Author: Aimil

The modern diabetes drugs are known for side-effects and toxicity while BGR-34 works by controlling blood sugar and limiting the harmful effects of other drugs.

Bengaluru: In a development that would help people with diabetes manage their condition effectively using natural ingredients, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Monday launched its ayurvedic anti-diabetic drug BGR-34.

"The modern diabetes drugs are known for side-effects and toxicity while BGR-34 works by controlling blood sugar and limiting the harmful effects of other drugs," said NBRIs' Senior Principal Scientist A.K.S. Rawat. NBRI and CIMAP scientists studied nearly 500 ancient herbs listed in ayurvedic texts to zero in on daruharidra (Berberis aristata), giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), vijaysar (Pterocarpus marsupium), gudmar (Gymnema sylvestre), majeeth (Rubia cordifoila) and methika (Trigonella foenum-graecum) to make the anti-diabetic formulation. Ayurvedic pharma compnay AIMIL Pharmaceuticals will commercially produce and distribute BGR- 34, which has been priced at Rs 5 and will be available widely across Karnataka and neighbouring states. "BGR-34 is a unique product that manages the lives of human suffering diabetics.

The product passed several battery of tests and showed hypoglycaemic activity in experimental subjects," said AIMIL Pharmaceuticals vice president Anil Kumar Sharma. The drug, aimed at managing type 2 diabetes, has been jointly developed by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), both located in Lucknow. (With IANS inputs)

News Source: http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/bgr-34-ayurvedic-anti-diabetic-drug-launched-by-csir_1900859.html

Drop in Platelet count: The most challenging issue while treating dengue can be addressed effectively if we look beyond the conventional approach of transfusion.

A brush of ignorance and carelessness paints a dirty picture of dengue infection on India’s health portrait. With world’s highest dengue infection burden (34%), 129166 cases and 245 reported death – India appears to be home sweet home for the malady. With no cure available dengue often leaves physicians out of ammunition and out of all the challenges the most daunting is the reduction in platelet count. Dengue virus, the main cause of dengue fever, induces bone marrow suppression.

Since bone marrow is the manufacturing centre of blood cells, its suppression causes deficiency of blood cells leading to low platelet count – According to a review article published in Medicine Update like Tinospora cordifolia and Carica papaya plays an important role in increasing the platelet count in these conditions.

Carica papaya leaves contain various phyto-constituents like saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids. The alkaloids present include carpaine, pseudocarpine and dehydocarpaine II.

These constituents act on the bone marrow, prevent its destruction and enhance its ability to produce platelets.

Moreover, it can also prevent platelet destruction in the blood and thereby, increase the life of the platelets in circulation. In an experimental study on Carica papaya leaves, platelet formation in test and control groups were studied before and after the treatment. During the study it was found that there was no significant difference in the platelet counts during the first 3 days in either group. However, platelet counts within the test group started to rise steadily after Day 3 and reached a peak level at Day 13 (10.94×105/μL). Subsequently, the platelet count remained relatively constant at a range of 10 x105 TO11x105/μL.

The platelet count of the test group was (11.33 ±0.35) x 105/μL at the end of the experiment compared to that of the control group (5.53±0.12)x105/μL. Study results clearly indicated that there was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in average platelet counts in the test group, as against a slight increase in the control group (Table 1). RBC count was also significantly (P<0.05) increased in the test group compared to controls. The findings of the study strongly suggest that there are active compounds in C. papaya leaves that enhance Haemopoiesis and thrombopoiesis.

These scientific evidences backed by the traditional evidences have given the physicians new hope and one such product with the brand name of Amyron is already available in the market which is a  plant based pharmacotherapy which can play a vital role in the recovery from dengue fever with its miraculous herbal ingredients like :

• Carica papaya leaves juice which helps in the blood platelet formation,
• Tinospora cordifolia which powerfully activate the immune system especially increase the activity of NK-cell (natural killer cell), T-cell , and B-cell,
• Withania somnifera which accelerate the oxygen carrying capacity,
• Boerhavia diffusa which boosts synthesis of haemoglobin and RBC’s,
• Aloe vera & Emblica officinalis also helps to boost the immunity.

Thus, the ingredient herbs of Amyron provides all the essential measures for faster recovery in case of dengue fever. Apart from these benefits Amyron also provides complete nutrition by supplementing minerals, Vitamins, essential fatty acid like omega-3 & omega-6, antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E which contribute to the faster recovery of patients suffering from dengue.

Uncountable health benefits, associated nutritional facts & pharmacological legion are just few mentions to name the herb “PANACEA”.
Advancing diseases themselves communicate about the importance of proper functioning of immune system. Starting with mild allergies to complexities of osteoarthritis or cancer, all attaches to a common string of disturbed immune system. Further, taking a deep look into the followed treatment therapy to modulate the immune system, will strengthen the fact more that –
‘A better immunity is crucial requirement to ward off the diseases’.

Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy) has been used for its therapeutic benefits since time immemorial. Various classical texts of Ayurvedic system of medicine acknowledge the herb for it relevant significance as anti-diabetic, anti-pyretic, anti-pruritic, aphrodisiac, cardio tonic, bitter tonic etc. which could possibly be the reason of the herb being subjected to extensive pharmacological and clinical investigation that revealed further findings about use of the herb in areas of immunomodulation, anticancer activity and liver disorders.

The presence of abundant alkaloids, diterpenes & other active biochemical substances like steroids, flavonoids, lignans, carbohydrates possibly accounts for its non-stanching benefits to human health.

Macrophages are the first line of defence and constitute important participants in the bi-directional interaction between innate and specific immunity. The presence of pharmacological studies validating the benefit of GILOY extract as a potent immunomodulator suggests its use for the same. Glycoside and alkaloid content of giloy have been reported to boost the activity of macrophages.
Also, reported to influence the cytokine production, mutagenicity, stimulation and activation of immune effector cells.

Tinospora cordifolia could also be beneficial for aiding in the treatment of fever as febrifuge & berberine constituents inhibits the inflammatory signals such as pyrogenic cytokines and suggestively have inhibitory effect on peripheral and central mechanism of fever.

Adjunct therapy of Ayurveda with antipyretics in the management of infectious fever Pyrexia:
To regulate fever associated with contagion are increasing public health problem. Resistance to antibiotics is making it difficult to treat even milder illness like fever. Infections caused by resistant micro-organism often fail to respond to conventional treatment, resulting prolonged illness. Inappropriate and irrational use of anti-microbial medicines provides favourable conditions for resistant micro-organisms to emerge, spread and persist. As a resistance towards antibiotics becoming a global concern, a greater need for alternative treatment arises or a treatment which can be used together with the primary treatment.

Antimicrobial resistance– a threat to human mankind:  Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem and is becoming one of the most serious health threat. World health leaders have described antibiotic resistant micro-organisms as “nightmare bacteria” that “pose a catastrophic threat” to people in every country in the world. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others. Infections from resistant bacteria are now too common, and some pathogens have even become resistant to multiple types or classes of antibiotics. When first-line and second-line antibiotic treatment options are limited by resistance or are unavailable, healthcare providers are forced to use antibiotics that may be more harmful to the patient and frequently more expensive & less effective.

The Global Concern of Antimicrobial Resistance: Antibiotic resistance is present in every country. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a list of the 12 bacteria which pose the greatest threat to human health because they are resistant to available antibiotics. They include Klebsiella; E.coli; Staphlylococcus; Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas along with Tuberculosis (TB); Malaria; HIV; Influenza etc.

Now what?
A cordial action is required from global policy maker to local concerns to minimize the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Where lies the role of Ayurveda?
By the 6^th -2^nd century two famous scholar of Ayurveda Charak and Sushrut contributes to the field of aetiology of jwar (pyrexia). According to Charak define the fever in five different categories as continuous fever, remittent fever, quotidian fever, tertian fever and quarter fever developed as an imbalance in bodily elements, or “doshas,” and has thereby weakened their immune system, may be subject to a microbial infection as symptom of that imbalance of tri doshas.

The herbs and classical formulation listed below are traditionally used to manage cold, flu, and infection. The chemical composition of each of the following plant tends to justify their traditional use. Interestingly, each herb appears to possess properties that work on multiple biochemical pathways capable of influencing several organ systems simultaneously.

• Zingiber officinale (Ginger rhizome dried) used traditionally for colds, other microbial infections, and the removal of mucous and toxins associated with microbial infections.
• Emblica officinalis (Amla fruit) used traditionally for fevers and for balancing. The fruit extract exhibits antibacterial and antiviral properties.
• Adhathoda vasica (Vasaka)used in irritable cough, as an expectorant and as a broncho-dilator.
• Piper nigrum (Pepper fruit), used in treating recurrent fever, weakness following fevers and cough
• Tinospora cordifolia (Giloe), used traditionally for immunomodulation and as a febrifuge. Also used for urinary diseases, syphilis, skin diseases, and bronchitis.



• Piper longum (Long pepper fruit), used traditionally for colds, other microbial infections, and the removal of mucous and toxins associated with microbial infections.
• Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamom, Ela), used traditionally in cough, bronchitis and also as an expectorant.
• Swerita chirayita (chirayita), used traditionally to help in lowering fever associated with cold and flu
• Ocimum sanctum (Krishna tulsi), used traditionally in cough, as an expectorant, as antipyretic, in bronchitis, and also has antimicrobial properties.
• Cyperus rotundus(Musta), used traditionally for treating fever and digestive system disorders.
• Sudarshan Ghanvati:Traditionally Sudarshana Churna is widely used in the treatment of fever originating from tridoshas, chronic fever or viral fever.
• Tribhuvan Kirti Ras: used traditionally for flu, running nose, allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis and bronchitis.
• Sanjivani Vati: used traditionally in respiratory tract infections, cough, cold, chronic fever and other viral infection.

