Ayurvedic Research Research Articles

A Systematic Review Protocol Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Ayurvedic Interventions for Glaucoma

Introduction: The features of glaucoma have similarities with those of Adhimantha as mentioned in Ayurveda, where it exhibits features based on the Doshas involved. The aim of this study is to conduct systematic review of published studies in view of safety and efficacy of Ayurvedic interventions in the management of glaucoma and to run meta-analysis of the published clinical data if sufficient homogeneous studies are available. Materials and methods: This systematic review process would include review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental designs, multiple arms clinical trials and observational studies (case series and case control) on the management of glaucoma or Adhimantha through Ayurvedic interventions. Interventions and procedures administered from a minimum of 7 days to maximum of 6 months will be included. Electronic databases search through Ayurvedic research databases and medical journal databases such as MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane register, Scopus, EMBASE, directories of open access journals and hand searching will be done using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies which would include studies done between January 1990 and January 2020. The study selection, data extraction, analysis, and synthesis of results will be done by three researchers. Study selection will follow the symptomatology of Adhimantha/glaucoma as explained in different classical texts of Ayurveda, and the quality of studies will be assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias assessment for RCT and non-RCTs. The heterogeneity of reviewed studies will be evaluated by examining forest plots, and meta-analysis will be planned by using quantitative synthesis if they are sufficiently homogeneous. Ethics approval: Formal ethical approval is not necessary as the primary data of patients will not be collected. The final results of the review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication. PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO 2019: CRD42019133911.

Assessment of Nutritional Status and Dietary Risk Factor for Malnutrition in Adolescent of Jamnagar District

Journal of Ayurveda Medical Sciences,2018,3,2,369-376.DOI:10.5530/jams.2018.3.11Published:October 2018Type:Original ArticleAuthors:Hetalben Amin, Hitesh Vyas, and Mahesh Vyas Author(s) affiliations:Hetalben Amin*, Hitesh Vyas1, Mahesh Vyas2 Central Ayurvedic Research Institute of Drug Development (CCRAS, Ministry of AYUSH, Govt of India), 4-CN block, Sector-5, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700091. 1Department of Basic Principles, IPGT & RA, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar 361008. 2Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi 110076, India.Abstract:Introduction: Adolescence is a period of crest growth for boys and girls. Nutritional requirements in relation to age are more during adolescence. The nutritional status which is often poor during early life gets worsened as the adolescent growth spurts happened. The common causes of malnutrition among adolescents in the poor community may be of less access to food and inadequate knowledge about dietary requirements. No study has been conducted on adolescent of particular Jamnagar district to determine their nutrient intake and nutritional status. The present study was conducted to fill this gap in the knowledge. Methods: Adolescent between age group of 16-25 years who has lived in Jamnagar for at least 5 years was considered eligible to be enrolled for the study from the surrounding area of Jamnagar district with problem of poor weight, poor growth, lean and thin body complains were taken for study. After taking a complete history emphasizing on milestones and dietetic history this problem is selected for present study. Results: 58.00 % of patients were taking fermented items in food, 60.00 % of patients had to take food in poor quantity, 29.00 % of patients had taking food in moderate quantity, it can be conclude in this regards that poor quantity of food may ultimately leads to malnutrition. Conclusion: This may be due to tense life of studying, away from parents, exposure to sunlight, much activeness, faulty food habits which are leading to malnutritionin that particular age group. Therefore, lack of proper nourishment most of the poor adolescents are more effected to malnutrition. Keywords:Adolescent, Diet, Jamnagar, Malnutrition, NutritionalView:PDF (2.72 MB)

Planning action for strengthening the ecosystem for Ayurvedic research

The establishment of AYUSH independent ministry has a commitment towards strengthening the AYUSH ecosystem. Health problems involving chronic diseases, non communicable diseases etc, there is a scope for complementary as well as preferential choice of any system including Ayurveda. There are a large number of clinical setups in national/state Ayurveda institutions, but the quality publication outcome is low. In the present article, being a scientist and science manager, I have just summarized my opinion to strengthen and growth of Ayurveda. Development of special validation methods for Ayurveda research based on Ayurveda principle is an hour of need. Randomized controlled trials on the use of new innovations are needed in Ayurveda. To strengthen Ayurveda, interdisciplinary approach may prove beneficial. Value addition based synergy and partnerships with ICMR/DBT/DST/ICAR would be beneficial for the growth of Ayurveda.

