Siddha Practitioners Research Articles

Comparison of different varmam approaches by varmam practitioners of various places in Tamil Nadu in the treatment of thandaga vadham (lumbar spondylosis)

Introduction and Aim: Varmam is a unique technique used by Siddhars and followed by Siddha physicians. The Varmam technique is a double-edged sword as it could be used both positively and negatively and is taught only through Guru Kulakalvi (Guru- Seizhya manner) by Varmam practitioners to only a few students having Sivayogi characters. This study aims to recover and establish different Varmam approaches used in the treatment of Thandaga vadham from various assan practicing in different places of Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: In this study, 9 Varmam assan were selected from 3 different zonal areas of Tamil Nadu. The survey involved mentor name, disease diagnosing methods, terms, precautions, patient preparation, Varmapulligal –location, technical methods, contraindications, Pathiyam-Abathiyam advice, etc., Results: Among 9 assan, the survey questionnaires give salient information about varmam therapy in that same anatomical location with multiple local terminologies, different kinds of technique and methodology, duration of technique, the importance of medication and Varma kanjikal etc., Conclusion: This study would help in initiating the standardization of varmam points and techniques as well as help Siddha practitioners in selecting/choosing varmam techniques and methods in the treatment of thandaga vadham.

Documentation of the different approaches of Varman by Varman practitioners in Tamilnadu for Azhalkeel Vaayu (Knee Joint pain)

Varmam is a unique therapeutic technique discovered by Siddhars. Immediate pain relief is possible by manipulating Varmam points. Various schools of thought exist among Siddha practitioners. This treatment methodology is taught by the Guru Disciple method (Gurukulamkalvi). Each guru had some uniqueness in their treatment methodology. There is no standard compilation and documentation available about these treatment methodologies. Many cases were treated with the complaint of knee joint pain in Varmam OPD, GSMC, Chennai. This study aims to find the differences and similarities between the treatment methodologies practiced by Varmam practitioners and to document the uniqueness of Varmam points for Knee joint pain. Methodology: The study was conducted in three zones of Tamil Nadu. The response rate for this study is 66.67%. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 20 questions which took 20 minutes for the practitioner to fill and the written consent form was obtained from the Varmam practitioners. Result: This study indicates that each Varmam practitioner who trained under different guru-disciple methods had different approaches to treating knee joint pain. Overall 45 different Varmam names were collected from the practitioners. Some of these points share the same anatomical location. Some Varmam point names are more common among many practitioners but their anatomical location varies. Many controversies arise among the Varmam practitioners on locating the Varmam points. Compiling and documenting these points used by Varmam practitioners of different guru-disciple methods will pave way for future studies on standardizing the location of Varmam points.

Development of database structure and indexing for siddha medicine system - A platform for siddha literature analytics.

Siddha Medicine system is one among the oldest traditional systems of medicines in India and has its entire literature in the Tamil language in the form of poems (padal in tamil). Even if the siddha poems are available in public domain, they are not known to other parts of the world because, researchers of other languages are not able to understand the contents of these poems and there exists a language barrier. Hence there is a need to develop a system to extract structured information from these texts to facilitate searching, comparing, analysis and implementing. This study aimed at creating a comprehensive digital database system that systematically stores information from classical Siddha poems and to develop a web portal to facilitate information retrieval for comparative and logical analysis of Siddha content. We developed an expert system for siddha (eSS) that can collect, annotate classical siddha text, and visualizes the pattern in siddha medical prescriptions (Siddha Formulations) that can be useful for exploration in this system using modern techniques like machine learning and artificial learning. eSS has the following three aspects: (1) extracting data from Siddha classical text (2) defining the annotation method and (3) visualizing the patterns in the medical prescriptions based on multiple factors mentioned in the Siddha system of medicine. The data from three books were extracted, annotated and integrated into the developed eSS database. The annotations were used for analyzing the pattern in the drug prescriptions as a pilot work. Overall, 110 medicinal preparations from 2 Siddhars (Agathiyar and Theran) were extracted and annotated. The generated annotations were indexed into the data repository created in eSS. The system can compare and visualize individual and multiple prescriptions to generate a hypothesis for siddha practitioners and researchers. We propose an eSS framework using standard siddha terminologies created by WHO to have a standard expert system for siddha. This proof-of-concept work demonstrated that the database can effectively process and visualize data from siddha formulations which can help students, researchers from siddha and other various fields to expand their research in herbal medicines.

