Traditional Ayurvedic medicines: Pathway to develop anti-cancer drugs

Abstract

Ayurveda, “life knowledge”, is an ancient Indian traditional medical system, which has been practiced for >5000 years and still in use with the same importance among many cultural tribes in Indian sub-continents. Ayurvedic medicine is a unique holistic approach to treatment where herbal medicines, special diets, yoga and relaxation methods, and lifestyle management are key strategies for curing various chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, neurological disorders and many other. Cancer is biologically complex disease, causing local damage and inflammation of cells due to lack of full response in a specific tissue that is responsible to maintain cellular differentiation, survival, proliferation and death. Studies have suggested that bioactive phytochemicals present in Ayurvedic plants (fruits, vegetables and herbs) mediate their effects by inhibiting some of the recently identified inflammatory pathways. Nevertheless, for successful implementation of Ayurvedic principles to drug discovery, major concerns relating to proportion, practicality, safety and drug interactions and possible side effects of newly developed Ayurvedic drugs and formulations need to be addressed. Systematic investigations of Ayurvedic drugs, employing contemporary scientific tools and methods, are expected to lead to the discoveries of major significance. Explorations involving studies of bioactive phytochemicals, their side effects, the specific potential targets and the mechanisms of action would transform this traditional therapeutic approach to standard Ayurvedic drug discovery which would be accepted and embraced by global populations. Current review focuses on the importance of anti-cancer drug discovery from Ayurvedic medicines in the modern context, ongoing improvements and major achievements in the field over the past decade or two.