Ayurveda and the medical knowledge in ancient India: Shadows and realities

Ayurveda is the Indian system of professional medicine that has come down to us from ancient times. In this paper, I look at the system from a researcher’s point of view, critically examining the given or perceived view on Ayurveda in recent times. In this sense, it might look like a contrarian view or counter position to the narrative that one sees around with regard to its origin, place of origin, date, non/religious background, etc. The paper deals with Ayurveda as an independent tradition of medicine sans ascription to any religion, the possible influences of other systems on Ayurveda, and the three great luminaries of the system, namely, Caraka, Susruta, and Vagbhata.

Cure from the rhizomes: the medicine behind the Indian saffron Curcumin

Indian system of medicine has always focused on cure from the nature. Plant products from the Indian household have been used as medicine to cure myriad of ailments since ancestral times. Curcumin is a polyphenol, an active ingredient found in turmeric. In Southeast Asia, turmeric has been used as a coloring, flavoring and as a therapeutic agent. The use of turmeric to treat ailments dates back to the times of Charaka and Shushrutha. It has been widely used as an antiseptic for cuts, burns, and bruises, and as an antibacterial agent. Modern medicine has begun to understand its importance in recent times. Unfortunately its poor solubility, limited absorption and enhanced metabolism limits its bioavailability for its extended therapeutic use. Integration of nanotechnology in drug design and development has led the way to development of nanocurcumin with improved pharmacological properties. A precise understanding of effective dose, safety, and mechanism of action is required for the rational use of turmeric in the treatment of human diseases. This review focuses on the molecular actions of curcumin and its possibility to be used as a therapeutic agent in conditions affecting oral mucosa.

Determination of betulinic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from Achyranthes aspera L. using RP-UFLC-DAD analysis and evaluation of various parameters for their optimum yield.

Achyranthes aspera L. is a well known herb commonly used in traditional system of Indian medicine to treat various disorders, such as cough, dysentery, gonorrhea, piles, kidney stone, pneumonia, renal dropsy, skin eruptions, snake bite, etc. Here, we used RP-UFLC-DAD method for determining triterpenoids betulinic acid (BA), oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) from A. aspera. Optimum yield of these compounds were studied and evaluated using parameters viz., method of extraction, time of extraction, age of plant and plant parts (leaves, stem and roots). Linear relationships in RP-UFLC-DAD analysis were obtained in the range 0.05-100 µg/mL with 0.035, 0.042 and 0.033 µg/mL LOD for BA, OA and UA, respectively. Of the variables tested, extraction method and parts used significantly affected content yield. Continuous shaking extraction (CSE) at ambient temperature gave better extraction efficiency than exposure to ultra sonic extraction (USE) or microwave assisted extraction (MAE) methods. The highest content of BA, OA and UA were determined individually in leaf, stem and root extracts with CSE. Collective yield of these triterpenoids were higher in leaf part exposed to 15 min USE method. To best of our knowledge, the study newly reports UA from A. aspera and the same was confirmed using ATR-FT-IR studies. This study explains the distribution pattern of these major triterpenoids and optimum extraction parameters in detail.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of polyherbal preparation UNIM-352 in experimental models of bronchial asthma.

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways and pharmacotherapy is dependent on anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator agents. However, adverse effects of these agents on chronic administration and sometimes non-responsiveness to these drugs have prompted the search for viable alternatives from medicinal plant sources. UNIM-352 is a polyherbal preparation traditionally used in the Unani system of Indian medicine for the treatment of bronchial asthma. The present study defines the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of UNIM-352 in experimental models of bronchial asthma and validates the observed therapeutically beneficial effects. Wistar rats were immunized and challenged with ovalbumin, and blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were assayed for cytological and biochemical markers. UNIM-352 (200 and 400 mg/kg) markedly reduced the eosinophil and neutrophil counts in both blood and BAL compared to control. The polyherbal agent also attenuated the levels of TNF-α, IL-4, GM-CSF and NF-κB whereas histone deacetylase (HDAC) levels were elevated, in both blood and BAL fluid. All effects of UNIM-352 were comparable with the standard drug, prednisolone. The results demonstrated possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of UNIM-352 and thus explain its beneficial effects in bronchial asthma.

Antileishmanial efficacy of Boerhaavia diffusa L. and Ocimum sanctum L. against experimental visceral leishmaniasis.

The chemotherapy of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has several limitations including resistance and toxicity of the existing drugs. Down regulation of immune system further aggravates the problems. To combat this situation we evaluated the leishmanicidal efficacy of Boerhaavia diffusa and Ocimum sanctum through oral route in L. donovani infection in BALB/c mice. Results have demonstrated maximum clearance of the parasites from infected animals treated with combination of B. diffusa and O. sanctum (@ 100 and 400 mg/kg body wt., respectively 5 days) as depicted through Leishman Donovan Units in liver. Up-regulation of cell-mediated immunity was also observed in animals of this group as heightened delayed type hypersensitivity responses and increased IgG2a levels were observed. Moreover, increased levels of SGOT, SGPT, serum urea, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were brought down to normal levels. Since VL is associated immunosuppression, the above treatment is a good option as it helps in the up-regulation of Th1 responses and reduction in parasite load in L. donovani infected mice. These findings suggest a new option for antileishmanial chemotherapy at lower cost and nil toxicity.