Challenges Faced by the Traditional Medical Practitioners from Siddha System towards Transition to Information Technology-based Approaches at Chennai, India

Traditional System of Medicine has its strong roots in human life since eons. The wellbeing and health care needs of the Human kind has been taken care consistently by this profound historical medical system. One such system of medicine which has its origin from Southern part of India is Siddha System of Medicine. Siddha framework is a treasure-house of mystery science, epitomizing the consequences of the ardent pursuit thereof by the old Siddhars. The registered and traditional Siddha Doctors practice these ancient medical services - based on the treasured Palm scripts of Siddhars. A major part of these manuscripts are more defenseless than the recorded conventional information. In this manner, the current review was planned to report and quantitatively dissect the neighborhood information on the customary Siddha practitioners in Chennai. This article highlights the challenges encountered by the Siddha practitioners towards the transition to an information technology-based approach in the Siddha system of medicine at Chennai. In this study, a questionnaire was provided to 56 Siddha practitioners in Chennai and the data were evaluated based on a questionnaire pertaining to utilisation of big data repository, use of electronic reporting, personalized patient care management, evidence-based decision supporting system using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and data on preventive diseases. The study observed that the practitioners felt a strong need for change to IT-based systems for recording the personalized patient care management and utilising the databases for reporting the various aspects observed.

Evaluation of Acute and Long-term Toxicity of Siddha Formulation Annabethi Chendhuram

Introduction: Annabethi Chendhuram is extensively used for the treatment of anaemia by Siddha practitioners. But concerns about the safety of drugs are raised in the current era due to a lack of scientific validation. Aim: The present study was conducted to determine the acute and long-term toxicity of Annabethi chendhuram. Methods: Acute and long-term toxicity of Annabethi chendhuram were evaluated as per WHO guidelines in Wistar albino rats. In the acute study, 250mg/kg.b.wt of test drug was given for animals then observed for any toxic signs and mortality up to 14 days. In a long-term toxicity study, a test drug was administered at the dose of 25, 125 and 250mg/kg/b.wt/p.o/day for animals up to 90 days and observed for mortality and morbidity. All animals were sacrificed at the end of the study. Haematology, biochemical parameters and histopathological examination were analyzed. Result: In the acute toxicity study, no toxic signs or death were observed in all animals. In the long-term toxicity study, no significant differences were observed in body weight changes, food intake, water intake, haematology, biochemical parameters and histopathology of both control and test groups. Conclusion: The study result concludes that the long-term oral administration of 250 mg/kg.b.wt of Annabethi chendhuram did not cause any toxic effect in rats. So, the drug is safe for human consumption.

Attitude of practitioners from siddha system of medicine towards the implementation of personalised patient care management (PPCM) with special reference to siddha health care centers in Chennai

Traditional Medicine system has its strong roots towards the existence and wellbeing of the Mankind. This system has been developed based on the experience since the Humankind came to existence in this world. The world has moulded itself to bring out this treasured medical system in a well organised way of utilisation to the needy public. One such traditional medical system is Siddha System of Medicine. It has its origin from Southern part of India with history beyond 3000 years. The Modern era of Information-technology based approach for Personalised Patient Care Management system has taken a phenomenal growth. However, the said technological advancement is yet to be organised and implemented in all sectors of Siddha Health Care centres. This will also facilitate health care professionals for making appropriate decisions in Patient care with the help of the available information and tools. Accordingly, the attitude of the Practitioners is required to be assessed before implementation. This study aims to bring out the attitude of Siddha Practitioners towards impact of Information technology based Personalised Patient Care Management (PPCM) in the Siddha Health care centres in Chennai.

