Abstract

Ayurveda is a clinically oriented healthcare system founded on nature-sensitive fundamental doctrines. Profundity of this clinical science is evident in its approach of considering every possible matter as a potential therapeutic substance. Integral therapeutic management in Ayurveda involves choice of diet, exercise, lifestyle, special procedures and drugs. The therapeutic outcome to the integral management is a conjoint response determined by the ‘Activity-Property Matrix’ of remedies used, effects of the non-drug measures and patient factors. Research in Ayurveda therapeutics demand a robust documentation of clinical observations, shared professional experiences, classical literature cue and Ayurvedic rationale to determine productive outcome. 

‘Observational therapeutics’ and ‘Ayurvedic Pharmaco-epidemiology’ which attempt to address the experiences of clinical and community practices may provide hints and hits for the therapeutic choices in identified clinical conditions. However, making informed-intuitive choice from empirical-experiential noise is extremely crucial. A consensual validity of experts should guide the choices and outcome-determining variables of the drug response. This would guide further ‘Reverse pharmacology’ to rationally explore and translate these therapeutic experiences for novel clinical applications and new drug discovery, by appropriate and relevant experimental and clinical designs. 

We propose specific response determinants which would enhance the value of the R&D studies in Ayurveda and ensure translational outcomes as new drugs. These determinants can be broadly categorized into ‘product-specific’ and ‘patient-specific’ groups. Product-specific may be illustrated as Ayurvedic kalpa (classical form), Aushadhi prayoga (dosage regimen), Aushadhi kala (dosage regimen), Anupana (vehicle for administration), Ahara – Vihara (diet and life-style regimen) etc. Patient-specific factors are Rugna Prakriti (patient’s constitution), Shat–kriyakala (stage of a disease), Samutthana–Vishesha (causative factors), Dosh–Dushya–Adhishthan (pathological factors), Vyadhi Lakshana (clinical features) etc. Nevertheless, standardization and rationalization of traditional Ayurvedic products is also mandatory and integration of principles of Ayurvedic pharmaceutics is equally essential for healthcare of a large population.