Bhushan K Patwardhan

Savitribai Phule Pune University | University of Poona · Interdisciplinary Health School of Health Sciences

This article reviews contemporary approaches for bridging Ayurveda with evidence-based medicine. In doing so, the author presents a pragmatic assessment of quality, methodology and extent of scientific research in Ayurvedic medicine. The article discusses the meaning of evidence and indicates the need to adopt epistemologically sensitive methods an...

Background: Constitutional type of an individual or prakriti is the basic clinical denominator in Ayurveda, which defines physical, physiological, and psychological traits of an individual and is the template for individualized diet, lifestyle counseling, and treatment. The large number of phenotype description by prakriti determination is based o...

Objective Evaluate the efficacy of AYUSH 64, a standard polyherbal Ayurvedic drug in COVID-19.Methods During the first pandemic wave, 140 consenting and eligible hospitalized adult participants with mild-moderate symptomatic disease (specific standard RT-PCR assay positive) were selected as per a convenience sample, and randomized (1:1 ratio) to an...

In this article we attempt to put forth insights into using traditional medicine (TM) systems to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We discuss the need for reimagining India's health system and the importance of an inclusive approach for UHC. We comprehend the challenges with appropriate use of TM systems and the lessons from international ex...

A narrative review on yoga: a potential intervention for augmenting immunomodulation and mental health in COVID-19 | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Full Text (biomedcentral.com) https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-022-03666-2

Ayurveda therapeutics focuses on strengthening homeostatic mechanisms. Rasayana, a specialty of Ayurveda, deals with tissue nourishment, longevity, and immunomodulation. Rasayana botanicals maintain an immune-homeostasis instead of unidirectional immune-boosting or immune-suppression. Recent studies in cancer and COVID-19 provide important clues on...

Interview with Professor M. S. Valiathan on Ayurveda Biology.Image 1

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.761655.].

Chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression is one of the major challenges in cancer treatment. Ayurveda-based immunomodulatory botanicals Asparagus racemosus Willd (AR/Shatavari) and Withania somnifera (L.). Dunal (WS/Ashwagandha) have potential role to manage myelosuppression. We have developed a method to study the effects of AR and WS as therapeutic...

Introduction: Vaccines have emerged as the most effective tool in the fight against COVID-19. Governments all over the world have rolled out the COVID-19 vaccine program for their populations. Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (COVISHIELDTM) is widely used in India. A large number of Indian people have been consuming various traditional medicines...

This paper discusses the reasons for emergence of predatory publications in India, engendered by mandates of higher educational institutions: that require stipulated number of research publications for employment and promotions. Predatory journals have eclipsed the merits of open access publishing, compromised ethical practices, and left the resear...

Objectives: Comparative study of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera; WS) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for chemoprophylaxis against COVID-19 in actively engaged high-risk health-care workers. Design: Randomized, multicentric, open label, active control, two arm parallel efficacy study of 16 weeks. Sample size was based on pre-set 15% non-inferiority ma...

Objectives To study the efficacy and safety of Withania somnifera (WS) in the prophylaxis against COVID-19 in high risk health care workers (HCW) in comparison to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). To evaluate general physical and mental health benefits of Ashwagandha. Methods A 16 week randomized prospective, open label, parallel efficacy, two arm multi-c...

Can AYUSH Systems help turn the tide in India’s COVID-fight?

Introduction The government of India has rolled out COVID-19 vaccine program for individuals who are 18 years of age and above and priority is being given to the elderly, and individuals with morbidity. Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (COVISHIELD) is most widely used in India. A large number of Indian people have been consuming various traditio...

Infant massage is a highly prevalent traditional practice in India and other parts of Asia. Clear guidance on safe and effective uses of infant massage is lacking especially in the contemporary times when the traditional knowledge is on the verge of extinction and preparations may differ from in the past. This paper presents a consensus guidance in...

Objectives: To compare the co-administration of an Ayurvedic drug AYUSH 64 as an adjunct to standard of care (SOC) and SOC for efficacy and safety in the management of COVID-19. Design: Multicentre, parallel efficacy, randomized, controlled, open-label, assessor blind, exploratory trial with a convenience sample. Patients followed to complete 12 we...

As the search for effective treatment for Covid-19 intensifies, traditional medicine systems are receiving increasing attention from researchers as well as the public. While scientific rigour is non-negotiable, there remain fundamental issues to be addressed when bringing evidence from traditional systems. Here we examine some of these issues perta...

As the COVID-19 pandemic is progressing, the therapeutic gaps in conventional management have highlighted the need for the integration of traditional knowledge systems with modern medicine. Ayurvedic medicines, especially Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, WS), may be beneficial in the management of COVID-19. WS is a widely prescribed Ayur...

The extent of original medical research in India remains sub-optimal despite competence and facilities. One of the factors could be ignorance about, and a general lack of rational appreciation of India's traditional knowledge systems (TKS), which could otherwise be a good source of new ideas, and thus innovation. The existing silos do not allow suf...