Mercurial Medicines

Abstract Using ethnographic data, this article suggests that the therapeutic use of various mercury compounds in siddha medicine has so far not decreased despite international regulation of the substance and discussions surrounding the safety of mercury. Siddha practitioners portray mercury as central to their therapeutics. The article demonstrates this for different contexts, including the preparation of mercuric medicines; the production of mercury amulets; and recent research studies on mercury-based siddha drugs, targeting, for instance, dementia-related syndromes. Contextualizing siddha mercurial procedures and preparations through interlinking therapeutic, historical, and global frames underscores the fact that mercury use in siddha medicine today derives from alchemical traditions, but also transcends them. It is embedded in political contexts of science and healthcare in India, as it answers to concerns about safety and toxicity and at the same time takes center stage in negotiating siddha medical specialty and alterity vis-à-vis other medical practices, most notably ayurveda.

Indian herbal formulation Kaba Sura Kudineer possesses the most powerful ligands to block ACE2-RBD interaction of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Medicinal herbs play an important role in the primary health care system of developing countries and always uphold the importance of ethnomedicinal studies in the drug discovery process. Indian Siddha practitioners urged people to consume a polyherbal formulation named ‘Kaba Sura kudineer (KSK)’ as a prophylactic measure against COVID-19. To validate the presence of anti-COVID 19 agents if any in KSK, virtual screening of 80 phytochemicals was done by blind docking, fixing the RBD-ACE2 complex as the target using PyRx software. The binding energy of the compounds was calculated using Autodock Vina. The SWISSADME server was used to identify the phytochemicals that obey the Lipinski rule and the blood-brain barrier permeability of the compounds. The outcome of the study revealed that phytochemicals such as diosgenin, diosgenone, coumaperine, bisdemethoxycurcumin, tinocordifolin, isovanillinand 1,8-Cineole displayed hydrogen bond interactions with the complex residues in the interacting site (−8.9 to −5.1 kcal/mol) and were found to obey the Lipinski rule as well as possess blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Based on the highest docking score and the more number of interacting residues at the active site herein we suggest diosgenin and bisdemethoxycurcumin as potential inhibitors of SARS-Co-V-2.

Effect of Kabasura Kudineer Extract on Inflammatory Cytokines [Interleukin-6 and Tumour Necrosis Factor-α] in Lung Cancer Cell Line A549

Background: Kabasura kudineer is widely known for its anticancer efficiency. Kabasura kudineer is a customary formulation used by siddha practitioners for effectively managing common respiratory illness. Herbal medicines are acknowledged as a great approach to lung cancer therapy. Aim of the study is to know about the anticancer property of Kabasura kudineer extract on inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α in lung cancer cell line (A549).
 Materials and Methods: Human lung cancer cell line (A549) was purchased from National Centre for Cell Sciences (NCCS), Pune, India. Cell viability test was done by MTT assay. Gene expression analysis was done by Real Time-PCR. The obtained data were analysed statistically by one-way analysis of variance and Duncan’s multiple range test with Graph Pad Prism version 5 to analyse the significance. The significance was considered at p<0.05 level in Duncan’s test.
 Results and Discussion: Kabasura kudineer caused a marked increase in cell death in dose dependent manner. AT the end of 48 hours, maximum inhibition was at 400 and 500 μg/ml. Kabasura kudineer extract reduced the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α compared to the control cells.
 Conclusion: This study concluded that Kabasura kudineer extract has anticancer activity on lung cancer cell lines (A549).

Knowledge of Breastfeeding and Kangaroo Mother Care Practices Among General Practitioners in Rural Western India.

