg gm -1 and 10.9 μg gm -1 in summer and rainy roots respectively. The entire method was performed six times (n=6) to check the repeatability. The proposed HPTLC method for quantitative monitoring of shatavarin-IV in A. racemosus roots collected in different seasons strictly adhered to the validation issues laid down by the ICH guidelines. The method is reliable reproducible and highly precise and selective.

Sarsasapogenin: A steroidal saponin from Asparagus racemosus as multi target directed ligand in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is multi-factorial disorder characterized by impaired memory and cognition deficit. AD is characterized by impaired cholinergic transmission, extracellular amyloid beta deposits, neurofibrillary tangles and oxidative stress. A multi-target directed ligand (MTDL) approach is required to devise a therapeutic strategy against AD. In the present study, Asparagus racemosus aqueous extract was chosen, as it possess abundant medicinal properties including nootropic effect mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic texts. Moreover, its secondary metabolite sarsasapogenin (SRS) was also selected for this multi-target study for the very first time. The current study demonstrated that sarsasapogenin significantly inhibits key enzymes involved in pathogenesis of AD which are acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), BACE1 and MAO-B in a concentration dependent manner. SRS also exhibited anti-amyloidogenic, anti-oxidant and neuroprotective effects by in vitro studies. The IC50 values of SRS is 9.9 μM and 5.4 μM for AChE and BuChE respectively. SRS also significantly inhibited Aβ42 fibrillization up to 68% at 40 μM concentration as compared to control. TEM visualization showed Aβ aggregates as short and scattered fibril clearly indicating SRS significantly inhibited peptide nucleation and fibril formation. Furthermore, the SRS was found to exert neuroprotective effect on PC12 cells against Aβ42 and H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity. The cell survival was 62% and 69% against Aβ42 and H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity, respectively. SRS also inhibited monoaminoxidase-B (MAO-B) and BACE1 enzymes in concentration dependent manner. Molecular docking studies indicated that SRS binds to the catalytic sites of multiple targets (AChE, BuChE, Aβ42, BACE1, and MAO-B) in a significant manner that might having disease-modifying effects. Thus SRS is acting as suitable lead and can be utilised as MTDL compound for factors implicated in AD.

AN OVERVIEW OF SHATAVARI (ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS) AN AYURVEDIC DRUG

Shatavari, Asparagus racemosus is one of the most important herbal drugs used by Ayurvedic Vaidyas since ancient days. The drug is having wide range of therapeutic activity and mentioned as a Rasayan by ancient Ayurvedic texts. The main part used by Ayurvedic doctors is a root. It is mentioned as a tonic and having lactogenic function. Shatavari has also been successfully used by several Ayurvedic practitioners for Nervine disorders, Acid peptic diseases, certain infectious diseases and as a immunomodulant. Main use of this drug is in female disorders specially as a galactagogue and several menstrual disorders. Scientific fraternity is working on this drug at multidimensional level to prove this drug as a potent medicinal drug in multiple disorders. Various scientific studies are proved that this drug worked as a potent antitussive, antineoplastic, galactologue, antidiarroheal, and as immunomodulant. The main focus of this article is to review the scientific studies done on A.racemsosus mainly on its phytochemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic uses mentioned in both modern sciences as well as in ancient Ayurvedic texts. Additional attempt is made to find the clinical studies done on A.racemosus. The present review article includes the detailed scientific exploration of root extract of A.racemsosus in systematic way so that it can highlight future research prospects of this famous and commercially useful drug.

The Harita Samhita - A Literary Review on an ancient Ayurvedic text

Harita Samhita is one of the classical work on Ayurvedic medicine, which is written in between 6th to 7th century AD. This book is written in conversation module, and the conversation was between Maharshi Atreya and Acharya Harita. Acharya Harita has proposed his own new concepts in his texts. The present text is divided into six parts, viz; Prathamasthana, Dwitiyasthana, Chikitsasthana, Sutrasthana, Kalpasthana, Sharirasthana. The Harita Samhita can be included under Dravyaguna Shastra. In present work the concepts of Acharya Harita were critically analyzed and elaborated systematically. Further scope of study is to critically analyze the work of Acharya Harita and explore his views to the Ayurvedic scholars

Chyawanprash: A Traditional Indian Bioactive Health Supplement.