Volume 120 Number 4 25 February 2021 GUEST EDITORIAL Traditional knowledge systems and new science policy thrust The extent of original medical research in India remains sub-optimal despite competence and facilities. One of the factors could be ignorance about, and a general lack of rational appreciation of India's traditional knowledge systems (TK...

Brain, an important part of the nervous system and one of the largest organs in the body, comprises of fat as the major component. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) help in maintaining the integrity and function of the brain. EFAs are to be obtained from dietary sources and lack of these can lead to impaired brain performance, diseases, and disorders. A...

A systematic isolation and characterization study for Cassia auriculata (CA) seeds resulted in identifying antidiabetic compounds 1,3,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone and quercetin, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and ellagic acid. The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography based triple quadrupole mass spectrometry...

Background Knowledge of the prevailing infant care practices and their effects is important to inform practice and public programs. Infant massage is a traditional practice in India but remains less studied. This study was conducted to study the prevalence and perceptions of infant massage practices in two states of India. Methods A total of 1497...

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed several challenges to the Indian healthcare system. Here, we examine the situation in India considering the moral and ethical imperatives of decision making for public health. Currently, in the absence of proven therapies, empirical evidence is being used for treatment of Covid-19 disease. We find a dual standard of...

Several extracts and phytoconstituents of Withania somnifera (WS) have shown the potential to address cancer hallmarks. The inner circle depicts the classical hallmarks of cancer. The outer circles illustrate the anti-cancer activities of WS that have the potential to address the respective hallmarks of cancer with the specific molecular targets li...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (WS) is one of the most-studied Rasayana botanicals used in Ayurveda practice for its immunomodulatory, anti-aging, adaptogenic, and rejuvenating effects. The botanical is being used for various clinical indications, including cancer. Several studies exploring molecular mechanisms of WS s...

Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have agreed a definition of predatory publishing that can protect scholarship. It took 12 hours of discussion, 18 questions and 3 rounds to reach. Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have agreed a definition of predatory publishing that can protect scholarship. It took 12 hours of di...

Our foe is determined and adaptable, says Bhushan Patwardhan. A list of credible titles is the latest salvo in the fight against shoddy scholarship. Our foe is determined and adaptable, says Bhushan Patwardhan. A list of credible titles is the latest salvo in the fight against shoddy scholarship. “Pseudo-prestige landed real jobs, promotions and aw...

Ayurveda has gained worldwide attention due to its efficacy. With the growing need for safer drugs, attention has been drawn to their quality and standards of the Ayurvedic formulations. Ayurveda describes the formulation of Terminalia arjuna (T. arjuna) as a potent drug for dyslipidemia, cardiac disorders, and diabetes. It is administered as arish...

WINTER SCHOOL and DHR FELLOWSHIPS for Medical Teachers!!! The Winter School is scheduled from November 15th to December 14th, 2018 at SPPU, Pune Campus. The participants can earn academic credits and a Certificate of Fellowship from SPPU. The details of the program and application process are available at http://sppudocs.unipune.ac.in/sites/news_...

Scholarly journals play an important role in maintaining the quality and integrity of research by what they publish. Unethical practices in publishing are leading to an increased number of predatory, dubious and low-quality journals worldwide. It has been reported that the percentage of research articles published in predatory journals is high in I...

Child under nutrition continues to be a challenge to global development, especially in resource-poor contexts. In the multifaceted attempts to address this challenge, popular traditional practices, although closely linked to infant health, remain neglected and less researched. The World Health Organization’s recent strategy on traditional medicine...

Most of the drugs recalled or withdrawn over the last half a century are associated with toxic effects on different organs and systems. Among various effects leading to drug recall or withdrawal, hepatic toxicity ranks the highest followed by cardiotoxicity. Specificity to a particular target may not ensure that a drug has no effect on other target...

The one-drug/one-target/one-disease approach to drug discovery is presently facing many challenges of safety, efficacy, and sustainability. Network biology and polypharmacology approaches gained appreciation recently as methods for omics data integration and multitarget drug development, respectively. The combination of these two approaches created...

Typically, a drug is anything that prevents, alleviates, cures, or manages disease with the ultimate goal of reestablishing health. Many times the concept of medicine gets reduced to the use of material pharmaceutical drugs mainly for symptomatic management. Overemphasis of pharmaceutical drugs in clinical practice overlooks concepts of homeostasis...

To address many challenges faced in successfully bringing a medicine to market, all the stakeholders of the biomedical ecosystem need to collaborate. This ecosystem includes academia, nonprofit and for-profit research institutions, government agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, and disease foundations. Given the complexities and the expense of R...

Scientific advances over the last 25 years, especially in omics, high throughput screening technologies, combinatorial chemistry, instrumentation and informatics, have opened exciting avenues for the discovery of new drug candidates. Nevertheless, major challenges remain and are constantly evolving. The rate of new discoveries is falling and many d...

Vaccines have provided some of the greatest successes in the history of medicine, including the eradication of smallpox, and we’re now approaching the eradication of polio. However, similar successes have not been achieved with vaccines against global killers like AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other many infectious diseases. This has resulted in...

