A group of scientists in the country, under the leadership of renowned scientists, various educational institutions and organisations, has initiated a programme to conduct research on the core concept area of Ayurveda to rejuvenate the ancient system of medicine as per the modern standards of science.

The research programme, named A Scientific Initiative In Ayurveda, under the guidance of Dr M S Valiathan, the well renowned surgeon and academician holding the charge of National Research Professor with the Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Dr. R. Chidambaram, nuclear scientist and the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Central Cabinet, aims to approach five core areas of Ayurveda system with modern scientific research methodology to scientifically analyse the treatment procedures.

According to sources, the project will analyse five core areas, the doshaprakriti classification of humans, the dosha-specific classification of medicinal plants, the rasayana procedure of rejuvenative therapy, the panchakarma system of therapy and the physico-chemical characterisation of the bhasma group of drugs, to provide an academic foundation on which the edifice of Ayurvedic health care modality is built.

The programme is planned to examine the classification of human beings based on their doshaprakriti, which is unique in Ayurveda for any genomic counterparts, to analyse whether there is any linkage between molecular fingerprints and doshaprakriti providing biological basis for the fundamental Ayurvedic classification. The programme is also planned to test the existence of fingerprints in the dosha-specific characteristics of medicinal plants by studying the plant genome.
The programme will also attempt to study the effect of rasayana drug on DNA repair mechanism and the effect of panchakarma therapy on metabolic and immunologic profile of a subject as separate projects envisaging providing scientific validity for the age-old procedures. With the background of the global sensation about the possible toxicity of heavy metal content in Ayurvedic drugs, a project to look at the physical and chemical structures of selected bhasma candidates to review the safety of bhasmas differently from the bulk drug materials, depending on the microstructure and its chemical status, sources revealed.

The scientific initiative is a venture to understand and interpret the postulates and procedures of Ayurveda with evolving scientific modalities with rigorous principles and methods universally accepted by scientific community, according to the sources. The programme, at present in its initial state, is expected to assign the five projects to five eminent scientists in the country to design appropriate routes of interfacing between the two domains of knowledge.

"Today, Ayurveda research has come to name virtually herbal drugs and the it concerns on how to do herbal drugs, testing efficacy, standards and export related matters as research activities. Our project, in which some of the major scientists in the country takes part, has nothing to do with these area while it aims is to explore the core concept of Ayurveda, including the scientific theories in it. There is a scope to study the basic science of biology and chemistry in it," Dr M S Valiathan told Pharmabiz.

He added that the results of these studies, done by efficient scientists with novel findings, may change the concept of Ayurveda for the foreigners if published in top international scientific journals. The organisations like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Benares Hindu University, Hyderabad University, Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Indian Institute Technology (IIT) has been joined as partners in the mega programme, informed a scientist.

He also said that the programme has started with a brainstorming session in February 2006 at New discussed the scope of the programme and the position papers, prepared by five scientists were presented and discussed at a one-day Seminar held at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in May 2006. The projects have been presented in front of the representatives of apex research bodies like CSIR, ICMR, DBT, DST and CCRAS. The scientists expects support from the Department of Science and Technology for the programme, and expects more time to organize funding and to formulate the scientific content and scope of each activities, added sources.