Antimicrobials for Surgeons from Ayurveda

Honey

Bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, which cause everything from bloating to dyspepsia, can be addressed by drinking a glass of warm water containing a spoonful of apple cider vinegar and a spoonful of honey. Domestic burn injuries, too, can be treated with honey.^[7]

Honey is a powerful antimicrobial agent with a wide range of effects. Various components contribute to the antibacterial efficacy of honey: sugar content, polyphenol compounds, hydrogen peroxide, 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds, and bee defensin-1. All of these elements are present at different concentrations depending on the source of nectar, bee type, and storage. These components work synergistically, allowing honey to be potent against a variety of microorganisms.^[8]

Garlic

Garlic is rich in allicin, a compound that helps fight infections such as the common cold. What’s more, it helps to protect the body from other harmful microbial organisms, such as bacteria, yeast and parasites. Garlic needs no special preparation; just including it in a regular diet is enough. The organosulfur compounds of garlic exhibit a range of antibacterial properties, such as bactericidal, antibiofilm, anti-toxin, and anti-quorum-sensing activity against a wide range of bacteria, including multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains.^[9]

Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is very commonly used in Asian cuisine; however, the spice also happens to be an excellent natural antiseptic. By mixing turmeric with honey, we can make an easily applicable paste. A mixture of turmeric with warm milk boosts immunity and helps us fight infections. This was widely popular during the Corona pandemic.^[10] Various sesquiterpenes and curcuminoids have been isolated from the rhizome of C longa, attributing a wide array of biological activities^[11], anti-inflammatory^[12], wound healing^[13], anticancer^[14] and antibacterial activity.^[15] It also has hypoglycaemic, wound-healing, chemopreventive, chemosensitising and radiosensitising properties.^[16]

Cabbage

Cabbage is rich in sulfur, which is essential for treating infections and is even believed to be anticarcinogenic. Cabbage is also rich in vitamin C, which makes it highly effective at preventing everyday infections, including the common cold.^[17] Cabbage in everyday diet as a salad, or as fermented foods (Sauerkraut and kimchi) is extremely useful for improving digestion, improving nutrient absorption, and boosting the immune system.^[17]

Apple cider vinegar

Vinegar, which is made from fermented apple extract, is both antiseptic and antibiotic, making it great for combating pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial activity of apple cider vinegar against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans; downregulating cytokine and microbial protein expression has been well documented.^[18,19] It also helps in balancing the pH level (acidity vs. alkalinity) in the body, which means that bacteria have a lesser opportunity to breed. We routinely use vinegar in dressing wounds infected by Pseudomonas.^[20]

Virgin coconut oil

A fixture in Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine, coconut oil is a highly effective antibiotic, which also happens to be antibacterial and antifungal.^[21] Due to the latter property, coconut oil is an excellent remedy for dandruff or other fungal infections of the scalp. Furthermore, coconut oil has wonderful antioxidant properties, which means that it can help slow down ageing, keeping hair and skin looking their best. Studies have shown that virgin coconut oil could inhibit the growth of S. aureus with destructive mechanisms of bacterial cell walls and increase the ability of the phagocytic immune cells.^[21]

Seeded grapefruits

The seed of the grapefruit has antibiotic properties. A recent study showed that grapefruit seed extract was effective against more than 800 different forms of virus and bacteria, as well as over 100 different types of fungus. The seed extract contains large quantities of polyphenolic compounds, such as catechins, epicatechin, epicatechin-3-O-gallate, dimeric, trimeric and tetrameric procyanidins. The beneficial actions of GSE have partly been attributed to the antioxidative activity of citrus flavonoids, such as naringenin.^[22]

Fermented food

Fermented foods are defined as foods or beverages produced through controlled microbial growth and the conversion of food components through enzymatic action. Fermentation is actually a process involving good bacteria having an effect on a given type of food. When it occurs, many compounds are generated, thus antibiotic properties are added. Common examples of fermentable food items include pickles, probiotic yoghurt, and unpasteurized cabbage. Consuming them will boost your immune system function. Sauerkraut and kimchi are typical examples of fermented food.^[17]

Putative mechanisms for the impact of fermented foods on health include the potential probiotic effect of their constituent microorganisms, the fermentation-derived production of bioactive peptides, biogenic amines, and conversion of phenolic compounds to biologically active compounds, as well as the reduction of anti-nutrients. Fermented foods that have been tested in at least one randomised controlled trial (RCT) for their gastrointestinal effects were kefir, sauerkraut, natto, and sourdough bread.^[23]

Oregano oil

More well-known for adding flavour to pizzas or salads than anything else, oregano is also great for helping digestion, as well as weight loss. The herb is antibacterial in nature. Oil is made out of oregano, and it’s known as Carvacrol. It’s immensely good at treating both stomach and intestinal tract infections. This oil can also help treat yeast infections. Oregano essential oil is an effective natural antibacterial agent and has been found to be effective in inhibiting MRSA.^[24]

Today, in modern medicine, drug research and discovery depend heavily on clinical trials. They are intended to assess a possible new drug’s pharmacokinetics, effectiveness, and safety in human subjects. Each step of clinical trials is intended to address a particular query concerning the safety and effectiveness of the medicine. The results of clinical studies are used to assess a drug’s efficacy and safety, as well as its suitability for patient marketing. Even once a medicine is licensed, ongoing monitoring is necessary to guarantee its efficacy and safety. In Ayurveda, however, we do not find a similar practice being strictly followed. Ancient treatment modalities like Ayurveda, Unani, and Chinese have their own methodology of drug discovery and usage, which does not follow the grammar of modern medicine. That is perhaps the reason why many questions about them remain unanswered. However, their efficacy cannot be denied.