Ashwagandha could help fight COVID-19, says IIT-Delhi

Ashwagandha could help fight COVID-19, says IIT-Delhi

These findings may not only connect to save time and cost required for screening anti-Covid-19 drugs, but also offer some preventive and therapeutic value for the management of fatal Covid-19 pandemic, and hence warrant prioritized validation in the laboratory and clinical tests. The drug development may take a while, and in the current scenario, these natural resources (Ashwagandha and Propolis) may offer some preventive or even therapeutic value, say researchers.

Although both the natural compounds are readily available and affordable, one has to be cautious about the content of bioactive ingredients. CAPE, though a major component of Propolis, its amount and stability are critical factors that could be managed by generating its complex with cyclodextrins. This has been described earlier by the DAILAB team. Withanone, on the other hand, varies with geography/parts/size of the Ashwagandha plant. So, in order to acquire or appreciate particular effects, we must use the right and quality-controlled extracts.

Prof. D. Sundar, Coordinator of DAILAB at IIT Delhi and Head of the Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology at IIT Delhi, said, "The traditional medicine system 'Ayurveda' has been practised for thousands of years in India. Unlike modern medicine, the mechanism of action of natural drugs has not been resolved so far. IIT Delhi and AIST researchers have been working together for more than a decade and trying to contribute to strengthening this avenue by merging the traditional knowledge with modern technologies."

"While the well-trusted reputation of Ashwagandha as an immunity enhancer forms a basis of the recent initiative of the Government of India in forming an Interdisciplinary Task Force (a joint initiative of Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with Indian Council of Medical Research [ICMR]) and launch its clinical research studies related to SARS-CoV-2 and the Covid-19 disease, the current research report of this team provides hints on its direct anti-viral activities", added Prof. Sundar.

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