Traditional medicine in India

Characteristics and comparative study of medicinal materials between China and India based on data mining from literatures

Toward the integration and advancement of herbal medicine: a focus on traditional Indian medicine Saikat Sen, Raja Chakraborty Institute of Pharmacy, Assam Down Town University, Guwahati, Assam, IndiaAbstract: Indian traditional codified medicinal systems and folk medicine are a vast lexicon of herbal formulations and medicinal plants. In last few decades, the popularity of herbal medicine/products has increased worldwide, not only as part of conventional treatment strategies but also for health care management, and thus the opportunity to promote Indian traditional medicine is increasing globally. Recently people from several developed and developing countries have been attracted toward traditional Indian herbal medicines. A large number of modern medicines are derived from the plants used in Ayurveda and other traditional medicinal systems. Ayurveda and other traditional herbal medicines are capable of addressing some modern unmet medical needs, and can provide the basis for developing potential medicines. Lack of drug standardization, information, quality control, and strict monitoring are the primary lacunae in the promotion of traditional Indian herbal products. In recent years several regulatory and promotional approaches have been undertaken to overcome such problems. Quality control, rigorous research to establish the effectiveness and safety, and credible clinical trials of the herbal products are required. Thus the careful and scientific integration of Indian traditional herbal medicine into evidence-based clinical management of diseases is essential to provide better health care facilities to people.Keywords: traditional medicine, herbal drug, India, Ayurveda

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

A socio-ecological critique on India’s local health traditions amidst rising incidence of global pandemics

