Paper Contents
Abstract
Helminthiasis remains a significant global health burden, affecting billions of people and livestock, while its management is increasingly compromised by the escalating threat of anthelmintic resistance (AR) to all major classes of synthetic drugs. This review revisits the ancient Ayurvedic concept of parasitic infections, known as Krimi Roga, and its corresponding therapeutic agents, Krimighna Dravyas, to explore their relevance in addressing this modern pharmacological crisis. Ayurveda offers a sophisticated, host-centric paradigm that attributes parasitic proliferation to systemic imbalances, such as impaired digestive metabolism (Agnimandya), and employs a holistic, three-pronged therapeutic strategy: expulsion (Apakarshana), modification of the internal environment to render it inhospitable to parasites (Prakriti Vighata), and avoidance of causative factors (Nidana Parivarjana). This article provides a detailed pharmacological and phytochemical analysis of key Krimighna herbs, including Embelia ribes (Vidanga) and Butea monosperma (Palasha), critically evaluating the extensive preclinical evidence supporting their anthelmintic efficacy. A comparative analysis reveals that while modern anthelmintics act on highly specific molecular targets, making them potent but vulnerable to resistance through single-point mutations, Ayurvedic formulations leverage a polypharmacological approach. The chemical complexity of these herbs and their formulations presents a multi-target assault on parasites, which may inherently deter the development of resistance. This review posits that integrating Ayurvedic principlessuch as polypharmacology, host-centric therapy, and the use of its rich materia medica as a source for novel drug discoveryoffers a promising and scientifically imperative strategy to augment the current anthelmintic arsenal. However, the path toward clinical integration is contingent upon overcoming significant challenges, primarily the need for rigorous standardization, quality control, and large-scale, evidence-based clinical validation.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Dr. Amrit Jindal. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