Concept of Shiroabhyanga

Shiroabhyanga is narrated in many Samhitas as a part of dinacharya (daily regime of personal hygiene) and part of treatment for shiroroga. Shiroabhyanga is to be considered in snehan therapy. As it nourishes the senses of mind and gives the strength. Before starting any type of research, an Ayurvedic research scholar is required to go through critical literary review. This is a lantern in the direction of the pathway of that particular work. This review article deals with nirukti (Origin) paribhasha (definition), classification, benefits, procedure, modern review of the Shiroabhyanga and hypothetic reasoning of its action.

Ethics Committees in Ayurvedic PG institutions: Losing opportunities of making an impact

Ethics is a crucial component of medical practice world over and also an indispensable part of medical research. Ethics in medical practice primarily refers to not harming the patients by the proposed interventions; similarly ethics in research refers to assuring optimal care of the participants and causing no harm to them on account of research. Ethics in research has come a long way from its voluntarily application on moral grounds to a mandatory condition regulated by the state of law. Ethics Committees (ECs) have been erected at research institutions to safeguard the interest of patients, to ensure their safety during any such trial and to assure the accountability of the researcher in case of any unforeseen event. Such committees therefore have a noble role to play in the form of promoting ethical practices in research. Ayurvedic clinical research also follows the similar path by erecting ECs at its research institutions. However, in reality, such committees are found much away from the principle of their inception and method of functioning. In the absence of accountability and clear objectivity, such ECs at Ayurvedic research institutions are not serving any purpose. This article critically examines the positioning of ECs at Ayurveda research institutions and suggests pragmatic mechanisms to ensure their role in improving the quality of research in Ayurveda.

Concept of Oja

In Ayurvedic literature the term Oja is recognized as one of the most important, vital and radiant element of the human body but its exact nature is not understood by the Ayurvedic research community. The entire metabolic activities occurring in the human body throughout the lifetime are primarily dependant on Oja. The term Oja is occasionally ascribed to the vital body elements viz. Dosha, Dhatu, Mala according to its peculiar patterns of manifestation and in addition to this tri-phasic behaviour. Oja also manifests itself in the form of radiant energy alone in the human body.In Ayurveda Bala,Veerya,Shleshma are often considered as synonyms of Oja.Therefore in this review article attempt is made to understand the concept of Oja and ojavikruti.

A Comparative Morphological and Anatomical Study of two Memecylon Species: Memecylon umbellatum Burm. f. and Memecylon angustifolium Wight. (Melastomataceae) in Sri Lanka

Memecylon L. is a paleotropical genus with approximately 350 species. It comprises small understory trees or woody shrubs distributed throughout the dry, wet and montane zones in Sri Lanka. According to the Revised Flora of Ceylon, the genus Memecylon (commonly known as “Kora Kaha”) comprises 32 different species and among them 28 species are endemic to the island. Memecylon species have a great importance in traditional medicinal practices in Sri Lanka and India. The main objective of this preliminary study is to investigate the comparative morphology and anatomy of the two species Memecylon umbellatum and M. angustifolium. Plant materials were collected from the nursery of the Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurvedic Research Institute, Nawinna, grown at the same environmental conditions. Unique vegetative and reproductive morphological characters which can be used to distinguish the two taxa were recorded. Free-hand sectioning, microtomy, leaf vein clearing, light microscopy and powder microscopy were employed for a thorough morphoanatomical investigation. Anatomical characters which are not reported in the local flora treatments earlier, such as stomatal arrangements, foliar sclereids, and wood anatomy were recorded. Transverse sections of mature leaves and powder microscopy showed the presence of druse crystals in both species. Different types of foliar sclereids present in the leaf mesophyll, xylem arrangement in the leaf midrib, xylem vessel thickening patterns, seriation types of the ray parenchyma and the pattern of xylem parenchyma arrangement in the wood were used to separate the two species. This project is the first comprehensive morphological study to investigate the microanatomy of M. angustifolium leaves. Variations in morphology and anatomy of the two species combined with a comparative phytochemical study with a better taxon sampling at different ecological zones of the country to identify any cryptic taxa or morphotypes present in this group is recommended for further studies. Keywords: Memecylon umbellatum, Memecylon angustifolium, Melastomataceae, Morphology, Anatomy