We are now well into Volume 5, of eCAM, special for a couple of reasons. First it is a joy to have reached 5 years for a young journal. In Issue 1 there was my editorial that has sparked interest from diverse sectors including increased numbers of manuscripts from India. In this second issue, there is a continued focus on ayurveda beginning with the lecture by Prof. Mashelkar that opened the 2nd Ayurvedic Congress in Pune, where I presented an invited Writer's Workshop (1). The engaging new cover draws attention to ayurvedic practices in India (2). For an historical and international comparison, Patwardhan et al. (3), remind us that ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine (TIM) and the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) remain the most ancient yet living traditions. Along with increased global interest in traditional medicine, there are efforts to monitor and regulate herbal drugs and traditional medicine. China has been successful in promoting its therapies with more research and science-based approaches, while ayurveda still needs more extensive scientific research and a solid evidence base. In another consideration of ayurveda, Hankey (4) offers a contrast in depth analyses and long-range predictions linking complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with theoretical biology. More expansively, Hankey asserts that the new biophysics can be integrated to yield a single consistent theory, which may well underlie much of CAM—a true ‘physics of physick’. The resulting theory seems to be a new, fundamental theory of health and etiology. Many CAM approaches to health care are scientifically in advance of those based on current Western biology. Such theories may well constitute the next steps in our scientific understanding of biology itself. If successfully developed, these ideas could result in a major paradigm shift in both biology and medicine; this will benefit consumers, health professionals, scientists, institutions and governments. Basic science and clinical analyses are broad areas of eCAM emphasis including ayurvedic approaches using plants. Rastogi et al. (5), used Streblus asper Lour a small tree found in tropical countries, (India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand). Various plant parts are used for treating filariasis, leprosy, toothache, diarrhea, dysentery and cancer. Their different in vitro and in vivo techniques using biological evaluations support most of these claims. Essa and Subramanian (6) examined Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) an edible medicinal plant, also indigenous to India, China and Thailand significantly increased levels of anti-oxidants such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in brain tissues, suggesting significant anti-hyperammonemic and anti-oxidant activity. Oxidative stress and free radicals have been implicated in impaired wound healing. Shetty et al. (7) tested Ocimum sanctum, a plant widely used in ayurveda that possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, the potential source of alcoholic and aqueous extracts for wound healing in Wistar albino rats. In extract-treated rats and controls, doses significantly increased wound breaking strength, hydroxyproline, hexuronic acid, hexosamines, SOD, CAT, GSH but significantly decreased percentage of wound contraction and lipid peroxidation. Mushrooms are low calorie food with minimal fat and highly suitable for obese persons. With no starch and low sugars, mushrooms might be considered the ‘delight of diabetics’. Combination of herbal drugs (or isolated phytochemicals) is beneficial in certain diseases when given along with conventional drugs. Badole et al. (8) evaluated the effects of aqueous extracts of Pleurotus pulmonarius (Lentinaceae) (called PP-aqu) and its interaction with glyburide in alloxan induced diabetic mice. Administration of PP-aqu (500 mg kg−1) and its combination with glyburide (10 mg kg−1) significantly decreased serum glucose levels in diabetic mice. This is an example of using an animal model with applications to diabetes, a disease of epidemic proportions. According to Kantamreddi and Wright (9), despite decades of intense research, malaria remains a deadly disease worldwide and new anti-malarials are urgently needed due to increasing drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to existing drugs. In their analyses, the evaluation of four Indian Diospyros species namely, D. melanoxylon, D. peregrina, D. sylvatica and D. tomentosa for anti-plasmodial activities against chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (K1) strains of P. falciparum. Six of eight methanolic extracts exerted significant activity against strain 3D7 and five of these showed similar activities against strain K1. D. sylvatica had the most active species making it surely worthy of further investigation. India now has the largest number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected persons, with an estimated cumulative 5.1 million infections. Homeopathy is the dominant system among the nationally recognized alternative or complementary systems of medicine, which collectively provide health care to ∼600 million people in India. Homeopathy, with its holistic and patient-centered approach, has a wide reach to people at risk of contracting HIV. Nyamathi et al. (10) designed a unique study to assess AIDS knowledge among homeopathy educators and physicians in India. Participants were 68 homeopathy physicians (34 educators and 34 practitioners) who completed a CDC questionnaire measuring HIV/AIDS knowledge regarding AIDS. This study reports the current level of knowledge of, and attitudes about, HIV/AIDS among homeopathy educators and practitioners. Their findings will assist in developing an education module to equip homeopathic health care personnel as they impart AIDS information accurately and efficiently. Leaving the more challenging concerns of disease and possible CAM intervention, I would like to end on a very upbeat subject. We recently received the eCAM Editorial Office report from our Editorial Assistant, Sophie Gilmour. She writes encouraging news. In the first quarter of 2008 the average time from submission to final acceptance has decreased by a month. To maintain high standards and ensure space for the best manuscripts (we are allotted 400 pages per annum), we reject more manuscripts; only 25% were accepted during this quarter. Overall, we are turning around manuscripts quicker than last year, despite increased submissions. For the thrust and future impact of volume 5, it is interesting that the highest number of new submissions received by country and type was from India and the United States. As we are aware, these numbers are important in helping to determine an impact factor (IF) that I continue to emphasize. IF is especially vital to the careers of many authors especially in Europe, Asia and the Middle East with respect to promotions, grant support and international recognition.

A medical system is called traditional, among others, when it is practiced within the country of its origin. The increasing use of Traditional Medicine (TM) worldwide and the growth of the related pharmaceutical industry has led to an activation of research regarding its quality, efficacy and safety. The Ayurveda and Siddha systems of traditional medicine have their origin in India. Of these, Ayurveda is one of the oldest systems of medicine in the world and the most commonly practiced form of traditional medicine in India. Subjects to be discussed comprise of issues related to herb–drug interactions, misuse of TM, variations in the action of a drug due to natural and deliberated reasons and the documentation of adverse drug reaction. Combined efforts, without any bias, by scholars from both traditional and modern medicine to optimize the risk benefit profile and to serve as guards for optimal use of TM, is the prerequisite for global harmonization.