Current situation analysis on resource and service of traditional medicine of China and India / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To Analyze the development tendency and major influential factors of the resource and service of traditional medicine (TM) by contrasting the statistical data between China and India.Methods The research data came from the governmental statistical date of traditional medicine.The main statistical indicators included:number of TM hospitals,number of beds in TM institutions,number of health personnel of TM,number of visits and inpatients of TM institutions.A contrastive analysis was given based on these data over the period of 2008-2012.Results In 2012,the number of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital per ten million populations was 25.1,the number of Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM) hospital per ten million populations was 25.9; the number of beds in TCM institutions per ten thousand populations was 4.5,the number of beds in TIM institutions per ten thousand populations was 0.5; the number of TCM physicians and physician assistants per ten thousand populations was 2.6,the number of TIM physicians and physician assistants per ten thousand populations was 5.9.In 2012,the numbers of visits and inpatients of governmental public TCM hospitals were 426.671 million and 16.882 million; the numbers of visits and inpatients of governmental public TIM hospitals were 73.445 million and 0.947 million.Conclusion There was no significant difference in the number of TM hospitals per ten million populations between China and India.China had obviously advantages in the number of beds in TM institutions,number of visits and inpatients of TM institution.India had obviously advantages in the number of TM health personnel.

Review on the research progress of Ayurvedic medicine / 国际中医中药杂志

This paper reviewed the research progress of Ayurvedic medicine in domestic and abroad.The main contents included:the research progress of ayurvedic ancient records and basic theories,morden pharmacological studies,experimental and clinical studies,etc.

Genitoplastia em bebês indianas: encontros e desencontros da medicina, bioética e cultura / Genitoplasty in indian babies: agreements and disagreements of medicine, bioethics and culture / Genitoplastia en bebés de la India: acuerdos y desacuerdos de la medicina, la bioética y la cultura

O presente artigo visa analisar os aspectos bioéticos relacionados às recentes práticas de genitoplastia em bebês do sexo feminino na Índia, levando em conta os principais aspectos que influenciam essa prática sob os pontos de vista psicológico, fisiológico, sociocultural e histórico. O método baseou-se na revisão bibliográfica de artigos publicados em base de dados como SciELO e Pubmed e na leitura de livros-texto referentes ao tema. Na discussão, foram analisados aspectos históricos e mitológicos que contribuíram para a construção da posição atual da mulher indiana na sociedade, reunindo conceitos de cultura e aspectos sociais associados ao tema. Entre os argumentos contrários à realização de genitoplastia se destacam os prejuízos à saúde da menina e, sobre tudo, o questionamento ético da atitude de pais e médicos. Mediante a análise de todos esses fatores, concluiu-se que o resultado dessa prática é nocivo à bebê e foram sugeridas medidas para a extinção do procedimento.

Este aroculo tiene como objetivo principal el análisis de los aspectos bioéticos relacionados a las recientes prácticas de Genitoplastia realizadas en bebés del sexo femenino en la India, teniendo en cuenta los princpales aspectos que influencian dicha práctica desde un punto de vista psicológico, fisiológico, sociocultural e histórico. El método utilizado se ha basado en el estudio bibliográfico de aroculos cienoficos sacados de páginas web, tal como SciELO y Pubmed, y en la lectura de libros de texto referentes al tema. En la discusión, se analizaron aspectos históricos y mitológicos que contribuyeron a la construcción de la posición de la mujer india en la sociedad, reuniendo conceptos acerca de la cultura y aspectos sociales relacionados al tema en cuestión. Entre los argumentos en contra de la realización de la Genitoplastia se destacan los daños causados a la salud de la niña y, sobre todo, el cuestionamiento ético de la actitud de los padres y de los médicos. Tras analizarse todos los factores concernientes, se llega a la conclusión de que el resultado de esta práctica es nocivo al bebé y fueron sugeridas algunas medidas para la extinción del procedimiento.

The objective of the present article is to discuss the bioethical aspects of recent genitoplasty practices in female babies in India, taking into consideration psychological, physiological, social, cultural and historical issues that influence such practice. The methodology was based on reviews of articles published in the databases of SciELO and Pubmed websites and on the reading of books which could validate our reasoning. In the discussion, historical and mythological aspects that have built the current position of the woman in the Indian society were addressed, by gathering culture concepts and social subjects related to the theme. Among arguments against the performance of genitoplasty, harms to the girl’s health were highlighted, and mainly the ethical questioning of parents and doctors attitude. Through the analysis of all these factors, it was concluded that the result is harmful to the infant and some measures for the extinction of the procedure were suggested.

The Hippocratic oath: A comparative analysis of the ancient text's relevance to American and Indian modern medicine.