Ayurvedic Research - Certain Rational Understanding

From a pilot view through the Ayurvedic Research Scenario, One can see that there are five fields predominantly working upon this agenda. They are academic institutions, Private RandD units, Govt. Ayurvedic Research bodies, Govt. Non Ayurvedic Research bodies and international firms and establishments. But the deficiency in the utilization of outputs of all these works is, there is no concomitant, co-ordinated works and is without central regulations. The lack of co-ordination among these fields reduces the growth rate of our researches. One can’t deny the fact that several researches are having only an eagle eye to commercialise the name “Herbal” and to fill certain pockets. Research scholars with fundamental attitudes towards Ayurveda, are trying to substantiate whole ancient texts and this leads to unidirectional researches and there by satisfying certain hidden political agendas. Lack of productive researches in the fundamental principles will definitely lead to the deterioration of Ayurvedic popularity. Present study cover problems of present Ayurvedic Researches, need of co-ordinate perspective researching planning, need of multi centre researches with long term planning, need of negative studies in the development of science, need of adaptation of current research output in academic syllabus and curriculum.

Quality standardisation of Ayurvedic drugs must be similar to modern medicine

In the ancient text of Ayurveda, some of the important aspects of the drug research of the modern medicine have already been touched giving explanations to the various curiosities which are now being measured on modern parameters. A comprehensive account of the Ayurvedic research methodology and application of modern techniques has been discussed in the present paper giving scope for adopting the discussed drug research methodology in the various fields of drug research.

EVALUATION OF SHILAJATU FOR IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS OF DIABETES MELLITUS

As per WHO, in South-east Asia region alone 96 million people are estimated to be suffering from diabetes. Due to sedentary lifestyle and stress full nature of work, associated risk factors such as being overweight or obese, the number of diabetic patients is increasing. Diabetes is an important cause of blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation and other long-term consequences that impact on quality of life significantly. Continuous research is being done by scientists of various fields in order to achieve an effective cure of the disease and to improve quality of life. A great deal of work has also been done by Ayurvedic research scholars on various herbal and mineral drugs to find an effective treatment for diabetes generally reffered to as Prameha. Shilajatu is one such drug which has been described for the management of Prameha in Ayurveda texts. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Shilajatu in the improving the quality of life in patients of Prameha. Twenty two diabetic patients were selected for the study. The results were assessed in terms of symptomatic relief on the basis of scoring system, as per the Questionnaire on Quality of Life. Statistically highly significant improvement (p <0.001) was observed on physical domain. Statistically significant improvement was observed on psychological domain with p<0.001. In terms of Social Relationships Domain also, highly significant improvement, with p <0.001 was observed. Highly significant improvement was observed in overall quality of life statistically with p <0.001. The study revealed that Shilajatu can be used as a drug in the management of Prameha to improve the quality of life of patients.

Improving the Clinical-care Pathway of an Ayurvedic Hospital: A Teaching Case for Developing Process Improvement Capabilities

Business Process Management (BPM) is a topic that has received immense attention in information systems research and practice. While its adoption has been increasing rapidly, many companies struggle to find BPM professionals with the appropriate skills, hence BPM education has been an area of increasing interest as well. One big challenge for BPM education is the lack of teaching resources. Appropriately written BPM teaching cases derived from real-life case scenarios has been recognised as a valuable means to address this gap. Yet, teaching cases that are rich in context dedicated to BPM are still scarce. This teaching case, specifically developed for business process improvement education purposes, is designed as a rich resource to address this gap. Teaching notes with an extensive set of multimedia ancillary material are also available to instructors upon request. This case study is based on a real-life patient-care process of a national Ayurvedic hospital in Sri Lanka. With its position as the leading national institute for Ayurvedic research and teaching, the hospital has the potential to make striding impacts with Ayurvedic innovations both nationally and globally. This narrative describes the current patient-care process in detail, challenging students to analyse the current process and derive justifiable high-impact creative/innovative recommendations that are feasible to the case's context and improve business processes at the hospital.