Review question / Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of herbal medicine in patients with herpes labialis. Condition being studied: Clinically diagnosed herpes labialis. Eligibility criteria: Inclusion:- All age - clinically diagnosed herpes labialis- topical or systemic herbal medicineExclusion:- traditional Chinese medicine- traditional Indian medicine- traditional Korean medicine- traditional Kampo medicine- highly diluted / homeopathic preparations.

There is not a single system of medicine that can address all the health-care needs of the modern society in light of the rise of medical pluralism, and there is growing concern about adverse effects of chemical drugs and the need for more accessible care [1] . These factors have led to an increase in the utilization of services from other health-care systems in the world, such as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional medicines. Concomitant with the limitations of Western medicine, the impact of other branches of medicine becoming more necessary and apparent, there is a call for a new type of additional medicine, namely integrative medicine (IM). IM has developed very quickly over the past two decades. Since the 1950s, in China, IM has been defined as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with Western medicine. In other countries, IM has been used as complementary therapies or additional therapies in order to distinguish it from modern medicine [2] . IM treatment has been shown to improve physical and mental health in patients with various diseases and can benefit patients with many diseases in China and all over the world [3] . It may include traditional medicines (traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, etc.), acupuncture and moxibustion, manipulation, tai chi chuan, yoga, meditation, mind therapy, vitamin therapy, and medicinal diets. Recently, in the United States, CAM as one type of IM has become an independent discipline, although it still occupies a subordinate position, and it is also considered to be complementary and supplementary to modern medicine [4] . In China, it has achieved the same level and importance as Western medicine and is now eligible for reimbursement through the national medical insurance program [5] . Not only in Europe and the United States but also in China, the initial concept of IM was one of CAM or a section of medicine; thus, the concept of IM was somewhat narrow and should be termed ‘specialized IM’ (SIM). With the development Received: August 22, 2016 Accepted after revision: September 14, 2016 Published online: October 14, 2016

India is rich of traditional medicine knowledge. Due to inadequate protection on its traditional medicine knowledge, some of them have been illegally possessed or used by other countries, resulting in huge economic and cultural losses. In order to prevent such issues from happening, the Indian government has formulated a series of policies to protect and rationally develop traditional medicine knowledge, taken up many effective measures, such as collecting and archiving traditional medical knowledge, formulating laws and policies, establishing an administrative supervision system for traditional medicine knowledge, establish a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), as well as build a traditional medical knowledge registration and invention patent system. It also establishes an investment foundation, and conducts intellectual property culture building. At present, India has formed a relatively complete protection system for traditional medicine knowledge, which has achieved good results and gained recognition. To summarize the experience of traditional medicine knowledge protection in India can provide reference for China. Key words: Intellectual property; Medicine, traditional; India; Protection; Overview; Reference

The study focuses on the phytochemical profiling of selected Indian medicinal plants using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), two key methods for fingerprinting in the quality control of herbal products. The primary objective is to establish standard chromatographic fingerprints for Withania somnifera, Azadirachta indica, and Centella asiatica, which are commonly used in traditional Indian medicine. Dried plant materials were extracted with methanol, and TLC and HPLC under optimised conditions were used to identify major bioactive markers. The chromatograms run were examined with retention factors (RF) and retention times (RT), and peaks were compared with known phytoconstituents. TLC was used to provide separation based on the compound class and HPLC provided quantification in detail. The findings indicate that TLC and HPLC fingerprinting are powerful and complementary methodologies for standardising herbal medications and ensuring the consistency of batches. These results have regulatory, pharmacovigilance, and quality assurance implications in the traditional medicine industry.