Breastfeeding and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) are interventions to reduce neonatal mortality and undernutrition. We investigated the knowledge of allopathic and Ayurvedic, Yoga-naturopathy, Siddha, and Homeopathic (AYUSH) general practitioners in rural western India and identified attributes associated with awareness and knowledge on these topics. This cross-sectional study of general practitioners in the Anand district of Gujarat, India, used an anonymous self-reported survey. Multivariable regression models were used to identify practitioner attributes associated with awareness and knowledge. Among the 158 respondents, a quarter (26.0%) were trained in allopathic medicine and 63.0% had practiced for 5 years or more. The average score of breastfeeding knowledge was 8.0 of 13. Most (79.1%) did not have any awareness of KMC. After adjusting for potential confounders, knowledge of breastfeeding practices among AYUSH practitioners was 4-fold greater than that of allopathic practitioners (incidence rate ratio: 3.9; 95% CI: 3.2-4.6). By contrast, AYUSH practitioners had 80% decreased odds of awareness about KMC compared with allopathic practitioners (odds ratio: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.3). This study demonstrates distinct knowledge gaps among allopathic and AYUSH general practitioners regarding breastfeeding and KMC. There is a need for tailored continuing medical education among general practitioners to enhance their clinical knowledge of newborn care practices to achieve improvements in neonatal health.

A Review on Efficacy of Siddha Medicinal Herbs as Antiviral Drugs against COVID-19

In a very short time, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has become a global pandemic. It has infected about 29,155,581 patients and brought forth death rate about 926,544 among 216 countries as recorded by World Health Organization on 15th September 2020. At present, there is no specific and direct treatment or vaccine for this infectious disease. No therapeutic options available to cure the infection in till date which increases the mortality rate across the countries. Currently there is no antiviral treatments have been approved, several approaches have been proposed in western medicine, Chinese medicine, CAM, AYUSH and other systems. Siddha Herbal medicines are achieving high attention because of the extensive therapeutics like potent anti-microbial, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India recommended 12 Siddha herbals (Inji – Zingiber officinale, Thulasi – Ocimum sanctum, Milaku – Piper nigrum, Karunjeeragam – Nigella sativa, Keezhanelli – Phyllanthus niruri, Adhimathuram – Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vellaippoondu – Allium sativum, Citramutti – Sida cardifolia, Seenthil – Tinospora cordifolia, Manjal – Curcuma longa, Elumitchai – Citrus lemon and Vembu – Azadirachta indica) for the prevention by enhancing immunity as well as for the management of this infectious disease in its recent official publication ‘Guidelines for Siddha Practitioners for COVID 19’. This is the common advisory and the anti-viral activity of these herbals against COVID 19 is not established yet. The current situation demands proper herbal drug utilization to prepare the population immunity to fight against the infection. The present review spotlight on the literature review and the review of pharmacological actions of these herbals.

Present Status of Traditional Healing with Animals and Animal Products in Siddha Medicine - A Literature Review

Siddha Medicine is one of the age-old practice of Indian medicine in the world, has played an essential role in human health care services from its inception. Since time immemorial extensive use of animals and their parts are being made used for therapeutic purposes. The objective of the study is to find out the number of animals from the Kingdom Animalia and their uses in Siddha Medicine which are mentioned in the Siddha Texts. The literature was obtained from the Unit of Siddha Medicine, the University of Jaffna were analyzed on the topic. Approximately 128 animals were found under the classification of Kingdom Animalia. Out of 8 main Phylum, 6 were most probably used by Siddha practitioners. They are as, Phylum Porifera(1%), Cnidaria(1%), Annelida(2%), Mollusca(6%), Chordata(77%), and Arthropoda(13%). Among these Phyla, Chordata acquires highest values in utilization especially the Class Mammalia. Different animals or animal parts used in medicaments and they contain certain chemical constituents. Yet they implicated in medicinal purposes, even by the modern medical sciences. They have various actions on the human body systems acting most on the digestive system, especially with Demulcent action. They act on other systems too. In this century the traditional knowledge is fast eroding due to modernization. The bottom line of the study is that there is an urgent need to make such a study in the field of zoology and conduct further researches appropriately which will render a great base for animal usage as medicine in the field of Siddha system.