Indian Journal of Odyssey of Ayurvedic Research. Volume I ,Issue I

Indian Journal of Odyssey of Ayurvedic Research. Volume I ,Issue I

Manuscriptology: Relevance for Ayurveda Research Scholar

Manuscripts are the treasure of wisdom passed from generation to generation. The art of writing emerged as a way of preserving knowledge that was previously transmitted orally from one generation to the next. Ayurveda developed as a result of the accumulated wisdom and practical experiences of many generations. The knowledge gained by ancient seers of Ayurveda were passed generations through the Manuscripts. Still thousands of valuable unpublished Ayurveda manuscripts are available in Government agencies which can immensely contribute in the development of system. Government of India gives a great importance to procure, preserve and to publish manuscripts. Kerala has exceptionally rich Ayurveda tradition and collection of Manuscripts which required special attention by the Government and from the scholars. The preserved Manuscripts are the invaluable treasure of knowledge which can be utilized for the well being of present generation as well as to pass on to the next generation. This study focuses on an introduction to manuscripts in Indian context with special reference to Kerala and discuss the importance of preserving and conserving manuscripts especially for an Ayurvedic research scholar.Â

The effectiveness of ayurvedic oil-based nasal instillation (Nasya) medicines in the treatment of facial paralysis (Ardita)

Ardita (facial paralysis) is a medical condition that disfigures or distorts the facial appearance of the sufferer causing facial asymmetry and malfunction. Ardita patients may benefit from considering alternative treatments such as Ayurveda, including Taila Nasya (nasal instillation of medicated oil). To synthesize the best available evidence on the effectiveness of different Nasya oils in the treatment of Ardita. Studies conducted on adult sufferers (18-70 years) of Ardita (chronic or acute) in any setting were considered. Studies including participants who were pregnant or suffered allergic rhinitis, fever, intracranial tumor/hemorrhage and bilateral facial palsy were excluded. Standalone treatment of Nasya (at all dosages and frequencies) compared to Nasya in combination with other Ayurvedic treatments was considered. Comparisons between different interventions including Taila Nasya alone, Taila Nasya in combination with other Ayurvedic interventions and Ayurvedic interventions that did not include Taila Nasya were also considered. Changes in Ardita symptoms, including facial distortion, speech disorders and facial pain, were measured. All quantitative study designs (experimental, quasi-experimental and observational) were considered. Relevant studies were identified following a comprehensive literature search. References provided within these key studies identified additional resources. Indian universities were also contacted for results of Ardita studies undertaken in their institutions.A three-step search strategy aimed to find studies of published and unpublished studies was undertaken. Studies published in the English language were considered for inclusion, irrespective of publication date/year. Following an initial limited search of MEDLINE and CINAHL, the text words contained in the title and abstract, and of the index terms used to describe each articles were analyzed. From the identified keywords and index terms, searches were undertaken across all relevant databases such as PubMed, CINHAL, Cochrane (CENTRAL), Scopus, Centre for Review and Dissemination databases, Turning Research into Practice (TRIP), EMBASE, EBM Reviews, DHARA, Google Scholar, MedNar and ProQuest Dissertations. Finally, reference lists of identified theses and articles were searched for additional studies. Universities and website operators related to Ayurvedic research in India were contacted, including the National Institute of Ayurveda for relevant studies. Besides this, the University of Adelaide librarian was contacted to retrieve those studies identified in the reference lists of theses and articles. Studies were critically assessed by the review author and a secondary reviewer prior to inclusion in the review using the standardized critical appraisal instrument from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data was extracted by the primary reviewer using the standardized data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Different interventions and comparators across studies precluded meta-analysis. Narrative synthesis was performed. Only two pseudo randomized studies with a small number of participants met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. One study with 20 participants, divided equally into two groups compared the effectiveness of two nasal instillations in alleviating four Ardita symptoms. The second study of 15 participants each in two groups compared the effectiveness of nasal instillation with placement of medicated oil on the head on seven Ardita symptoms. Observational measurements of Ardita symptoms were graded as Mild, Moderate or Marked at baseline and after one month. The study conducted on 30 participants using Nasya intervention showed participants had better relief from the symptoms of facial pain, speech disorder and earache within the range of 78.2% to 90.9%, graded as Marked. Along with statistical data available in the studies, this review found low levels of evidence favoring Taila Nasya intervention. The review did not include any studies examining effectiveness of Nasya compared to conventional treatment for Ardita. This review presents extremely limited evidence from only two small experimental studies that administration of Nasya oil alone may provide some relief from Ardita symptoms of facial distortion, speech disorder, inability to shut eyelids/upward eye rolling and dribbling of saliva in adult patients. No strong conclusions may be drawn from the evidence included in the review due to the limited number of studies, limited number of participants and poor quality of studies. Practitioners should advice Ardita patients that there is extremely limited evidence suggesting the potential effectiveness of Nasya oils alone or Nasya in conjunction with other Ayurvedic treatments in managing symptoms. However, given the absence of a strong evidence base, practitioners should be guided by clinical wisdom and patient preference. Well controlled clinical trials comparing standalone Nasya therapy to other Ayurvedic treatments and/or conventional medicine for Ardita symptoms need to be conducted to examine the relative effectiveness of different Nasya oils in treating Ardita.

