POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF COSTUS IGNEUS FOR DIABETES MELLITUS & OTHER DISEASES WITH FRAMEWORK FOR ITS EVALUATION BASED ON AYURVEDA

Costus igneus plant has shown a remarkable antidiabetic & other important therapeutic properties in laboratory experiments on animals & reports of use in humans. This is important because India is becoming diabetic capital of the world with more than 62 million patients on record. Though there are drugs in Ayurveda for useful for diabetes mellitus the approaches of treatment are different. Modern medicine relies on action of single molecule while Ayurveda explores for the physiology and pharmacology in its own terms for any drug or therapy to be used. Modern medical approach is successful in controlling the most distal offshoot of the tree of disease, as far the diabetes is concerned in form of the blood sugar level. On the other hand Ayurveda, with its root eradicating approach is still maintaining its place in prevention & complications management in long run. The modern medical system has always questioned about the immediate blood sugar levels controlling potential of Ayurvedic drugs while Ayurveda fraternity has questioned about gradual failure of modern drugs beyond certain period of treatment. Here, Costus igneus, though it is not narrated in basic Ayurveda texts, (Anukta dravya) can play an important role. As far as the modern way of inclusion of herbal ingredients in medicine is concerned, the exact molecular mechanism, the active principle responsible and its chemical separation followed by therapeutics after proper trials is the usual possible runway for this plant or drug to enter in medicinal world. But the use of plant as a whole may be more accurate, efficacious, economic and safe mode of its use in therapeutics as it has been seen many times in long course of time. And here is the point where the Ayurveda based evaluation of Costus igneus becomes a necessity. As everything herbal may not be considered as Ayurvedic, the use should be properly based on principles of Ayurveda. Ayurveda based evaluation will allow the use of this plant (as a whole) appropriately and safely. This paper presents a potential model for evaluation of Anukta drug ( drug not narrated in basic Ayurveda texts) on basis of Ayurveda so that it can be used and incorporated in Ayurvedic treatment of diabetes mellitus and other diseases. It proposes the possible model to determine or at least to make wise provisional remarks about Rasa, Veerya, Vipaka, Prabhava, action on Strotas, Dosha, Dhatu and Mala. This framework is based on normal and vitiated characters & functions of these elements of body as described by basic Ayurvedic texts. This will provide a frame of reference for other Anukta Dravyas for evaluation based on Ayurveda.