All India Institute of Ayurveda, Delhi

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Its rapid spread, high mutation rate, and challenges in containment led the WHO to declare it a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Traditional medicine played a supportive role during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering immune-boosting and symptom-relieving remedies, especially in regions with limited access to conventional healthcare. Several countries, including India, have integrated traditional therapies with modern treatment protocols to enhance patient outcomes and reduce disease burden. This review aims to critically synthesize the existing evidence on the efficacy and safety of Ayush interventions in the management of COVID-19 in India. It seeks to qualitatively analyze published literature and clinical trial data, and to develop an evidence map categorizing interventions by type and associated clinical outcomes. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across seven electronic databases, including the National Repository on R D Initiatives of the Ministry of Ayush, WHO COVID-19 dashboard for clinical trials, AYUSH Research Portal, PubMed, Cochrane Library, WHO ICTRP, and CTRI. Studies published between 2019 and June 2024 were considered. A total of 3626 records were identified (2572 from indexed databases and 1054 from trial registries). After removing 640 duplicates, 2986 studies were screened for title and abstract. Following exclusion of 802 records, full-text assessment was performed on the remaining studies. After screening, 304 studies were included in the final review (178 Ayurveda, 22 Siddha, 31 Homeopathy, 22 Unani, and 51 Yoga). Risk of bias was assessed using the ROB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. Data extraction and collation were performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO. A total of 304 studies were included, comprising 58 (19.1

Introduction:According to UNICEF, among adolescents' mental disorders, depression and anxiety account for 42.9% of cases. As per the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) (2015-2016) of India; the Prevalence of Depressive Episodes and Recurrent Depressive Disorder and Phobic anxiety disorder among adolescents is 2.6% and 1.3%, respectively. The well-being and development of adolescents are directly related to the quality of their environment and early experiences of life. To understand the current mental health of adolescents the present study was initiated. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 679 students aged 10-19 years at selected schools in South Delhi, India. Initially after the written informed consent procedure, a self-reported questionnaire was administered to collect data on socio-demographic variables and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine associations between variables under examination with anxiety and depression. Results:In the present survey, the mean age of study participants was 13.43 years, 386 (56.85%) participants were male. The overall prevalence of depression and anxiety among adolescents was found to be 25.92% and 13.70% respectively. The prevalence of depression was significantly higher among students who do not have sleep satisfaction (35.9% vs. 23.0%, P = 0.001) and among those who experience anxiety (58.1% vs. 20.8%, P = 0.000) than others. Similarly, the prevalence of anxiety was found significantly higher with increasing age (χ2, P = 0.001), increasing education levels (χ2, P = 0.001), sleep quality (χ2, P = 0.009), sleep satisfaction (χ2, P = 0.000), relationship status (χ2, P = 0.032) and depression status (30.7% vs. 7.8%, P = 0.000). Based on Multivariate analyses, higher education level (AOR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.06-2.20) and anxiety (AOR: 4.88, 95%CI: 3.07-7.76) were associated with depression. Anxiety was associated with increasing age (16-19 years) (AOR: 3.35, 95%CI: 1.59-7.06) and depression (AOR: 5.18, 95%CI: 3.26-8.25). Conclusion:The present study suggests that the prevalence of depression and anxiety among school-going adolescents is 25.92% and 13.70%, respectively. The most common associated risk factors are increasing education level, sleep satisfaction, and anxiety and depression. The information may contribute to the development of preventive and control strategies for mental health conditions among adolescents for their welfare and well-being.