Ayurvedic research, wellness and consumer rights

The growing interest in using Ayurvedic medicine as a gentler, safer option to using modern medicine drugs with attendant side effects continues to be thwarted because claims about effectiveness and safety are not backed with evidence and clinical data. The focus of Ayurveda practice and research should be on building bridges to this knowledge for public benefit. The consumer is being denied basic knowledge, access to product information as well as the benefit of a common prescription written by a single treating physician because of three factors – Ayurvedic OTC medicine is generally sold with names and labels which cannot be understood by the consumer despite being easily available without prescription; the treating modern medicine doctor is being prevented from writing the name of a herbal product even when he is individually convinced about its usefulness (in given circumstances) and the absence of biomedical research using objective parameters proving the effectiveness of the drugs. Contemporary Ayurveda needs to be packaged to reach the modern consumer in a way that he gets the benefit of access to treatment options that assist healing within the ambit of the law. These obstacles have to be removed. Patient- based effectiveness studies using retrospective case material as well as research using interdisciplinary approaches are needed for public benefit. This has to be facilitated.

Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic alternatives: looking towards the future.

The international interdisciplinary conference on Resistance and Antibiotic Alternatives: Looking towards the Future was held in London in November 2015. The issue of antibiotic resistance of microorganisms is among the most pertinent themes and major worldwide concerns for medical, veterinary and social communities. This is why the conference attracted the attention of researches from all over the world. During the three days of intensive work, scientists and physicians from Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia gave more than 20 lectures and exhibited about 60 poster presentations in three sessions: Antimicrobial Resistance (Chair: Dr Stephen Mortlock), Replacing Antibiotics (Chair: Dr Konstantinos Beis) and Infection Control and Industrial Applications (Chair: Dr Sanjib Bhakta). Each session was followed by free discussions, during which the participants exchanged ideas and suggested interesting approaches to solving the problem. Most of the lectures and posters discussed the reasons and sources of antibiotic resistance, including excessive use and misuse of antibiotics as well as incomplete treatment for bacterial infections in humans and in veterinary medicine. Antibiotic circulation in the soil-water-humans-animals-fish chain plays an important role in the development of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic-resistant species are found within the community as well as in hospital pathogens, and their ever increasing number leads to inefficient clinical treatment, prolonged hospitalisation and rising patient mortality. Antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat to mankind, is causing a worldwide increase in the number of patients infected by drug-resistant bacteria, difficulties in treatment of common infections and tens of thousands of deaths annually. The appearance of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains has seriously exacerbated the situation. The problem demands immediate globally coordinated solutions. Otherwise, mankind may enter a post-antibiotic era when people could die from the most common infections, as occurred in the pre-antibiotic era. This issue was discussed by Dr Prakash U. Tahiliani from the Prime Ever Ayurvedic Research Laboratories (Navsari, Gujarat, India), who spoke about this danger for mankind and stressed the need to take urgent steps to cope with the problem of natural and acquired antibiotic resistance. Dr Stephen Mortlock from the University of Surrey (Guildford, UK) raised the issue of the prevalence of infections in the community which are caused by one of the major hospital-acquired pathogens, S. aureus, especially MRSA strains. This phenomenon is attributed to misuse of antibiotics in prior antimicrobial therapy or previous hospitalisation of patients, particularly in less developed countries. Fifteen years of surveillance in Ecuador revealed a significant diversity in antibiotic resistance rates between one specific hospital and the nationwide hospital net, as reported by Dr Jeannete Zurita (The Biomedical Research