Herbal therapy for herpes in the ethno-medicine of Coastal Karnataka

Abstract

528-532Traditional herbalists of Coastal Karnataka were found to be practicing 34 different methods of treatment for herpes infection in which 57 species of local plants are used. A herbal paste prepared by grinding one or more herbal ingredients for repeated application on the lesions of the skin is the common formulation involved in all the recorded methods. A scrutiny of literature revealed that 25 of plant species used have antiviral and other antimicrobial properties. In addition, some plants are described as antiinflammatory, wound healing and coolants in the ethnomedicinal literature of India, a few of which have been scientifically ascertained. These facts provide an indirect scientific basis to the efficacy of the recorded treatment methods