Hippocrates (460-375 B.C.), an ancient Greek physician considered the "Father of Medicine," constructed the groundwork for the principles of ethics in medicine over 2,500 years ago in his establishment of the Hippocratic Oath. One of the oldest binding documents in history, the text has remained the ethical template for physicians to this day. The changing cultural and social environment of modern society, accompanied by the advancement in scientific knowledge and therapeutic tools, has surfaced the need to reframe ethical perspective in modern medicine. Progress in aspects such as organ transplantation, stem cell technology, and genetic engineering has welcomed a new set of ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas have become intimately intertwined with the impact of commercialization, as seen by the interplay between legislation, health care, and pharmaceutical businesses. This paper seeks to dissect the principles of the original Hippocratic Oath and analyze the template in relation to the ethical dilemmas presented by contemporary medicine. Examination will provide a deeper understanding of the paradigm shift in modern medical ethics. Both the value of the Oath and the level of awareness of modern ethical dilemmas through the lens of American and Indian medical graduates will be assessed.

Science, religion and ethics: the religious ethical basis of Indian science of medicine / Ciencia religión y ética: los fundamentos éticos religiosos de la ciencia médica india / Ciência, religião e ética: os fundamentos éticos religiosos da ciência médica

It is often said that in Ayurveda, the Indian science of medicine, the scientific concerns are muddled up with religious and metaphysical convictions. This paper reies to show how while retaining the experiential route of science intact, Ayurveda shares certain imporant concerns with religion and philosophy in India. It affirms that this ultimately has helped Ayurveda successfully avoiding the problems associated with multiple ontologies--owing to a separation of science from values. This paper will examine some important religious assumptions that play vital role in the conception and practice of the science of Ayurveda and how such approaches contributed in developing and integraing a strong code of medical ethics into the practice of medicine. The first section of the paper will bring out the experiential route of Ayurveda. The second section examines the concepts of disease and health/wellbeing in Ayurveda, in order to bring tout the ethical outlook ingrained in it. The thirs section will analyse some fundamental postulates for Indian ethics and attempts to show that with the Vedic conception of Rita -cosmic moral order- Ayurveda uniquely defines itself as a way of physical, mental and ethical living, which aims at a very comprehensive notion of wellbeing.

Se dice a menudo que en Ayurveda, en la ciencia de la medicina India, se encuentran entremezcladas las preocupaciones científicas con convicciones religiosas y metafísicas. Este artículo trata de mostrar que, manteniendo intacta la ruta experimental de la ciencia, Ayurveda comparte ciertas preocupaciones importantes de la religión y la filosofía en la India. Afirma que esto definitivamente ha ayudado a Ayurveda a evitar con éxito problemas asociados con ontologías múltiples, debido a la separación de la ciencia con los valores. Examina algunos presupuestos religiosos importantes que juegan un papel vital en la concepción y práctica de la ciencia de Ayurveda y cómo tales aproximaciones contribuyeron a desarrollar e integrar un fuerte código de ética médica en la práctica de la medicina. La primera sección del artículo presenta la ruta experiencial de Ayurveda. La segunda, los conceptos de enfermedad y salud/bienestar en Ayurveda para extraer los aspectos éticos integrados. La tercera analiza algunos postulados fundamentales de la ética India y trata de mostrar que, con la concepción Védica de Rita -orden moral cósmico-, Ayurveda se define de forma única como un modo de vida físico, mental y ético, que apunta a una noción comprensiva del bienestar.

Afirmase com frequência que, na Ayurveda, a ciência da medicina Indiana, encontram-se mescladas as preocupações científicas com convicções religiosas e metafísicas. Este artigo objetiva mostrar que, mantendo intacto o caminho experimental da ciência, Ayurveda compartilha certas preocupações importantes da religião e da filosofia na Índia. Afirma que isso definitivamente tem ajudado a Ayurveda a evitar problemas associados com as ontologias múltiplas - separando a ciência dos valores. Examina alguns pressupostos religiosos importantes que julgam ter papel vital na concepção e prática da ciência de Ayurveda e, como tal, aproximações que contribuem para o desenvolvimento e a forte integração do código de ética médica na prática da medicina. A primeira parte deste artigo apresenta a rota experiencial de Ayurveda. A segunda, as concepções de enfermidade e saúde/bem-estar na Ayurveda para, então, identificar os aspectos éticos integrados. A terceira analisa alguns postulados fundamentais da ética Indiana e mostra que, com a concepção Védica de Rita -ordem moral cósmica-, Ayurveda se define de forma única como um modo de vida físico, mental e ético, apontando uma noção compreensiva de bem-estar.

Comparison between Traditional Indian Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine / 国际中医中药杂志

We made comparisons between traditional Indian medicine and traditional Chinese medicine from several treatrnent methods of the two medicines,etc.

A Reflection on the Traditional Ancient Indian Medical Ethics / 中国医学伦理学

This article summarizes specific ethical doctrines from the traditional ancient Indian medicine, analyzes the characteristics of its ethical thought, absorbs its reasonable essence, pays great attention to the dual function of medical technique and medical ethics in current medical activities, highlights the importance of cooperation under the modern medical service condition, and emphasizes the application of etiquette in medical activities.