Unit, Zurita & Zurita Laboratorios, Quito, Ecuador). It was assumed that specific conditions, including the employment of highly qualified staff, adherence to hygiene protocols and control over antibiotic consumption, can lead to lower resistance rates. Special attention was paid by lecturers to mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, which include the action of drug efflux pumps in case of intrinsic as well as acquired resistance and proteolytic degradation of antibiotics. The latter can be carried out, for instance, by [beta]-lactamases, New Delhi metallo-[beta]-lactamase 1, carbapenemases or membrane-associated resistance proteins, when the genes coding for these enzymes are located in multidrug-resistance plasmids or in chromosomes. The increased resistance of microorganisms in biofilms compared to planktonic cells is related to poor penetration of antibiotics into a biofilm matrix, to the specific microenvironment in biofilms and to launching of adaptive mechanisms by microorganisms. …

Clinical Evaluation of Shilajatu in Madhumeha

The incidence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly because of changes in dietetic habits and life style. Continuous research is being done by scientists of various fields in order to achieve an effective cure of the disease. A great deal of work has also been done by Ayurvedic research scholars on various herbal and mineral drugs to find an effective treatment for Prameha. Shilajatu is one such drug which has been described for the management of Prameha in Ayurveda texts. The present study was conducted to clinically assess the efficacy of Shilajatu in the management of Prameha. Twenty two diabetic patients were selected for the study. The results were assessed in terms of symptomatic relief on the basis of scoring system, laboratory investigations including fasting blood glucose, post prandial blood glucose, glycosylated Hb, urine sugar, and a Questionnaire on Quality of Life. Statistically highly significant improvement (p &lt;0.001) was observed on FBS and PPBS. Â Statistically significant improvement was observed on urine sugar and glycosylated haemoglobin with p &lt;0.05 and p&lt;0.01 respectively. In terms of subjective parameters also, highly significant improvement, with p &lt;0.001 was observed in Shaithilya, Mukha Sosha, Sandhi Shoola, Prabhuta Mutrata, Pipasa and Kshudha. Highly significant improvement was observed in quality of life statistically with p &lt;0.001. The study revealed that Shilajatu can be used as a drug in the management of Prameha.

Yoga Therapy Research: A Whole-Systems Perspective on Comparative Effectiveness and Patient-Centered Outcomes.

For the yoga research community to capitalize on its current momentum, it is critical to consider certain developments in research theory and innovative methodologies. The concept of model validity must be incorporated in yoga therapy research so that explanatory constructs employed and outcome measures chosen reflect the principles of traditional yogic science. Focusing on effectiveness research will ensure maximum generalizability of study results and reflect real-world therapy delivery settings, thereby increasing the relevance of outcomes. Whole systems of healing require research methodologies that address complex relationships between multi-target therapies with multiple potential treatment results. Complex, dynamic systems theory provides the theoretical and methodological innovations necessary to design studies, choose outcomes, and analyze data in a way that can account for charting complex, cyclical, therapeutic trajectories across time. Emphasizing patient-centered outcomes is aligned with the patent-oriented and tailored natured of yoga therapy delivery. Increasing the quality and quantity of comparative effectiveness research to analyze the harms and benefits of contrasting therapies can provide an infrastructure for designing studies that can have significant practical impact. The creation of practice-based research networks within the yoga research community will incentivize links between mainstream clinical researchers and yoga therapy delivery settings, ultimately developing collaborative networks. Yoga therapy centers can facilitate patient recruitment for studies and inform standards for yoga researchers. Collaborative efforts between the yoga and ayurvedic research communities will streamline efforts, solidify expertise, cross-pollinate theoretical and methodological innovation, and consolidate efforts to secure research funding and increase publication and dissemination of study findings.

