Comparative Study of Srotas Microcirculation—Bridging Ayurveda and Modern Hemodynamics

Abstract

Abstract
Ayurvedic texts portray srotas as a hierarchical network of channels that transport nutrients, waste, and vital energy throughout the body. Modern biomedicine, in turn, describes microcirculation as a continuum of arterioles, capillaries, and venules that regulates perfusion and cellular exchange. Although both frameworks emphasize fluid flow and homeostatic balance, the conceptual gulf between them has limited systematic comparison. This critical review synthesizes classical descriptions of rasavaha (plasma bearing) and rakta¬vaha (blood bearing) srotas with contemporary findings in endothelial glycocalyx integrity, shear dependent nitric oxide release, and microvascular autoregulation. By juxtaposing Ayurvedic diagnostic markers—such as bahulya (diameter), pravritti (flow tendency), and sanga (obstruction)—with measurable hemodynamic variables including vessel radius, erythrocyte velocity, and capillary rarefaction, the paper highlights convergent principles and divergent assumptions. The review also critiques methodological gaps in existing studies and proposes an integrative research agenda that leverages intravital microscopy, metabolomics, and Ayurvedic pulse analysis to establish translational biomarkers.

Keywords: Srotas, Microcirculation, Endothelial glycocalyx, Hemodynamics, Ayurveda biomedicine integration