Quantitative analysis of medicinal plants used to treat musculoskeletal ailments by non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India

BackgroundSiddha is one of the traditional medical systems of India; previous ethnobotanical survey in Virudhunagar district indicated a high consensus for treating musculoskeletal ailments. ObjectivesThis study was aimed to quantitatively document the medicinal plants used to treat musculoskeletal ailments by non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and methodsThis work was the outcome of free-list interviews conducted among 45 informants between April 2016 and January 2017. Sampling sufficiency was assessed by plotting Shannon–Wiener's index and cumulative number of UR. Informant consensus was assessed using Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) and Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR). ResultsThis study recorded the data regarding 116 plant species which were used to prepare 129 formulations; analysis of the data yielded 490 UR. Among these, 65.3% of UR dealt with internal applications and 34.6% dealt with external applications. In the case of internally used formulations, pain and general musculoskeletal ailments had high Fic values. In the case of externally used formulations, headache and pain had high Fic values. ConclusionImportant species prescribed by the informants to treat various musculoskeletal ailments were: Azima tetracantha, Ricinus communis, Sesamum indicum, Moringa oleifera, Cardiospermum halicacabum (internal application), Calophyllum inophyllum, Justicia adhatoda, Curcuma longa, Calotropis gigantea, Zingiber officinale, Withania somnifera, Strychnos nux-vomica, Dodonaea viscosa (external application), Azadirachta indica, Clerodendrum phlomidis,Delonix elata, Pergularia daemia and Vitex negundo (internal and external applications). Robust studies on these local claims will help to improve the community healthcare and will yield some novel agents to treat musculoskeletal ailments.

Morbidity profile of adult outpatients attending traditional medicine health facilities in a district of South India

BackgroundSiddha system is a complementary system of medicine popular in South India. Information on common morbidities for which people seek care in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) systems and especially in Siddha hospitals is very limited. This knowledge will help in prioritizing diseases and developing standard treatment guidelines.Objective(s)The present study was designed with the aim to describe the morbidity profile of the adult patients attending Siddha Out Patient Department (OPD) at Government Hospitals in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.Materials and methodsA facility-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among adult (15–59 years) patients, who attended Siddha Hospital OPDs during February, 2014. Two block level health facilities were randomly selected from ten block hospitals offering Siddha services in Erode district of Tamil Nadu. Information on socio-demographic characteristics like age, gender and education was captured using a pre-tested proforma. Diagnosis was done by treating Siddha practitioners as per reporting format. Data were single entered and analyzed using EpiData software.ResultsOf the total 1786 patients who attended the Siddha OPD, 1720 (96%) completed the interviews. Mean (Standard Deviation) age of participants was 41 (11) years and 913 (53%) were females; 20% had no formal education. Of 1720 participants, arthritis (21%), neuritis (10%), fungal diseases (7%) were the top three morbidities, with arthritis and neuritis being most common morbidities in both males and females.ConclusionArthritis, neuritis and fungal diseases were the most common morbidities, for which patients sought care in Siddha hospitals. These morbidities can be considered for preparing standard treatment guidelines under the national programme.

A study on food-medicine continuum among the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India

BackgroundMedicinal properties of the food species are one of the poorly documented and important areas of ethnopharmacology. The present survey quantitatively documented the medicinal foods prescribed by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.MethodsField work was carried out between December 2014 and April 2017 using a questionnaire. The illnesses mentioned by the informants were grouped as illness categories on the basis of emic perceptions. Sufficiency of sampling of this survey was assessed by plotting the cumulative number of UR and Shannon-Wiener’s index. The indices such as informant consensus factor (FIC), Index of Agreement on Remedies (IAR), and Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI) were calculated.ResultsThis study documented 165 medicinal foods used by 82 non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, and 73.93% of these preparations were plant based. Among the animal taxa, 82.05% were represented by fish taxa. The illness category gastrointestinal ailments is the majorly cited illness category treated with plant-based formulations. The illness categories viz., gastrointestinal ailments, hemorrhoids, and neural ailments had high consensus under the group of plant-based medicinal foods. In animal-based medicinal foods, kapha ailments had gained 23.07% of UR. The illness categories such as bone fractures, male reproductive ailments, blood ailments, and anabolic had high FIC values.ConclusionsDeeper studies on different dietary cultures of India may help to derive better interpretations on food-medicine continuum. This study identified some important claims such as the use of citron, pomegranate and Solanum americanum (gastrointestinal ailments), Abutilon indicum, onions and elephant foot yam (hemorrhoids), Boerhavia diffusa (urinary ailments), Moringa oleifera (anemia), Aloe vera (gynecological ailments), Eclipta prostrata (liver ailments), ivy gourd (diabetes), citron (hypertension), Centella asiatica (psychological ailments), spade nose shark (lactogogue), reticulate whipray (wheezing and bronchitis), Katelysia opima (impotence), Indian squid (anemia), and Indian oil sardine (anabolic). More studies on these claims will help identify novel functional foods to add to the field of medical nutrition therapy, with traditional brand identity. Robust studies on the documentation of the traditional knowledge on marine resources will yield a good database for various stakeholders and policy makers.

