IIT Delhi, All India Institute Of Ayurveda To Work On Benefits Of Herbal Formulations
IIT Delhi and AIIA New Delhi, have tied up to work on seven collaborative projects involving faculty members and support from both the institutes. The projects, as per an IIT Delhi statement, are of two-years duration.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) New Delhi, have tied up to work on seven collaborative projects involving faculty members and support from both the institutes. The projects, as per an IIT Delhi statement, are of two-years duration.
The seven collaborative projects focusing on various Ayurvedic formulations and practices include the effect of the six Ayurvedic rasas (tastes) on gastrointestinal secretions, develop herbal formulations that would reduce the harmful effects of reusing cooking oil, develop a biodegradable, herbal wound dressing, study the effects of the ‘Brahmari pranayama’ on the nervous system, analyze the impacts of bhasmas (ashes) on proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, develop a ‘dhoopan-yantra’ - a fumigation device for aiding wound healing and early cancer detection and assessment of breast cancer response to Ayurvedic drugs is the focus of another project.
The IIT statement said: “The projects emanate from the MoU [agreement] signed earlier between the two institutions for interdisciplinary research in Ayurveda and applying engineering science principles.”
Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest known medical systems, which originated in India. Over the past decade, there has been a renewed interest in the validation of Ayurveda principles.
While speaking of the collaborative projects between IIT Delhi and AIIA, Professor V Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi, said: “The amalgamation of traditional knowledge with technology is expected to benefit the society at large by offering better health care options. Validation of the traditional knowledge systems is the key, in order to make these forms of medicine more widely acceptable worldwide.”
“IIT Delhi researchers will be focussing on the validation aspects by working closely with the AIIA faculty,” the IIT Director further added.
Professor Tanuja Nesari, Director, AIIA, New Delhi, in the statement said: “Both the institutions aim to develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles of Ayurvedic diagnosis and treatment of diseases, to develop innovative diagnostic tools and equipment for various Ayurvedic procedures.”
