Current Traditional Medicine - Current Issue

Pneumonia is defined as an inflammation of the lung parenchyma, and is caused by different factors resulting in varied manifestations and sequelae. Pneumonia has a great impact on an individual well-being and quality of life, and has brought a heavy economic burden to society. Pneumonia can be classified based on etiologies, lesion sites, extent of involvement, mode of acquisition, duration of the disease, pathological characteristics, among others. Based on the classification of etiologies, this article briefly reviewed pneumonia from pathogenic characteristics, pathogenic mechanisms, epidemiology, diagnosis and Chinese medicine treatment. It is found that pneumonia is mainly caused by pathogens via various mechanisms, often outbreaks in winter and early spring, especially in areas with poor medical conditions, and predominantly affects immunocompromised individuals, such as children under 5 years of age and the elderly and its diagnosis is based mainly on clinical features and chest CT. Up to now, almost all types of pneumonia can be accurately diagnosed and effectively improved by different traditional medicines, especially Chinese medicines, while the fast diagnostic technology that is specific to its corresponding pathogen urgently needs to be developed.

Lycopene, a tetraterpene of eight isoprene units belongs to the family of carotenoids, abundantly found in tomatoes and its derivative products. It is non provitamin A carotenoid which is associated with powerful antioxidant action that may trap reactive oxygen species resulting in an increase in the overall antioxidant potential or a reduction in the oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA, thereby decreasing the oxidative stress. Due to this, the addition of lycopene to the diet is considered to be important. It is used as a food colorant owing to its strong color and non-toxic nature. Recent literature reports have highlighted the significance of lycopene in health. It exhibits many health benefits in ameliorating cancer, inflammation, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular complications, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and hepatic, skin, and bone diseases. In this review, we have summarized the information regarding sources, chemistry, extraction techniques, and health benefits of lycopene.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: belongs to the family Guttiferae. The plant widely grows in the hills and is planted in gardens in many parts of India. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant because of its graceful shape, pink to red hanging leaves and enormous wonderful, fragrant white blossoms. The current review summarizes different significant, fundamental and medicinal properties of this Indian therapeutic herb. It is known to be an evergreen tree 20-30 m in height. Along with its elaborate utilization, entire plant has different therapeutic values in the conventional system of drugs. The main aim of this review is to provide a brief overview of the pharmacological, phytochemical, pharmacognostic, ethanomedical and toxicological studies of M. ferrea. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted using multiple search sites such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Springer, and Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, SciFinder, etc. Other literary sources include Wikipedia, ethnobotanical books, and botanical journals. Numerous phytochemicals have been discovered and isolated from Mesua ferrea plant parts which include xanthones, terpenoids, sterol, β-amyrin, β-sitosterol, mesuaferrol, mesuaferrin-A, mesuaferrin B, caloxanthone C,1,8-dihydro-3-methoxy-6-methylanthraquinone, friedelin, fats, flavanoids and betulinic acid. All of the documented pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant and antibacterial activity, antiarthritic, anti-inflammatory, antivenom, antiulcerogenic, anticonvulsant, wound healing, depressant, analgesic are due to the presence of certain phytochemical substances. This review mainly targets the botanical aspects of Mesua ferrea along with their phytochemical constituents, ethnomedicinal use, different pharmacological activity, and future possibilities. Mesua ferrea is very important in the traditional Indian system. More research is needed to uncover important features of Mesua ferrea in medical practice.

Herbal medicine has gained massive popularity among researchers worldwide. The leading causes of this rapid development are lower side effects, lower prices, and higher availability of plant extracts compared to synthetic drugs. Ginger (Zingiber officinale), from the Zingiberaceae family, is one of the most commonly used and popular plants utilized as a dietary spice, herbal medicine, and food preservative. Its biologically active components, such as shogaol, paradol, zingerone, and especially gingerol, can be highly effective for the treatment of several illnesses through various anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, anti-emetic, anti-oxidant, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-hyperglycaemic activities. Ginger can also be used as an antiviral agent. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the antiviral efficacy of ginger on several viruses; for instance, severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-COV-2), influenza, dengue, hepatitis, herpes, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Chikungunya virus and so on. This review summarizes the efficacy of ginger in preventing or treating several viral diseases and its mechanism of action, emphasizing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to the current high burden of disease worldwide.

