Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

RSS hands out Giloy saplings in Uttarakhand to boost immunity against Covid-19

Hindustan Times, Dehradun | ByNeeraj Santoshi | Edited by Sabir Hussain
May 27, 2020 09:08 PM IST

Krishnanand Bhatt, RSS Nagar Sanchalak Kedarnagar Dehradun said they have plans to distribute over 5,000 saplings of Giloy to people in Dehradun.

The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has started distributing saplings of Glioy (Tinospora Cordifolia), a medicinal plant, to households in Dehradun to boost immunity of the people against infections like Covid-19.

Uma Dutt, RSS vibhag sewa pramkukh Dehradun said they decided to distribute Giloy saplings to households in Dehradun after many Ayurvedic practitioners and medical experts suggested that medicinal herbs like Glioy enhance immunity and could be help in protecting against infections like Covid-19.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Dehradun had the maximum Covid-19 cases in Uttarakhand, before Nainital took over as the district with the maximum cases in the state a few days back.

“Even yoga guru Ramdev has suggested that consuming ‘kaada’ (decoction) of Giloy and Tulasi with black pepper, turmeric and ginger would boost the immunity of people against viral infections,” he said.

The RSS campaign to distribute the saplings began less than a week ago.

Krishnanand Bhatt, RSS Nagar Sanchalak Kedarnagar Dehradun said they have plans to distribute over 5,000 saplings of Giloy to people in Dehradun.

“We have already distributed over 2,100 saplings of Giloy saplings to households in our area. Our RSS workers are going from door to door and distributing these saplings. Even the union Ayush ministry has suggested the use of Ayurvedic herbs for boosting immunity. In the coming days, we will distribute more,” he said.

The union ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) has suggested use of some herbs for boosting immunity and also invited suggestions on its website from AYUSH practitioners and institutions for restraining the spread of the Covis-19 pandemic or manage the disease. However, it has also put a disclaimer on its website that its advisory “does not claim to be treatment for Covid-19”.

Prof Neeraj Misra from Lucknow University, who has expertise in biophysics said they studied the efficacy of substances found in some medicinal plants including Giloy on the inhibition of Covid-19 in April, while collaborating with the experts from Gorakhpur University in Uttar Pradesh. He said their paper titled ‘On the Inhibition of Covid-19 Protease by Indian Herbal Plants: An In Silico Investigation’ is currently being peer-reviewed. In silico means research conducted by means of computer modelling or computer simulation.

“We extracted 18 compounds from 11 medicinal plants including Giloy and evaluated their inhibition properties against Covid-19 receptor protease. The virus binds with the receptor protein on the human cell to enter it and cause infection. If we can bind this receptor protein with any chemical substance, then the virus’s ability to enter the cell is inhibited. We studied the binding of Covid-19 protease (6LU7) receptor with the extracts of Indian herbal

plants like Giloy by molecular docking. And our analyses suggested that the Covid-19 protease can be inhibited to varying degrees by the extracts of Indian herbal plants, including Giloy,” Prof Misra said.

Prof Ambrish Srivastava, a biophysicist from Gorakhpur University said, “Our calculations on the binding affinity of the extracted compounds suggested that Harsingar (night jasmine or parijat) had the maximum inhibition potential followed by aloe vera, Giloy, turmeric and so on,” he said, adding, “it is promising predictive study and needs to be corroborated with clinical studies”, he said.

Uttarakhand has so far reported 438 cases of Covid-19 with infection rate of 2.28% and doubling rate (in last seven days) of 3.99 days.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Topics
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
OPEN APP