Scientific Rationale for the Use of Single Herb Remedies in Ayurveda

Ayurveda employs single herbs and combinations of herbs in the treatment of diseases. Single herb remedies are usually administered as powders, pastes, decoctions, medicated clarified butter or incorporated into food matrices. Single herb remedies are unbalanced and therefore, there can be adverse effects. Because of the inherent danger, knowledge of many single herb remedies was treated in the olden days as a jealously guarded secret. Single herb remedies are considered to be faster in action. Curcuma longa or turmeric is a flowering plant belonging to the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is an important plant in Ayurveda. The ethanol extract of Plumbago zeylanica demonstrated effective superoxide radical scavenging activity. The results obtained justify the use of Plumbago zeylanica as an anti-inflammatory single herb remedy in the ayurvedic treatment of hemorrhoids. Single herb remedies are always administered in ayurvedic practice along with adjuvants like sesame oil, jaggery, honey, and milk, and the chances of their causing side-effects are remote.