GA (Gallic acid) belongs to the phenolic molecule that is naturally present in plants, and has an assortment of medicinal benefits on inflammation, obesity, cancer, the heart, neurological system, and the proliferation of cells. In more recent research, the anti-cancer effects via biological mechanisms such as angiogenesis, migration, metastasis, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis have been demonstrated. Anti-cancer activities of gallic acid are affected through the biological methods which involve reluctance of tumor migration, inflammation, etc. Numerous degenerative diseases, namely blood-vascular, ageing, inflammatory contagion and malignancy are brought on owing to the free radical damage because of the excess amount of free radicals produced and accretion. We carried out a comprehensive examination of the literature employing the expression of gallic acid. To review the most current advancements and clinical investigations for the pharmacological effects of gallic acid, recognized research from various reputable organizations and sites including Scopus, ClinicalTrails.gov, Science Direct, and PubMed were analyzed. This review, which offers a succinct description of gallic acid, updates the contents of clinical research and patent data, it brings forth the elaborate attainment regarding the various abundant therapeutic efficacies along with the extraction methodology of the drug that is used to obtain it, including microwave-assisted extraction and maceration extraction, among others, as well as non-chromatographic and chromatographic techniques for its isolation and quantification. Antifungal, antiulcer, antiviral, anticancer, and antibacterial properties are just a few of the pharmacological effects of naturally occurring gallic acid.

The “lipstick tree” is another name for the ornamental plant Bixa orellana L., which is indigenous to South and Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and other regions of Asia. The plant, also known as “Sinduri” or “Latkan,” is utilized in the Indian food, dye, cosmetics, and traditional medicine sectors. Commercially, the plant seeds are significant because they yield bixin, a carotenoid that colours dairy products and is used to manufacture “sindur” and “lipstick.” The primary substances present in various portions of this plant include carotenoids, apo carotenoids, terpenes, terpenoids, sterols, and aliphatic chemicals. The various plant parts exhibit a variety of possible health advantages, including antibacterial, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-histaminic, anti-diarrheal, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant qualities. The current study provides an overview of Bixa orellana L.

Nature has always been a wonderful supply of therapeutic substances, providing us with a range of medicinal plants that produce helpful phytochemicals. The native species of the genus Echinacea, which are found in North America and are well-known among medicinal plants, are members of the Asteraceae family. Though there are nine different species of echinacea, only three Echinacea angustifolia DC, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, and Echinacea pallida (Nutt.)-are utilized as medicinal herbs with a variety of therapeutic uses. Contrary to other plant families, the Asteraceae family is one of the most well-known and widely recognized, with many of its members employed for therapeutic purposes. This is largely due to the availability of compounds with a variety of medicinal characteristics. This review has included the investigation of the morphological traits, ethnopharmacology, and diverse pharmacological properties of the Echinacea genus. The chemistry of the genus is extensively understood, and various chemical component groups-including alkamides and caffeic acid derivatives-are believed to be crucial for activity.

Ever since the global outbreak of COVID-19, which is an infectious disease caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2, Novel Coronavirus (nCov-19), scientists and researchers across the globe have been looking and searching for a cure that is quick, efficient and affordable. SARS-CoV-2 spread in 215 countries and territories around the globe with over 15 million reported cases and over 670k deaths worldwide until July 24, 2020. Healthcare facilities across the globe are trying to manage, control, and prevent the spread of this submicroscopic entity entering the macroscopic cosmos. Patients infected with COVID-19 frequently present with a respiratory infection that is similar to pneumonia and a cough. We do not yet have an effective vaccine to battle the sickness; therefore, the only treatment option for patients is symptomatic therapy. In the meantime, however, it could be useful to have a look at the most recent research on immune-enhancing herbs and how they might be incorporated into daily life if the impact of nCov-19 on an individual cannot be stopped entirely but can at least be mitigated.

Ayurveda mainly focus on treating diseases which aims at disease prevention. According to ayurveda, disease is caused by constitution, moral conduct, karma, and inappropriate contact and sensory perceptions such as sound, touch, vision, taste, and smell. These factors influence how diseases present themselves, whether they are mild, severe, acute, chronic, easily treatable, or incurable. The concept of “Vyadhikshamatva” in Ayurveda represents the fundamental principles of immunity. Ayurveda uses the terms “Vyadhi” and “Kshamatva”to describe illness and adaptation, respectively. According to Ayurveda, an imbalance in the Doshas leads to the development of diseases. In Ayurveda, immunity is referred to as “Vyadhikshamatva” and according to ayurvedic biology, Vyadhikshamatva can be correlated to the concept of immunity. Sahaj bala, Kalaj and Yuktikrit bala refer to innate immunity and acquired immunity. The current work is focus on the concept of immunity in ayurveda. Various literatures were explored from different sources such as ancient textbooks and refer. References to highlight ayurvedic immunity concept and management of disease by executing different ayurvedic principles. The result highlight the concept of Vyadhikshamatva as mentioned in Ayurvedic text which considered immunity. Therefore, the present work could contribute in the area of ayurvedic biology and explore the concept of Vyadhikshamatva with the immunity in future.