CHENNAI: After more than 37,000 dengue cases, including 227 which resulted in death, across India, a grandma's antidote for the virus seems to be getting scientific endorsement. A herbal concoction — juice of papaya leaf, common neem and hill neem — being given to dengue patients in government hospitals in Tamil Nadu has been found to have anti-viral properties. Tests conducted at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine found that the Siddha preparation brought down symptoms and speeded up the recovery of patients.
Scientists dropped the four strains of the dengue virus on the cell lines (drawn from the gut cells of dengue causing albopictus mosquito) and added the herbal preparation. Normally, the virus would have entered the cells. "After two days, we found the cell-lines were unaffected. The virus was neutralized by the herbal formulation. Further tests showed it blocked the virus from entering the cell. In cells where the virus had already entered, it prevented multiplication," said King Institute director Dr P Gunasekaran.
Siddha doctors said they were happy the government was now thinking of intergrated medicine.
Clinical trials on herbal THERAPY FOR DENGUE
King Institute Tests Find Preparation From Neem And Papaya Leaves Effective In Preventing, Treating Disease
Encouraged by the preliminary results of a test that showed the herbal preparation using neem and papaya leaf juice was effective in preventing and managing dengue, the King Institute of Preventive Medicine will soon take up clinical trials of the Siddha preparation.
The institute plans to start a double blind study in January to test the efficacy of the preparation from nila vembu (neem) kudineer, malai vembu (hill neem) and papaya leaves. Institute director Dr P Gunasekaran said scientists did the laboratory tests this month and clinical trials on rats have begun, to rule out toxicity. "So far we haven't seen any adverse reaction in rats, but it is too early to comment ," he said. The irony, however, is that patients in gover nment hospitals have been given the preparation for almost a month before the animal studies were taken up. "The benefits of these herbs were anyway known and published in journals abroad," said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.
"One arm of the study will be patients who had taken the herbal formulation and the other would be treated with allopathic drugs. We want to see which works better," Dr Gunasekaran said.
This year, the number of dengue cases increased more than four times in the state. According to statistics from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme , the central nodal agency for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases , Tamil Nadu had 60 deaths and more than 9,000 cases till November 26. Nearly 24% of the cases and one in every four dengue deaths in the country was from the state.
Last month, the health department issued an order asking government hospitals to make the herbal drink available to dengue patients. It also advertised through newspapers and television channels. Health minister VS Vijay and Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraiswamy campaigned for it at public functions and media interviews.
Siddha experts say old text books have shown antiviral properties in 'nilavembu kudineer' and immunity modulator in 'malaivembu kudineer.' Papaya isn't a traditional siddha drug, but studies on its juice published by reputed medical journals have shown that papaya leaves protects platelets in the blood. "We are happy to see the results," said siddha practioner Dr Selvin Innocent Dhas.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
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