Abstract

A FUTURISTIC NON-ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY TO COMBAT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Pombala Sujitha*, PhD

Abstract

The emergence of antibiotic resistance is causing prolonged hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality. Hence the quest for non-conventional non-antibiotic alternative therapies is of highest priority to reduce the dependency on antimicrobials, to delay the onset of antibiotic resistance. Yagya is a sacred fire ceremony and an ethnobotanical inhalation therapy practiced from the ancient times which is least explored. In view of this, the study was carried to assess antimicrobial activity of Yagya to find its potential as non antibiotic alternative therapy in modern integrative medicine. Yagya was performed under controlled conditions, herbal fumes extracted, purified using silica gel column chromatography and tested for antimicrobial activity against bacterial and candida strains. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated after 24h of incubation using broth dilution method against human pathogens Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus MLS16, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella planticola and Candida albicans. The results were statistically significant with considerably higher antimicrobial activity with low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against bacteria and candida strains as compared to control; Interestingly higher antimicrobial activity was recorded for Yagya with Vishnu Sahasranama chanting. This strategy might produce evidence-based results of commercial importance as it reveals new targets for the development of new antimicrobial therapeutics and may lead to eradication of broad-spectrum microbial infections with a positive effect on immune system. In addition, it acts as a preventive and protective approach for bio fumigation to prevent airborne infections and to reduce antimicrobial dependency and caused antimicrobial resistance.

Keywords: Yagya therapy, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, antimicrobials, mantra, antibacterial.