Chyawanprash (CP) is an Ayurvedic health supplement which is made up of a super-concentrated blend of nutrient-rich herbs and minerals. It is meant to restore drained reserves of life force (ojas) and to preserve strength, stamina, and vitality, while stalling the course of aging. Chyawanprash is formulated by processing around 50 medicinal herbs and their extracts, including the prime ingredient, Amla (Indian gooseberry), which is the world’s richest source of vitamin C. Chyawanprash preparation involves preparing a decoction of herbs, followed by dried extract preparation, subsequent mixture with honey, and addition of aromatic herb powders (namely clove, cardamom, and cinnamon) as standard. The finished product has a fruit jam-like consistency, and a sweet, sour, and spicy flavor. Scientific exploration of CP is warranted to understand its therapeutic efficacy. Scattered information exploring the therapeutic potential of CP is available, and there is a need to assemble it. Thus, an effort was made to compile the scattered information from ancient Ayurvedic texts and treatises, along with ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological, and scientifically validated literature, that highlight the role of CP in therapeutics. Citations relevant to the topic were screened.

Literature review of adharniya vega concept and importance of vega in the maintenance of health.

Human body is an amazing machine which has a number of ways to balance the substance which could be useful and harmful to the body. To make balance of these substances, our body is equipped with Vega(urges) which appear naturally. According to the ancient Ayurvedic texts, there is one main cause of all the type of diseases and that is the suppression of natural Vega. Therefore it should not be suppressed. Ayurveda has described 13 natural vegas which should not be retained at any cost. If they are suppressed on a regular basis due to any reason, they can lead to various health problems. The problem created due to non suppressible urges are getting more and more now-a-days. Therefore this review article attempts to explain adharniya vegas in detail as mentioned in ayurvedic literature.

A Clinical Evaluation of Daruharidra (Berberis aristata D.C.) in cases of Giardiasis

Daruharidra ( Berberis aristata D.C.) has been described in ancient Ayurvedic texts for treatment of Jaundice, Skin diseases and abdominal diseases etc. Hence the present study was carried out in randomly selected cases of stool +ve Giardiasis. The stem and root of Berberis aristata (BA) was administered in capsules after drying in shade and rough grinding. Out of 268 cases with abdominal symptoms and ill health 69 were found +ve for Giardiasis only. These were treated with 1 gm BD of the Berberis aristata powder for 14 days. Ninety-five percent cases were found free of parasites in stool after treatment. The clinical, Stool microscopic and hematological profiles were studied. The haematological profiles of the patients were improved after 1 month and 1.5 month of treatment. There was significant improvement in clinical profile of patients treated with Berberis aristata . The demographic characteristics of patients were also studied but there was no any correlation between demographic details and infestation of Giardia lamblia .

A Clinical Evaluation of Daruharidra (Berberis aristata D.C.) in cases of Giardiasis

Daruharidra (Berberis aristata D.C.) has been described in ancient Ayurvedic texts for treatment of Jaundice, Skin diseases and abdominal diseases etc. Hence the present study was carried out in randomly selected cases of stool +ve Giardiasis. The stem and root of Berberis aristata (BA) was administered in capsules after drying in shade and rough grinding. Out of 268 cases with abdominal symptoms and ill health 69 were found +ve for Giardiasis only. These were treated with 1 gm BD of the Berberis aristata powder for 14 days. Ninety-five percent cases were found free of parasites in stool after treatment. The clinical, Stool microscopic and hematological profiles were studied. The haematological profiles of the patients were improved after 1 month and 1.5 month of treatment. There was significant improvement in clinical profile of patients treated with Berberis aristata. The demographic characteristics of patients were also studied but there was no any correlation between demographic details and infestation of Giardia lamblia.

Antipyretic effect of a polyherbal ayurvedic formulation: A randomized controlled clinical study

The ancient ayurvedic text Aṣṭāṅgahṛdaya of Vāgbhaṭa (7th Century A.D.) prescribes a specific formulation of four plants having antipyretic properties with minimal side-effects. This polyherbal ayurvedic formulation contains whole plant of Solanum surratense, rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, stem of Tinospora cordifolia and fruits with bracts of Piper longum, exhibited significant antipyretic-analgesic properties during rodent experiments without any toxicity may be due to flavonoidic phenolic compounds in it. Present randomized controlled clinical study in sixty eight patients was conducted with this polyherbal ayurvedic formulation using aspirin as standard drug for comparison. The primary outcome measured was reduction in body temperature, while the secondary outcomes measured were assessment of associated symptoms of fever and routine haematological parameters. A representative sample of patients was also studied for reduction in the level of prostaglandin (PGE2). The clinical study showed that fever was rapidly and substantially reduced after oral administration of the test drug and this antipyretic effect was significant (p<0.01) when compared to placebo and more sustained in comparison to aspirin. Many associated symptoms of fever also exhibited significant reductions with this test drug. Prostaglandin levels also registered a substantial decrease during treatment with this polyherbal ayurvedic formulation.

