Abstract

REVIEW OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CONCEPT OF IMMUNOMODULATION IN AYURVEDA AND ROLE OF RASAYANA AS IMMUNOMODULATOR

Khandagale Vijay Bhagwan* and Dr. Bhurke Ravindra

Abstract

Immunomodulators can be define as substance which can influence any function of the immune system including both innate and adaptive immunity. In ayurvedic text immunity had been explain by chakrapani in terms of vyadhikshamatva and it is described as a state of equilibrium of oja, bala, prakrit kapha. Chakrapanidatta has interpreted term vyadhikshamatva as vyadhibalavirodhitwa i.e. antagonistic to strength and virulence of the disease and vyadhiutpada pratibandhaktwa i.e. capacity to inhibit to bind causes and factors of the disease. The ayurvedic system of medicine details the concept of immunomodulation by the term rasayana. Rasayana acts in the body at three level i.e. ras, agni, strotas. So that nutrition will be distributed to whole body at microcellular level. This paper is a review on physiological concept of immunity and immunomodulation in Ayurvedic as well as modern point of view, and role and action of rasayana as immunomodulator.

Keywords: immunomodulators, vyadhikshamatva, rasayana, oja, bala, immunity.