Molecular approach to Ayurveda

Abstract

In ayurvedic system of medicine, it is considered that a living system is made of <i>panch-mahabuta, </i>in the form of <i>Vata</i>,<i> pitta </i>and <i>kapha </i>at the physical level and <i>satwa, raja </i>and <i>tama </i>at the mental level. This covers the psychosomatic<i> </i>constitution and commonly known as the <i>Tridosh </i>theory. The imbalance in these body humours is the basic cause of any<i> </i>type of disease manifestation. Till date, several objective parameters have been proposed to monitor the level of these basic<i> </i>humours but none of them is complete. In this exercise, now it is proposed to consider free radical theory of diseases as one<i> </i>of the objective parameters. To be more specific, <i>vata </i>can be monitored in terms of membrane bound signal transduction,<i> pitta </i>as the process of phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation of different proteins (signalling moieties and enzymes) and<i> kapha </i>can be viewed as the degree of gene expression as protein synthesis. This can be correlated with the <i>ojas </i>of the body<i> </i>or total body defence mechanism.