Classical uses of Haridra (Curcuma longa)

Haridra is used in the traditional system of medicine. It is used as an antioxidant and possesses various beneficial properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antiseptic, blood cleansing etc. It is widely prescribed Ayurvedic drug and is used in various diseases. Haridra has been described in the ancient Ayurvedic text as a Rasayana. Haridra is a vital herb in Ayurvedic medicine, whose spice form can be recognized by its dazzling yellow colour. The rhizome of the herb, used either fresh or dried, has a host of medicinal benefits. Haridra is Lekhaneeya, Kushthaghna and Vishaghna. Haridra’s principal constituent, curcumin, has been extensively studied by western researchers and scientists for its antioxidant activity. Haridra is Katu and Tikta in taste. It is Ushna in quality. It is used in many forms and through many routes of administration such as nasal, oral, over the skin etc.

Ayurvedic approaches used in prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Ayurveda has a diverse point of view to prevent and treat diabetes which is apparently not associated with the insight of modern science. The ancient literature of Ayurveda described diabetes as Madhumeha (sugar related disease) and suggested a number of remedies to cure it. Although in the ancient literature, the mechanism of diabetes is not well-understood but, as far as treatment is concerned, the suggested way of treatment is undoubtedly effective which is confirmed by numerous researches worldwide. Interestingly, Ayurveda mainly focuses on balanced diet, improved lifestyle with routine Yoga practice. However, the use of medication in the form of herbal preparation is considered with least priority, given on the basis of Prakriti (genotype) of the patient. In the present work, we thoroughly reviewed Ayurvedic concepts for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus using ancient Ayurvedic texts as well as the literature available in the most accepted scientific search engines i.e. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. In addition to the use of herbal therapy, this review also describes the use of Panchakarma and Yoga for the management of type-2 diabetes and post-diabetic complication like retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy

A conceptual review of properties of olive oil as per Ayurveda with special reference to Anukta Dravya

Due to globalization world has come closer. Today means of communication has become very fast, incidentally people travel from one country to other frequently. They consume the food available in respective country. These food items consumed apart from India are not mentioned in Ancient Ayurvedic text. Hence they can be called as ANUKTA DRAVYAS. Present article is an attempt to study one such oil that is olive oil from the perspective of Ayurveda because these substances when consumed regularly must be having effect on the health of a person.

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial Activity and Medicinal Properties of Grewia asiatica L.

Since ancient time, India is a well known subcontinent for medicinal plants where diversity of plants is known for the treatment of many human disorders. Grewia asiatica is a dicot shrub belonging to the Grewioideae family and well known for its medicinally important fruit commonly called Falsa. G. asiatica, a seasonal summer plant is distributed in the forest of central India, south India, also available in northern plains and western Himalaya up to the height of 3000 ft. Fruits of G. asiatica are traditionally used as a cooling agent, refreshing drink, anti-inflammatory agent and for the treatment of some urological disorders. Recent advancement of Falsa researches concluded its antimicrobial and anti-diabetic activity. Since ancient time medicinal plants are traditionally used for the treatment of different diseases G. asiatica fruit is the edible and tasty part of the plant, now considered as a valuable source of unique natural product for the development of medicines which are used in different disease conditions like anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous and antimicrobial. Now a days, G. asiatica is being used in different Ayurvedic formulation for the cure of different types of diseases. Different pharmacological investigations reveal the presence of phenols, saponnins, flavonoids and tannins compound in the fruits. Present review highlights the phytopharmacological and different traditional use of G. asiatica which is mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic texts. This review stimulates the researchers and scientists for further research on G. asiatica.

PREMATURE AGEING (AKALAJA JARA): AYURVEDIC VIEW

As the incidence of premature aging is increasing globally, it has become a burning issue to take major steps for its prevention. Conventional system of medicine has limited approach regarding its prevention. In Ayurveda, Geriatrics is considered as a separate branch among 8 branches of Ayurveda and it is also becoming a major medical speciality globally. In ancient Ayurvedic texts there is a detailed description of Rasayan therapy which is considered as one of the best therapy to prevent premature aging as well as other geriatric problems. As it is well said,” Prevention is better than cure”. Prevention and management of health problems could help the elderly to improve quality of life and remain self-dependent for their daily activities to maximum possible extent. Ayurveda also described Swasthvrut (personal hygiene) and Sadavrut which is also considered to be effective to slow down the aging process. There is a considerable scope to develop safe and cost-effective protocol for premature aging on the basis of Ayurvedic life-style management and Rasayana therapy.