Prostate cancer is one of the prime causes of death in men worldwide; the number of patients has increased every year despite significant efforts and outlay in the research of prostate cancer. Identifying new natural targets for effective prostate cancer treatment remains a major challenge in contemporary research. Natural products may provide an excellent source for drug development against prostate cancer. The DisGeNET and GeneCards databases were used to identify the anti-cancer proteins involved in prostate cancer. Furthermore, the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database was utilized to identify the hub genes. The hub genes were processed using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database to get the difference in transcriptional expression between prostate cancer tissue and normal tissue. The 3D structures of selected targets were acquired from the protein data bank, and molecular docking was carried out. Higher expression of hub genes such as matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) was significantly linked with overall and progression-free survival in prostate cancer patients. Finally, the 200 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to check the stable interaction of compounds with the MMP9. Co-expression investigation demonstrates that identified hub genes play a crucial role in prostate cancer and are controlled by many miRNAs. Molecular docking studies demonstrated that D-Galacturonic acid, glycerides, C14-18 showed better docking scores (− 8.0) with targeted MMP9 protein. MD simulation showed a stable interaction of bioactive compounds, such as D-Galacturonic acid, glycerides, C14-18 with the MMP9 protein. The present study highlights that bioactive compounds could be an effective anti-cancer drug against MMP9 in prostate cancer and can be further validated using different preclinical studies.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes are extracellular vesicles released by cells that mediate intercellular communication and actively participate in cancer progression, metastasis, and regulation of immune response within the tumour microenvironment. Inhibiting exosome release from cancer cells could be employed as a therapeutic against cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS:In the present study, we have studied the effects of Acorus calamus in inhibiting exosome secretion via targetting Rab27a and neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) in HER2-positive (MDA-MB-453), hormone receptor-positive (MCF-7) and triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells. We observed that treatment with A. calamus significantly downregulated the expression of Rab27a and nSMase2 in all tested cells. NTA analysis showed that inhibition of Rab27a and nSMase2 reduced exosome secretion from breast cancer cells. We conducted metabolic profiling of A. calamus extract to reveal the phytochemicals present and docked them on Rab27a and nSMase2 to decipher the compounds responsible for protein inhibition. Molecular dynamic simulations were conducted on lead compounds, and we observed that calcitriol lactone showed the most stable binding interactions with nSMase2. Treatment of breast cancer cells with calcitriol lactone significantly downregulated nSMase2 expression. CONCLUSIONS:Our study demonstrates that A. calamus significantly inhibits exosome secretion in HER2-positive, hormone receptor-positive, and triple-negative breast cancer cells by targeting key regulatory proteins Rab27a and neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2). These findings suggest that A. calamus holds therapeutic potential in inhibiting exosome-mediated cancer progression by targeting the exosome secretion pathway. Further investigations are warranted to explore the clinical applications of these findings in breast cancer treatment.

IntroductionIndia has systematically integrated Indian traditional medicine systems Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-rigpa including Homeopathy —collectively known as ‘Ayush’ into its public healthcare delivery. Since upgrading the Department of Ayush to a dedicated Ministry of Ayush in the year 2014, several landmark initiatives have been launched, including the National Ayush Mission (NAM), the establishment of Ayush Health and Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat, and the creation of the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs network. These efforts reflect a strategic commitment to enhance primary health care (PHC) by promoting culturally relevant, preventive, and affordable services.MethodsThis practice and policy review employed a systematic approach to analyze the integration of Ayush into India’s PHC system. Primary and secondary source of data was drawn from national health policies, government reports, international frameworks, and official statistics between 2014 and 2024. Data was analyzed in detail to assess implementation status, infrastructure, global positioning, education, digital integration, and policy challenges.ObservationsIndia’s traditional medicine sector includes 12,500 Ayushman Arogya Mandir led by qualified doctors of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowarigpa and homeopathy doctors, 750,000 registered institutionally qualified practitioners, more than 700 Ayush medical colleges and attached hospitals, around 9,000 Ayush drug manufacturing industries, dedicated research councils for ewach of the Ayush system with their peripheral centers, a Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian systems of Medicine and Homeopathy etc. Moreover, Ayush systems are integrated in 26,636 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), 6,155 Community Health Centres (CHCs), and 759 Districts Hospitals (DH) in the country. Ayush systems are also integrated in health infrastructure under Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Labour Welfare, Ministry of Railways etc. Public health programs targeting maternal health, geriatric care, and non-communicable diseases have incorporated Ayush-based approaches. Internationally, India has established academic collaborations and information cells across 42 countries and academic chairs across 38 countries, while domestic initiatives focus on digital health (Ayush Grid), education reform (NEP 2020), quality assurance, and cross-referral pathways.InferenceIndia’s integrative approach demonstrates how traditional medicine can enhance PHC delivery, particularly in underserved settings. With continued investment in evidence-based practices, regulatory alignment, and inclusive models, Ayush can play a pivotal role in achieving Universal Health Coverage and informing global traditional medicine strategies.