Ayurvedic Herb Adhatoda Improves Lung Capacity

The Ayurvedic herb adhatoda is well-known for its effectiveness in treating a wide range of inflammatory and respiratory conditions. In modern practice, it is recommended for its strong bronchodilator, antitussive, antispasmodic and expectorant effects. It has been used for centuries with much success to treat asthma, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory conditions. It is also a popular plant for digestion due to its extremely bitter taste. 

An April 2021 study, published in the Respiratory Research journal, provided a scientific rationale for adhatoda to be used to improve the hypoxia (low tissue oxygen) and inflammation seen in “coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-like conditions”. COVID-19 pneumonia has been associated with severe acute hypoxia, sepsis (blood poisoning)-like states, thrombosis (blood clots) and chronic consequences including persisting hypoxia and fibrosis (scarring of the lungs). The researchers had observed anti-hypoxic and anti-inflammatory effects in previous studies on adhatoda which prompted them to explore its effects on preclinical mouse models relating to these conditions. They posited that medicinal agents that possess immune-boosting and anti-hypoxic effects could hold promise as a therapeutic option to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2 - the virus that causes COVID-19) infection and severity. 

In an earlier 2021 in vivo study, the researchers were able to show that adhatoda can reduce induced severe airway inflammation in steroid-nonresponsive asthmatic rodents. In the current study, they were evaluating adhatoda’s usefulness in other severe lung pathologies, where there is low tissue oxygen, and which are relevant to the clinical course of COVID-19 such as lung injury, fibrosis and thrombosis. They further tested the potential of adhatoda in limiting proliferation of SARS-CoV-2. Their in vitro analysis suggested that adhatoda may be able to prevent SARS-CoV2 infection and its progression however further human clinical trials are needed.

Written by
Christine Thomas
Herbalist and Technical Writer
February 2022