Literature searches on Ayurveda: An update.

Introduction:The journals that publish on Ayurveda are increasingly indexed by popular medical databases in recent years. However, many Eastern journals are not indexed biomedical journal databases such as PubMed. Literature searches for Ayurveda continue to be challenging due to the nonavailability of active, unbiased dedicated databases for Ayurvedic literature. In 2010, authors identified 46 databases that can be used for systematic search of Ayurvedic papers and theses. This update reviewed our previous recommendation and identified current and relevant databases.Aims:To update on Ayurveda literature search and strategy to retrieve maximum publications.Methods:Author used psoriasis as an example to search previously listed databases and identify new. The population, intervention, control, and outcome table included keywords related to psoriasis and Ayurvedic terminologies for skin diseases. Current citation update status, search results, and search options of previous databases were assessed. Eight search strategies were developed. Hundred and five journals, both biomedical and Ayurveda, which publish on Ayurveda, were identified. Variability in databases was explored to identify bias in journal citation.Results:Five among 46 databases are now relevant – AYUSH research portal, Annotated Bibliography of Indian Medicine, Digital Helpline for Ayurveda Research Articles (DHARA), PubMed, and Directory of Open Access Journals. Search options in these databases are not uniform, and only PubMed allows complex search strategy. “The Researches in Ayurveda” and “Ayurvedic Research Database” (ARD) are important grey resources for hand searching. About 44/105 (41.5%) journals publishing Ayurvedic studies are not indexed in any database. Only 11/105 (10.4%) exclusive Ayurveda journals are indexed in PubMed.Conclusion:AYUSH research portal and DHARA are two major portals after 2010. It is mandatory to search PubMed and four other databases because all five carry citations from different groups of journals. The hand searching is important to identify Ayurveda publications that are not indexed elsewhere. Availability information of citations in Ayurveda libraries from National Union Catalogue of Scientific Serials in India if regularly updated will improve the efficacy of hand searching. A grey database (ARD) contains unpublished PG/Ph.D. theses. The AYUSH portal, DHARA (funded by Ministry of AYUSH), and ARD should be merged to form single larger database to limit Ayurveda literature searches.

Sense and Evidence

This paper takes an ethnographic look at laboratory discourses and procedures in the scientific construction of contemporary ayurvedic research in India. It opens up for analysis an experiment in a ‘transdisciplinary’ research laboratory that seeks to understand the methodological and epistemic logic of ayurvedic pharmacology with the help of research methodologies specific to modern Science. In doing so, this paper unravels the various meanings that Science has for its different stakeholders. I examine—as participant, observer, and trainee—a ‘Sensory Analysis’ experiment conducted by scientists at a pharmacology and pharmacognosy laboratory for ayurvedic medicine in Bangalore. Postcolonial science studies have analysed the ways in which discourses of science lead to new knowledges and technologies as well as new ways of organising traditional medical knowledge. Yet the processes that reconcile traditional and modern methodologies of pharmacological and pharmacognostic research have received less attention. The experiment that I am discussing here revisits the ayurvedic doctrine of savours and qualities to standardise not only the parameters indicating the nature of a drug, but also standardise the human body itself as a tool to develop a specific ayurvedic methodology. I argue that in its association with the laboratory and the experimental method, the pursuit of ‘open-minded’dravyaguṇaresearch conceptualises new research in Ayurveda in terms of the right tools, simplifies complex knowledge, and reorganises the relationship of modern ayurvedic research with classical scientific thought.