Despite considerable technological advances, the pharmaceutical industry is experiencing a severe innovation deficit, especially in the discovery of new drugs. Innovative Approaches in Drug Discovery: Ethnopharmacology, Systems Biology and Holistic Targeting provides a critical review and analysis of health, disease and medicine, and explores possi...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha, WS) is one of the extensively explored Ayurvedic botanicals. Several properties including immunomodulation, anti-cancer and neuro-protection of the botanical have been reported. Even though, in indigenous medicine, WS is well known for its immunomodulatory activity, the mo...

Our recent genome-wide association study on healthy Indian males (20–30 years), who were non-smokers and free from chronic systemic diseases, identified a novel gene THSD7A associated with obesity.¹ We appreciate the efforts of Ahmad et al.² in replicating our study, however, they could not replicate our finding, which might be due to the following...

Systems biology is an important emerging approach, which considers the interdependence of cells, tissues, and organisms in complex, yet interconnected metabolic networks. The message from systems biology is that one should not consider any biological molecule, process, or phenomenon as parts in isolation but view them as interdependent parts of the...

This chapter summarizes the present drug discovery scenario and emphasizes the importance of herbal drugs, ethnopharmacology and traditional knowledge systems such as Ayurveda to facilitate the discovery process. It suggests that routine efforts to identify the active principles from crude extracts may not be sufficient. It advocates a need for mor...

The history of medicine dates back to the very beginning of human existence. Most of the great civilizations had their own systems of medicine. With the help of historical and philosophical underpinnings the authors recognize the influence of Indic civilization, and various Vedic darśanas, including the non-Vedic Buddhist, on the evolution of India...

This chapter describes the philosophy, history, and evolution of science and medicine from ancient times to Aristotle and Hippocrates, and to Osler of modern times. A comparative account of the philosophy and history of science provides an analytical perspective of important events from the West, and the East. In the West, modern biology and modern...

This chapter reviews the nature and application of evidence as a basis of practice for various systems of medicine. It describes the natural history of diseases, and the evolution of therapeutic intervention from intuitive practices to scientific, evidence-based medicine (EBM). The authors refer to major initiatives like Cochrane Collaboration, whi...

This chapter discusses health supplement categories, such as nutraceuticals, functional foods, dietary, and herbal supplements. The authors describe various vitamins and minerals along with their rationale, and the evidence for use in specific conditions. With the help of systematic reviews and meta-analyses the authors discuss evidence for the cla...

This chapter begins within the context of advocacy for integrative approaches, followed by a review of the global health status. The diversity of challenges in different parts of the world gives few glimpses of the seriousness and magnitude of the health care crisis. The authors discuss the evolution of health care systems, with medical care as a c...

Since ancient times, drugs have been an essential part of the therapeutic and preventive armamentarium. Drugs can be natural products, synthetic chemicals, or biologicals. Advances in chemistry and biology have opened ways for powerful and specific drugs. However, today, new drug discovery is facing major challenges. Many drugs are failing due to t...

This chapter discusses concepts and definitions of health, wellness, illness, and medicine. A discussion on determinants, indicators, and dimensions of health help to understand the limitations of the definition of health. The authors highlight health as a positive concept where an individual actively participates in a process of attainment of heal...

The review of history, evolution, and advances in biomedical sciences, philosophy, precepts, and practices of medicine define the urgent need for a paradigm shift in modern medicine toward an integrative approach for health. No single approach—be it one of modern medicine, Ayurveda, or Yoga—can meet the changing requirements of global health. The a...

Aging is not a disease, but a physiological state, which applies to every living form. Current approaches to healthy aging, longevity, rejuvenation, and regeneration are examined in this chapter. The authors discuss interesting research on longevity, and quality of life. Stem cells and regenerative medicine are opening new avenues in therapeutics....

All human beings are almost identical genetically, yet every person is unique. Increasingly, a better understanding of the human genome and advances in pharmacogenomics are shaping today's modern medicine. However, the promised personalized medicine expected to emerge at the conclusion of the Human Genome Project did not materialize, due to the all...

This chapter discusses the role of lifestyle and behavior in health and disease. The authors suggest that therapeutic approaches should be holistic, involving body and mind. In recent times, many new approaches such as behavioral medicine, lifestyle medicine, mind–body medicine, and mindfulness have emerged. This may be due to growing dissatisfacti...

Diet is a primordial strategy for disease prevention and health protection. This chapter offers an interesting history of food, and the evolution of modern and Ayurvedic concepts of nutrition. The chapter highlights the importance of digestion as part of nutrition, in addition to concepts like calories, and proximate principles. Varying diet accord...

Aim: We evaluated the pharmacogenetic influence of genetic polymorphisms in folate pathway genes in Indian rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving methotrexate (MTX). Patients & methods: Twelve polymorphisms within nine folate pathway genes were analyzed for association with MTX response in 322 Indian rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and MTX p...