Current Traditional Medicine - Volume 11, Issue 3, 2025

COVID-19, or SARS-CoV-2 or novel coronavirus 2019 (nCoV-2019), first reported in Wuhan, China, has become a global pandemic due to human-to-human transmission with no specific treatment available. This review highlights the history of coronavirus, its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention by immunity-modulating Ayurvedic interventions to manage the disease during the early chaotic days of the COVID-19 outburst. Immunity modulation is a documented mode of action for many Ayurvedic drugs, including Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera, Andrographis paniculata, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Boerhaevia diffusa, Ocimum sanctum, Tribulus terrestris, Curcuma longa, Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica, etc. Several studies have been performed, and many trials have been registered to evaluate the effects of these herbal drugs to combat infectious diseases like COVID-19. Studies have also shown that Ayurvedic drugs, healthy diet, good lifestyle, and psychological aspects all have been researched over the years and found to have a significant role in increasing immunity and decreasing the number of comorbidities; hence, they should be considered in designing a module for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection.

Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz, a member of the 'Lythraceae' family, has been used in traditional medicine to cure common diseases since ancient times. It is traditionally used to treat a variety of maladies such as the common cold, toothache, blood infection, leprosy, dysentery, wounds, rheumatic pain, fever, urinary issues, inflammation, infertility, and menstrual problems. The huge potential and impacts of this plant have been thoroughly confirmed in in vitro and in vivo studies. The most current research on the plant Woodfordia fruticosa is critical for identifying the bioactive components responsible for its medicinal efficacy. Phytochemical studies reveal the existence of several chemicals extracted from various components of the plant, including glycosides, terpenes, flavonoids, tannins, sterols, phenolics, and essential oils. According to pharmacological studies, the plant has many medicinal properties, such as hypoglycemic, antioxidant, analgesic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, gastroprotective, and wound healing. Most of the pharmacological effects of raw extracts of this plant have been described. Only a few researchers have reported the activity of chemicals isolated from this plant. Therefore, this research will help to discover the many different medicinal properties of the plant as well as its pharmacological effects on various diseases and will show that further research is needed to explore its practical applications.

Plants have been used since the earliest times to manage various diseases, and many of these plants are being used as conventional remedies for various disorders today. Biologically active ingredients isolated from medicinal plants and extracts are receiving a lot of attention these days, partly because modern-day medication has a lot of side effects and somewhat because pathogenic microorganisms are becoming more resistant to antibiotics and many other treatments. Artemisia is the broadly dispersed genus of the family Asteraceae and encompasses almost five hundred species. Amongst these species, Artemisia absinthium L. is a familiar herb called Wormwood in English and Urdu, generally known as Afsanteen. In history, this species was recognized as important, and in old Europe, it was called “the most important master against all exhaustion”. A. absinthium has various benefits in treating pathological conditions such as gastric problems, fever, inflammation, and urinary disorders. The official European medicine uses A. absinthium in both allopathy and homeopathy. The herb was used to treat bladder diseases, anemia, helminthiasis, insomnia, fever, and trouble healing wounds and to treat gastrointestinal disorders in Asian and European traditional medicine. Mono and sesquiterpenes are the major pharmacologically active constituents of A. absinthium. Wormwood is a valuable resource of chemically new constituents and requires comprehensive screening approaches to emphasize the phytoconstituents and pharmacological actions at the molecular level. The core focus of this review is to provide complete information about the scientific evidence-based pharmacological activities, traditional uses, and phytoconstituents from A. absinthium. The collation of literature has been done by using references from main databases such as PubMed, ResearchGate, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Chemical Abstracts, Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts, classical books, and pharmacopeias.

Dendrobium Officinale Caulis is a kind of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has a long history of use and has been widely considered by Chinese and foreign scholars. Extensive research has been conducted on the chemical constituents such as polysaccharides, stilbene compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, volatile oils, and amino acids and their associated biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue, digestive-regulatory, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering effects. In this paper, we comprehensively reviewed the progress of its constituents and biological activities to provide a good reference for the researchers.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterized by the rapid buildup of skin cells, leading to thick, silvery scales and red, irritated, and dry patches. It It is an autoimmune skin condition that is incurable, non-contagious, and characterized by a relapsing-remitting course. that is incurable, non-contagious, and relapsing-remitting. Typically, a remission phase lasts one to twelve months. Psoriasis is caused by a number of cellular mechanisms, and it has been hypothesised that T lymphocytes, keratinocytes, allergen cells, Langerhans cells, natural killer cells, phagocytes, a number of Th1-type chemokines, in addition to growth factors like endothelial proliferation factor and keratinocytes growth factor, among others, are key players in the development of psoriasis. Numerous synthetic medicinal drugs have been documented to have the side effects of psoriasis. Due to the safety and accessibility, herbal medications may hold promise as possible anti-psoriatic molecules. Before creating a potential herbal drug, it is important to thoroughly examine the key players in the evolution of psoriasis, such as T-cell stimulation, transportation, and cytokine inhibition. The purpose of this review is to investigate how psoriasis spreads and becomes activated, as well as how certain medications might exacerbate the condition and how certain plant resources may be used to treat psoriasis. To create a potent, secure, and dependable treatment, more scientific research on these herbal resources is required.

Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases significantly impact human health and quality of life. Currently, drugs used to treat CNS disorders primarily include receptor modulators and neurotransmitter inhibitors, which are associated with considerable side effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective drugs for clinical treatment. Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) have a wide range of pharmacological effects on the CNS, especially as anti-CNS diseases. TCMs can enhance both non-specific and specific immune functions. Some TCMs can improve the adaptability of the body, enhance the body's resistance to various harmful stimuli, regulate pathological processes, and reverse the disordered function. TCMs and their active ingredients exhibit diverse pharmacological effects, including anti-neuritis, anti-oxidative stress regulation, and inhibition of cell apoptosis, with mechanisms possibly related to the regulation of the CNS function and restoring cell metabolism disorders. Based on literature from recent years, we summarize the neuroprotective effects of TCMs from the perspective of core pathological changes in the CNS and clinical applications. In addition, we integrated the progress of experimental research with regard to the pharmacological effects of TCMs on CNS. Current pharmacological investigations examining TCMs on CNS diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), were reviewed to provide a reference and new concepts for further developing TCMs.

One of the most common infectious diseases in the world is tuberculosis (TB), which is spread by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Many people throughout the world have stopped using anti-TB medications because of concerns related to multidrug resistance and their effects on the liver. To treat M. tuberculosis and combat antimycobacterial resistance, it is vital to find new medications with distinctive structures and rare modes of action. Many scientists have discussed the usefulness of plants in the treatment of tuberculosis caused by phytochemical exposure. A large number of chemical structures are present in naturally occurring compounds, which exhibit a wide range of in vitro efficacy against M. tuberculosis. To investigate possible adjuvants for tuberculosis chemotherapy, the current study has provided a mini-review on phytochemicals evaluated for their antimycobacterial properties during the last few decades.