It is a general observation that after a Ayurvedic/Herbal therapy, the patient comes out healthier, while in other cases the patient comes out weak and suffers a number of side effects. The argument in favour of that is that the plant medicines aim at root cause of ailments while the other systems look at the mitigation of symptoms. But there is a logical and scientific explanation to this aspect.
If we look to a plant extract used for preparing medicines, It is found to contain at least 200 to 500 compounds. The “Metabolome”- the entire chemicals within a plant, the sum total of primary and secondary metabolites, contains about 4,000 compounds (It may even go up to 10,000). All these compounds are being used by plants for various purposes like nutrition, maintenance, reproduction, healing, defence, offense, etc.
This extract (part of Metabolome) may contain a good number sugars, sugar derivatives, amino acids (both protein and non-protein including essential amino acids), peptides, proteins, fatty acids (including essential fatty acids), fatty alcohols, vitamins, and minerals besides the “privileged” secondary metabolites. It is these very same compounds, which make and regulate the body, when we take the plants as foods. Therefore these additional primary metabolites may have a very positive role when they are taken as a medicinal extract. In addition the “antioxidants” present play varied roles such as (1) protecting other active components in a medicinal preparation, (2) protect the membranes and tissues from oxidation at the site of medicinal action or (3) protect other antioxidants (needed elsewhere) from oxidation. The contribution of phenolics as “antimicrobials” providing a microbe-free environment, for the other drugs to act, also is significant. But for phenolics, no other group of compounds have a role in maintaining the system (from wear and tear). Alkaloids and terpenoids have mostly curative actions on the system. The antimicrobial terpenes (mono- & sesquiterpenes) also, if present in an extract, support significantly the action of other drugs.
The data on the pharmacological action of some of the common compounds widely didtributed also are interesting. Duke (2002) describes ferulic acid, gentisic acid, kaempferol glycosides and salicylic acid as pain relievers while ascorbic acid, cinnamic acid, coumarin, myricetin, quercetin and resveratrol are explained antiinflammatory.Even the variety of chemicals and their richness (concentration) in a medicinal herb is of great value in assessing its property. Duke’s data base states that both coriander and liquorice contain 20 chemicals with antibacterial action; Oregano and rosemary has 19; ginger 17; nutmeg 15; cinnamon and cumin 11; black pepper 14; bay 10 and garlic 13. Quantity wise liquorice contains up to 33% bactericidal compounds (dry weight basis), thyme 21%, Oregano 8.8% &, rosemary 4.8% coriander 2.2% and fennel, 1.5%. Needless to say the above data explains the drug action of the said plants.
Ayurveda and Sidha, the predominant herbal practices in India, are considered sciences of life, prevention of ailments and longevity. They are not a mere collection of healing practices, but contain methods of maintaining and prolonging the health rather than just simple healing. The holistic approach of these practices, which advocates the involvement of both mind and body (and which complement each other) in maintaining the body and healing the same, is a way of living itself. This is in sharp contrast with the allopathic system of medicine, in which the diseases are identified first and then the healing therapies are applied. When one system or the organ of the body is infected/affected, all other systems of the body also are being affected. For example, an infection in stomach weakens the circulatory system, urino-genital system, respiratory system and even affects the psyche of the patient. Body becomes weak; the immunity goes down and this paves way to secondary infections or problems. But normally a remedy in the form of a laxative is meant only for the alimentary canal and does not take care of the other systems affected. Therefore even when he is cured (of the stomach problem) he remains weak. In contrast, when a herbal formulation (in Ayurveda a number of plants are involved in a formulation) is given, the multitude of components, including a large amount of primary metabolites, are available to the body for repairing all the systems. Body is a wonderful machine and therefore it repairs itself using all these components. And that is the reason why a person becomes healthy and remains so after a herbal (say Ayurvedic) treatment. To quote an analogy, herbal therapy is like a farmer enriching the field to get a better crop, whereas the other systems are like enriching the seed while neglecting the field.
Rederence;
M. Daniel (2006) Medicinal Plants: Chemistry and Properties. Oxford & IBH Publishers, Delhi.
Image credit.: Delphine Parrot et al (2019) Mapping the Surface Microbiome and Metabolome of Brown Seaweed Fucus vesiculosus byAmplicon Sequencing, Integrated Metabolomics and ImagingTechniques. Scientific Reports | (2019) 9:1061 |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37914-8
Mammen Daniel
