Gagan Tiwana1 , Ian Edwin Cock2, 3,*, Matthew James Cheesman1
1School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA.
2School of Environment and Science, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA.
3Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA.
DOI: 10.5530/pc.2023.4.25
ABSTRACT
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of five. It is a common symptom associated with gastrointestinal bacterial infections. Many antibiotics have lost their efficacy due to the rapid emergence of Antimicrobial Resistant (AMR) bacterial pathogens. Traditional Ayurvedic medicinal plants are likely to play a significant role in the development of new effective and safe therapies in the fight against AMR in gastrointestinal bacteria. Recent research has reported the effectiveness of numerous different Ayurvedic medicines in the treatment of gastrointestinal infections. One example is Triphala, which is a polyherbal formulation consisting of an equal mixture of dried fruit powders from the three Ayurvedic plants Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb., Terminalia chebula Retz. and Emblica officinalis Linn. This review discusses the principles of Ayurveda and summarises the traditional use of Ayurvedic plants in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, and stomach discomfort.
Keywords: Ayurvedic plants, Traditional medicine, Anti-microbial resistance, Gastrointestinal, Diarrhoea, Polyherbal formulation, Toxicity, Phytochemicals.