MUHS looks at ayurveda to fight drug resistance

Research on to come up with alternative medicines to replace or reduce dependence on allopathic drugs for common ailments

Research on to come up with alternative medicines to replace or reduce dependence on allopathic drugs for common ailments

According to researchers in Nashik-based Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), ayurveda may have the answer to the drug resistance-related problems that ails allopathy. Drug resistance occurs because of excessive use of anti-biotics, thus rendering the medicines ineffective against a disease.


Banking on an ancient science: Dr Arun Jamkar, V-C of Maharashtra
University of Health Sciences, says clinical trials are set to begin to find
ayurveda-based medicines that can replace allopathic drugs. File pic

Arun Jamkar, vice-chancellor of MUHS, said ayurvedic colleges across Pune and Nashik would soon conduct clinical trials to find out the efficacy of ayurveda-based medicines that could replace allopathic medicines in routine treatments.

"We are not trying to combat allopathy, but evolve a holistic system of medicine or medical pluralism. Here we want to practise evidence-based system of medicine and use the best of each science to treat patients. This can also reduce the burden of treatment on allopathic medicines and reduce the problem of drug resistance," said Jamkar.

Jamkar said the plan was to enlist group of patients with basic illnesses such as common cold, cough and urinary tract infection for clinical trials and give them a variety of drug combinations.

"What we are attempting is reverse pharmacology; first we will conduct the trial and see which medication works best. Once we have the right drug, we shall do molecular studies to find out what worked and up to what extent it can work. If successful, these ayurvedic medicines can be used in hospitals instead of antibiotics to treat patients for common ailments. Once use of drugs goes down, drug resistance can be combated," he said.

MUHS has a total of 12 projects under its belt for the promotion of ayurvedic medicine. The department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy has sanctioned Rs 30 lakh for each of these projects. "Ayurveda can also help in treatment of many ailments that have no cure in conventional allopathy such as dengue and chikungunya which is treated only symptomatically. Also, ayurvedic medicine would be cheaper than regular medicine," said Jamkar.