Integrating Dravyaguna Vigyan andModern Pharmacology: A Comparative Study onPlant-Based Therapeutics

Abstract

Abstract

Dravyaguna Vigyan, the Ayurvedic science of medicinal properties of herbs, has historically guided the selection, classification, and application of plant-based therapies in India. The global resurgence of herbal medicine in recent decades has prompted a critical dialogue between traditional knowledge systems and modern pharmacology. This paper offers a comparative study of Dravyaguna principles—Rasa (taste), Guna (qualities), Virya (potency), Vipaka (post-digestive effect), and Prabhava (specific action)—with modern pharmacological parameters such as chemical composition, mechanism of action, bioavailability, and therapeutic index. The paper explores case studies of ten Ayurvedic herbs, including Haridra (Curcuma longa), Tulasi (Ocimum sanctum), and Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), highlighting overlaps and distinctions between traditional insights and biomedical findings. This cross-disciplinary approach reveals the scientific validity embedded within Ayurvedic frameworks and promotes a new model for integrative healthcare based on complementary strengths of both traditions.

Keywords:Dravyaguna Vigyan, Ayurvedic pharmacology, plant-based therapeutics, integrative medicine, traditional knowledge systems