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Giloy, an Ayurvedic herb, is part of the AYUSH ministry’s clinical trial of formulations against COVID-19. Its immune enhancing properties can help us fight the pandemic.
The novel coronavirus emerged in December last year and within a span of four months it has changed the way we live, infecting millions and killing lakhs all over the world. So far, COVID-19 infection, the diseases that this virus gives, has affected about 4.3 million people globally, taking the worldwide death toll close to 3 lakhs. In India, the number of infected cases hovers around 81,970 while the figure for death toll stands at 2649, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. As these numbers are climbing alarmingly with each passing day, scientists and doctors all over the world are yet to find a cure or vaccine for the deadly COVID-19 infection, despite the best of their efforts. While experts from mainstream medicine are toiling hard to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian government has decided to turn to Ayurveda for battling the condition. Recently, Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Shripad Y Naik, tweeted that within a week clinical trials for four AYUSH formulations against Covid-19 will start. "These formulations will be tried as an add-on therapy and standard care for COVID-19 patients," he tweeted.
The AYUSH Ministry and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are working together on this project. The four Ayurvedic formulations chosen for the clinical trial include Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu (Mulethi), Guduchi + Pippali (Giloy) and AYUSH-64. "This is a large scale, multi-centre trial and the results will come in three months," says Dr. Dr. GG Gangadharan, Ramaiah Indic Specialty Ayurveda Restoration Hospital, Bengauluru. He is also the Joint Chairman of the AYUSH Ministry's COVID-19 clinical trial task force. Here, he sheds light on these four Ayurvedic formulations that can help us in our battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
This herb is a superb immunity-enhancing agent. "Moreover, ashwagandha can protect the lungs from inflammation, one of the main impacts of COVID-19 infection," says Dr. Gangadharan. Lung inflammation leads to overproduction of cytokines, proteins that activate our immune cells. This condition can be fatal. "Ashwagandha inhibits this process with its anti-inflammatory properties," he explains.
It is an immunomodulator that bolsters our immune response. "Yastimadhu is a commonly used herb in Ayurvedic practice which brings down cough and body temperature," says Dr. Gangadharan. It comes with powerful antioxidants like flavonoids. "Yastimadhu protects the lungs from inflammation. It does so by inhibiting cortisol metabolism, one of the causes behind inflammation," he adds.
This formulation includes two herbs: Giloy or guduchi and pippali. "Giloy, an antipyretic which brings down fever, strengthens your immune mechanism. It also helps in rebuilding your tissues and is especially beneficial for heart diseases, diabetes, jaundice and arthritis," says Dr. Gangadharan. It comes with many active components like immunomodulatory protein (IMP) and berberine among others. Berberine is known for its anti-viral properties. "These attributes of giloy can be helpful in fighting COVID-19," he adds. Pippali is small black pepper, used heavily in Ayurveda as one of the ingredients of trikatu (three spices). This formulation, which comes with dry ginger, pepper and pippali, is used for respiratory tract infections. "It also helps in chronic pain and tuberculosis," says Dr. Gangadharan. "Moreover, pippali enhances the absorption of giloy while bringing down your body's inflammatory response, which is crucial for fighting COVID-19," he adds.
"The Central Council For Research In Ayurvedic Sciences developed this formulation some 10-15 years back for frequent fevers and especially malaria," says Dr. Gangadharan. It is a combination of seven ayurvedic herbs including saptaparna, katuki, kiratatikta and kuberaksha among others. "It is an antipyretic which opens up the micro channels of the body so that all the nutrients are well-absorbed," he explains. According to the Ayurveda school of thought, any disease, including COVID-19, which is feverish in nature, is caused by a low-performing digestive system. "AYUSH-64 is a bitter-tasting formulation which enhances digestion, enabling your body to absorb nutrients well. That is how it will help in fighting COVID-19. Moreover, it also improves your immune system, which is crucial for combating this infection," says Dr. Gangadharan. Inflammation is one of the main problems of COVID-19 infection and katuki, a component of AYUSH-64, is known for its anti-inflammatory properties.