Ayurvedic management of pulmonary tuberculosis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health crisis. 25% of world’s TB cases are found in India. Ayurveda, an ancient medical science may offer some solution to this problem. Hence, a systematic review was carried out to assess the role of Ayurveda for the management of TB. METHODOLOGY: A systematic review was carried out using published literature obtained through “PubMed” until April 2015. The key words used for literature search include “Ayurveda, role and TB.” RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: It was observed that a couple of single and compound drugs have been used for the management of TB. However, none of the studies could reflect the true anti-TB activities of any drug, both single and compound. Two of the studies revealed in vitro anti-TB properties of some herbs which can potentially be brought into the realm of a clinical trial to test their efficacy in a human subject. Most of these Ayurvedic therapeutic preparations studied in different clinical settings primarily reflected their adjunct properties for the management of TB. These studies revealed that Ayurvedic therapeutics was able to reduce associated symptoms and the adverse drug effects of ATDs (anti-TB drugs). Furthermore, some of the preparations showed potential hepato-protective properties that can be simultaneously administered with ATDs. CONCLUSION: Distressingly research on the role of Ayurveda in the management of TB is very scanty and mostly limited to adjunct or supportive therapy. Being a global public health crisis, it is highly recommended to carry out clinical trials on TB patients using Ayurvedic drugs and therapeutic regimens.