Standardization of in vitro assays to evaluate the activity of polyherbal siddha formulations against Chikungunya virus infection.

Chikungunya, a viral fever caused by Aedes mosquito results in extreme morbidity in affected individuals and is a major public health concern in India. Currently, modern vaccines or formulations prescribed by physicians can only provide symptomatic relief for the pyretic and post pyretic phase of the disease. Siddha practitioners follows strict medical regimen based on traditional Indian knowledge/concepts to treat Chikungunya with considerable results. The current study was undertaken to standardize assays for the study of these siddha formulations and to check their efficacy and potential mode of action as antivirals for Chikungunya virus infection in in vitro system. Although, siddha practitioners follow a regime containing 4-6 formulations, of these Brahmanandha bairavam mathirai, a part of the regime for Chikungunya followed at National Institute of Siddha and Vishnu chakram along with Brahmanandha bairavam mathirai, a part of Thiruchergodu Regime were found of have antiviral activities. It was observed that both Vishnu chakram and Brahmanandha bairavam mathirai were equally effective in blocking Chikungunya virus from entering susceptible cells in the concentrations range of 0.0625 and 0.5mg/ml. Additionally, it was also observed that Brahmanandha bairavam mathirai was more effective than Vishnu chakram against entry of Chikungunya in the cells. The assays used in this study provides insights to the possible mode of action of various formulations used by siddha practitioners for the treatment of Chikungunya infection.

Quantification of ethnodietetic knowledge among noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners of Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, India

BackgroundIt is well known that diet plays a vital role in the pathogenesis, prevention, and management of diseases. In indigenous medical systems of India, diet is an integral component of treatment, and such knowledge is poorly documented. This study quantified the consensus about the dietary recommendations prescribed by the noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners of Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu, India. MethodsAfter obtaining prior informed consent, 87 noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners were interviewed using the free-list method. The data were segregated into different groups and the consensus was analyzed using informant consensus factor (Fic). ResultsIn the case of recommended diets, blood ailments, fever, hemorrhoids, male infertility, kapha, and dermatological ailments had high Fic values. In this group, 500 use-reports were recorded for the treatment of 27 illness categories. The fruits of Vitis vinifera (blood ailments), Panicum sumatrense (fever), and Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (hemorrhoids) were the highly recommended foods. In the case of restricted diets, dermatological ailments, jaundice, gastrointestinal, vadha, and blood ailments had high Fic values and 26 illness categories were reported with 368 citations. In this category, Solanum melongena (dermatological ailments), Tamarindus indica (jaundice and anemia), and Gallus gallus domesticus (gastrointestinal ailments) were the important restricted foods. ConclusionThe results of this study indicated that a major portion of local knowledge, other than that of local uses of medicinal species, is still undocumented and underutilized. If the recommendations of dietary changes take the claims from local knowledge beyond scientific evidence, the rate of adherence may increase, since these recommendations have a traditional-brand identity. This study also warrants the need of scientific analyses in some cases.