In the present article, an endeavor has been made to present an overview of the comparison of Indian traditional herbal medicine in the international market. This article intends to contribute to this knowledge by giving a survey of published data regarding the microbial contamination of herbal plants, by dealing with methodological aspects and by considering the influence of different commonly used pharmaceutical preparation techniques on the microbiological status of the products. It also highlights heavy metal poisoning of these herbal products and the need for India to follow the Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) guidelines. As herbal medicinal products are complex mixtures, which originate from biological sources, great efforts are necessary to guarantee a constant and adequate quality. By carefully selecting the plant material and a standardized manufacturing process, the pattern and concentration of constituents should be kept as constant as possible, as this is a prerequisite for reproducible therapeutic results. China has successfully overcome such difficulties by modernizing its traditional medicine profession with government-sponsored GAPs. The cultivation practices offer Standard Operating Procedures for use of fertilizers, irrigation systems and disease management allied with insects and pest prevention and cure. GAPs also establish standards for noxious and harmful contaminants like heavy metals, pesticide residues and microbes in plants. Key words: Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal products, microbial loading, heavy metal poisoning, good agricultural practices, traditional drugs, complementary and alternative medicines

Traditional Indian medicine is deeply rooted in a holistic, preventive approach, addressing mind, body, and spirit . The amalgamation of traditional Indian medicine, such as Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, with modern allopathic practices represents an evolving approach in healthcare aimed at harmonizing ancient holistic healing methods with modern scientific rigor . Ayurveda, for example, focuses on balancing the body's energies and employs natural remedies, which can complement the disease-centered, evidence-based approach of modern medicine . However, challenges in this integration include the need for scientific validation of traditional practices, regulatory standardization, and overcoming historical biases between practitioners of both systems . Literature reveals the potential for significant mutual benefits. Ayurveda’s therapies, such as Panchakarma , Shatkriyakala and Rasayana, have shown promise in managing chronic diseases , enhancing stress tolerance and integrates Ayurvedic principles with modern genetics for personalized medicine . The Herbal involvement in apothecary practices augments a steady treatment approach which can be slow paced than allopathic ways but are much more fruitful . On the modern side, evidence-based research methodologies, like randomized controlled trials, have begun evaluating the efficacy of traditional treatments, though more extensive studies are necessary to fully validate their use . Successful models of integration, such as the AYUSH ministry’s initiatives in India, provide pathways for incorporating traditional medicine into contemporary healthcare systems . This paper discusses the evolving scenario of unification of medicine, highlights existing collaborative efforts, and proposes future directions for research, clinical practice, and policy to further bridge the gap between traditional and modern approaches. It aims to emphasize the importance of ensuring both cultural preservation and scientific validation to enhance patient outcomes and healthcare accessibility in a diverse, global context. Keywords Traditional medicine, Ayurveda , Ayush , Allopathic medicine , Chronic diseases, Collaborative healthcare , Evidence-based research, Herbal treatment, Personalised medicine , Scientific approach

Mercury contained in traditional medicines can cause chronic poisoning, which can cause membranous nephropathy (MN). We report five cases of nephrotic syndrome caused by MN with evidence of chronic mercury poisoning due to consumption of traditional Indian medicines such as Siddha and Ayurveda, which to our knowledge are the first such reports. All patients were seronegative for antibodies against phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R). Two patients, who had severe nephrotic syndrome, had received Siddha medicine for prolonged period and oral chelation with dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid was successful in eliminating mercury, resulting in an improvement in nephrotic state in these patients. We suggest that mercury poisoning should be entertained in patients with anti-PLA2R antibody-negative MN, with history of consumption of traditional Indian medicines.

Herbal beverages, made by steeping medicinal plants and herbs in hot water, have a rich historical background in traditional medicine across the globe, particularly in Indian, Chinese and indigenous practices. In recent years, the consumption of these infusions has gained popularity due to their potential health benefits and therapeutic properties, such as promoting relaxation, supporting heart health, aiding digestion, boosting immunity, providing antioxidants and reducing stress. Herbal teas have been studied for their biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, with research suggesting they may possess synergistic antioxidant effects. Indian herbal teas hold a unique position due to their rich history and use in traditional Indian medicine. This review aims to analyse the current scientific literature on herbal teas and their potential health benefits, highlighting the global phenomenon of their consumption and integration into the everyday lives of various cultures.

Medicinal plants of genus Curculigo: Traditional uses and a phytochemical and ethnopharmacological review