Evaluation of influence of Rutu (Seasons) on quality of Haridra (Curcuma longa Linn.) by pharmacopoeial tests and HPTLC fingerprinting

Medicinal herbs are to be harvested during their optimal season to obtain herbal products of the best possible quality. In the criteria for standardization, season of collection of the used part of a plant plays an important role to assure the quality of the drug. Ayurvedic classics have advocated certain season for the collection of used parts of the medicinal plants. Haridra kanda (rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn.) has wide range of applications as antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anti diabetic, anticarcinogenic, hypocholesterolemic, wound healing, antitumor and hepatoprotective agent. It is one of the important drug in Ayurveda used therapeutically in charmadosa, prameha, raktavikara, sotha, pandu, vrana etc. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of sangraha kala (seasons of collection) of Haridra on quality indicating Pharmacopoeial constants. Haridra was cultivated and collected at different seasons and the procured rhizomes were powdered and subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis. Macroscopic, microscopic, physicochemical, solvent extraction and chromatographic studies carried out suggest that Haridra collected during Sharad rutu (autumn season) contain more active principles to meet Pharmacopoeial requirements. It may be concluded that Sharad rutu is the ideal season for collection of Haridra rhizomes, which revalidates the classical reference in ancient Ayurvedic texts.

Estimation and quantitation of β-asarone from Acorus calamus rhizome and its formulations using validated RP-HPLC method

Introduction: Acorus calamus Linn. ( A. calamus ) has been found use in medicines to cure fevers, for asthma, bronchitis and as an all-round sedative. β-asarone is an important phytochemical compound present richly in the rhizomes of Acorus calamus that imparts several therapeutic properties to the plant by the virtue of which the plant has occupied a significant therapeutic acclaim in ancient Ayurvedic text and is employed as one of the key ingredients in several traditional and herbal formulations. Thus, the study aims to develop and validate an efficient Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for quantification of β-asarone from rhizomes of A. calamus of the wild and marketed variety and also intends to apply the validated methods for the estimation of the biomarker from different formulations containing the rhizome as one of its ingredients. Methods: Separation was carried out on Cosmosil C 18 column eluted with mobile phase of methanol: distilled water (50:50, v/v) at flow rate of 1 mL/min. Detection was carried out at 304 nm using a photodiode array detector (PDA) and the method was validated as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. Rhizome was collected from Kerala and also procured from the market. Commercial traditional and herbal formulations like Sarasvata Curna, Maanasmitra Vatakam, Khadiradi Vati, Chandra Prabha Vati, Sanjeevani Vati, Mahashankha Vati, Smritisagara Rasa, Abana, Vacadi Taila, and Ashwagandharishtha were further subjected to RP-HPLC for separation and estimation of β-asarone. Results: The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) levels were found to be 0.025 µg/mL and 0.1 µg/mL, respectively. The content of β-asarone was found to be maximum in the sample collected from Kerala which was 0.2946±0.0152 mg/g. Conclusion: The developed method can be recommended for marker-based standardization and quality assurance of A. calamus and its formulations. Key words: Acorus calamus , Formulations, Rhizome, RP-HPLC, Validation.

Potential of some traditionally used edible plants for prevention and cure of diabesity associated comorbidities

Medicinal uses of edible and other plants for prevention and cure of obesity and overweight associated metabolic and mental health problems have since long been known to scholars and practitioners of Ayurvedic and other traditionally known system of medicine. Modernized versions of numerous edible plant derived formulations mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic texts are at present some of the most popular, or best selling, herbal remedies in India and numerous other countries suffering from double burden of diseases caused by malnutrition and obesity. Preclinical and clinical information now available on edible plants and their bioactive constituents justify traditionally known medicinal uses of products derived from them for prevention and cure of obesity associated type-2 diabetes, psychopathologies and other health problems. Such information now available on a few edible Ayurvedic plants and their formulations and suggesting that their stress response regulating effects are involved in their broad spectrums of bioactivity profiles are summarized in this communication. Implications of recent physiological and pharmacological observations made with numerous phytochemicals isolated from edible plants for better understanding of traditionally known medicinal uses of herbal remedies are also pointed out.

Foundations of Immunology in Ayurvedic classics

Immunology today is one of the fastest growing disciplines in Medicine and Biology. Its significance has grown more because of the growing significance of immune strength and resistance against different diseases besides the emergence of a wide range of immunological diseases. It is interesting to observe that the ancient Ayurvedic texts show a vivid description of the foundations of immunology thousands of years in the past. The Ayurvedic immunology is essentially a unique pro-nature holistic science with inherent bonds with nutritional status, genetic constitution and the aging process. Ayurveda describes the bio-factor ojas which is the quintessence of all the seven dhātus of the body and is responsible for the immune strength of an individual classically known as Ojabala and Vyādhikamatva which refers to natural and acquired immunity. There are clear descriptions available in sahitās about the three broad categories of immune disorders, namely Oja-vyāpat, Oja-visrasa, and Oja-kaya. The texts describe Rasāyana Tantra which is one of the eight branches of Astāga Ayurveda. Rasāyana remedies are known to sustain micro-nutrition and promote immune strength besides retarding the aging process. The present review critically examines the available literatures to evaluate the ancient concepts of early Ayurvedic Immunology in the light of recent developments.