Documentation of traditional Siddha medicines for skin diseases from Katpadi taluk, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India

IntroductionTraditional Indian system of Siddha medicine practised over thousands of years has recently gained worldwide attention. Siddha medicine is the native medicinal system of Tamil Nadu. The present study aimed to document the various practises and medications followed by Siddha practitioners in treating various skin diseases form Katpadi taluk in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, India. MethodsA qualitative and quantitative ethnopharmacological survey was carried out among 22 Siddha practitioners about herbal remedies and sastric (traditional) formulations prescribed by them for various skin diseases. Successive free listing method was utilized for documenting the healers’ knowledge on medicinal plants and Siddha formulations. The data were analyzed using Informant Consensus factor (Fic), use value (UV) and Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR). ResultsThe healers prescribed a wide range of herbal remedies along with mineral based formulations. The study documented around 102 plant species and 23 sastric formulations for the treatment of 19 skin diseases. Based on the quantitative metrics fungal infections had high Fic value (0.98) followed by Acne vulgaris (0.96). ConclusionThe study emphasizes the usage of numerous plant and mineral based medications for major skin illness by many Siddha healers of the region. Further, in-depth scientific analysis on these herbal and herbo-mineral formulations is required in order to validate their usage. In addition, the validations not only highlight the significance of Siddha medicine in treating the diseases but also highlight its importance and uniqueness.

Quantitative Ethnobotanical Survey of Traditional Siddha Medical Practitioners from Thiruvarur District with Hepatoprotective Potentials through In Silico Methods

The aim of the present study was to document the knowledge of traditional Siddha medical practitioners from Thiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu, India, and to quantitatively analyze the data to identify some useful leads of medicinal plants and to screening the phytocomounds. Field study was carried out for a period of 1year in Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu. The ethnomedicinal information were collected from Siddha medical practitioners. The collected data were analyzed through quantitative analysis. The molecular docking studies were performed three marketed drugs and eleven different medicinal plant compounds against HBeAg using Schrodinger suite. A total of 33 species of plants distributed in 22 genera belonging to 22 families were identified as commonly used ethno medicinal plants by traditional Siddha practitioners in Thiruvarur. An interesting point in molecular docking study is that luteolin is an effective inhibitor for the inhibition of HBV when compared to commercial drugs. Traditional Siddha medical practitioner and remarkable medicinal plant knowledge and uses were documented for the study area.

Quantitative ethnomedicinal survey of medicinal plants given for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India

Ethnobotanical relevanceThe burden of cardiometabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, visceral obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and the use of traditional medicine for the management of such diseases are high in India; hence there is a need to document and analyze such therapies. Aim of the studyThis study documented and analyzed the medicinal plants prescribed for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. MethodologyThe field survey was conducted between December 2014 to November 2015. Successive free listing assisted with field-walks was used to interview the informants. After assessing the sampling sufficiency using rarefaction curve analysis, indices such as Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) and Index of Agreement on Remedies (IAR) were calculated for the data. The indicators of informant's medicinal plant knowledge such as Shannon's index, equitability index, etc., were regressed with the demographic profile of the informants. ResultsFor this study 70 non-institutionally trained Siddha medical practitioners were approached; the data from 36 practitioners who were treating cardiometabolic diseases were documented. This study recorded the use of 188 species which were used to prepare 368 formulations to treat illnesses categorized under cardiometabolic diseases. In this, 53.04% claims were singletons. Regression analysis showed that single species dominance was reduced and the diversity of medicinal plants was increased with the increase in the age and experience. Increase in the years of formal education increased the equitability in the uses. The plants such as Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (cardiovascular diseases), Allium sativum L. (dyslipidemia), Cuminum cyminum L. (hypertension), Macrotyloma uniflorum Verdc. (obesity) and Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (type 2 diabetes) were the highly cited medicinal plants. ConclusionThis survey has identified the plants most commonly used by Siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India for cardiometabolic diseases. The prevalence of chronic, non-communicable metabolic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity are increasing worldwide due to the rapid changes in the lifestyle. These ailments require a life-long care and in such instances, people tend to use complementary therapies in most cases, alongside with conventional therapies. In view of the high use of traditional therapies for treating cardiometabolic illnesses, this study supports the need for more research to evaluate the potential benefits of the treatments and to identify any safety concern.