 

Fifatrol

A multi-drug combination of 5 poly phyto mineral (Godanti Bhasam, Tribhuvan Kirti Ras, Mrityunjay Ras, Sanjivani Vati and Sudarshan Ghanvati) With 8 Active Herbal Extract (Tinospora cordifolia, Berberis lycium, Achyranthes aspera, Swertia chirata, Pongamia pinnata, Picrorhiza kurroa, Ocimum sanctum and Cyperus rotundus). Making Fifatrol useful remedy with safer approach in averting the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common problems in women at their reproductive age. Pre- Menstrual syndrome covers a variety of symptoms, both Emotional & Physical.

Emotional Symptoms include	Physical symptoms include
Depression	Back ache
Apprehension	Breast Tenderness
Irritability	Food Cravings
Mood swings	Cramps
Changes in Sex drive	Headaches

Cause:

• Hormonal Imbalance
• Formation of excessive estrogen
• Monthly depletion of chemical serotonin
• Other causes may be poor diet, lack of Vitamin & Minerals

Avoid:

• Ineffective pain killers

Solution:

AMYCORDIAL – Gently soothes away from even worst PMS

Herbs	Action
Asparagus racemosus (Shatavar)	Relieves back pain, muscle pain and maintain spontaneous uterine motility due to saponins hindering oxytocic activity
Valeriana wallichii (Tagar)	Relieves spasm through KATP channel activation Relieves sleep disturbances
Zingiber officinale (Sunthi)	Relieves Muscle aches, back ache, abdominal pain & gastrointestinal disturbances and  nausea in PMS
Curcuma longa (Haridra)	Curcumin attenuates severity of PMS symptoms which probably mediated by modulation of neurotransmitters & anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin
Cuminum cyminum (Jeera)	Reduces pain intensity
Trigonella Foenum gracum (Methi)	Reduces symptoms of primary dysmenhorrea

 

Considerations:

• Get adequate sleep
• Get regular exercise
• Eat little or no refined sugar. Refined sugars also increase magnesium excretion.

The true toll of nutritional deficiency lies hidden in the statistics of reduced school performances, maternal heamorrhage, and lower productivity of an individual & in many more such devastating day to day scenarios. With lack of balanced diet, ever diminishing health of food that we take these days, no wonder we would end up with one or more nutrient deficiency as the food we take is as good as the soil it’s grown in.

Further, adding stress, medication & lifestyle diseases and we have best recipe to nutrition scarcity leading to nutritional deficiencies and disorders. Most widespread nutritional disorder in the world is nutritional deficit anemia for which children & women of child bearing age are most vulnerable. “National Family Health Survey” statistics reveals that every second women is anemic and one in every five maternal deaths is credited to anemic condition. Among the nutrition factors contributing to anemia, the most common one is iron deficiency which is prevalently due to a diet which is monotonous, but rich in phytates considered to be inhibiting the absorption of iron by the body.

PROGNOSIS AND PREVENTION

Nutritional deficiencies affects body differently & are sneaky. One may get false impression about being fit unless an individual is deficient for some time and has physical manifestations of nutrient deficiencies.

Symptoms:

General fatigue Weakness Pale skin Shortness of breath

Dizziness Tingling/crawling feeling in the legs Tongue swelling & soreness Cold hands & feet Brittle nail & cuticle

To save oneself from anemia: common & curable condition, an individual must be vigilant about his/her food intake as well as presence of symptoms. One simplest way to prevent this deficiency is to include ‘Multivitamins’ into routine.

A plethora of experimental controlled studies – which are a gold standard for proving the cause and effect – over the last few years have found positive outcomes about the usage of ‘Multivitamins’. Usage of multivitamin is more beneficial than using a ‘mono’ therapy of any individual supplement because single vitamin or nutrient is best suited to specific nutrient deficiency.  Also, micro-nutrients and mineral have their own cycle of absorption in our body and presence of other is in most cases found to be beneficial.

A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO MULTIVITAMIN

Vitamins and minerals obtained through natural sources are pretty much safe and easily absorbable. These are usually the ones contained in health foods, food supplements and regular dietary spices and herbs used which you need not to be worried about. Such organic alternatives of vitamins are tends to be comparatively safer as they are easily acceptable by the body and are reportedly have less or negligible adversities on body in any way. To rely on the usage of multivitamins obtained from natural sources, usage of those herbs, food items since existence of mankind is another justification itself.

Whether you choose a nutrient rich food, alternative diet supplement or multivitamin – incurring all the nutrition your body need fulfillment is the only key to total body wellness.