AYURVEDIC HERBS IN DADRU WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RINGWORM - A REVIEW ARTICLE

Skin is an important and most visible organ of our body. Any disease related to skin can create physical as well as psychological problems in an individual. In recent years there has been increase in the incidence of skin problems in the tropical and developing countries like India due to various factors like pollution, un-hygienic condition etc. In Ayurveda all the skin disease considered in Kustha, which are further catego-rized into Mahakustha and Kshudrakustha. Dadru is one of the most common but miserable variety of Kustha affects the population of all age groups and it stands as a challenge to different medical systems inspite of many advances. Dadru is a Kapha Pitta Pradhan Vyadhi and the management of which includes Shodhana(elimination), Shamana (alleviation) and Bahirparimarjana (external application) Chikitsa. Da-dru can be correlated with Ringworm in modern terminology. Ringworm is a common fungal skin infection otherwise known as tinea. Ringworm most commonly affects the skin on the body (tinea corporis), the scalp (tinea capitis), the feet (tinea pedis), or the groin (tinea cruris). It is the commonest single fungus group infections found in an unhygienic environment. In modern various antifungal agents like Flucona-zole, Miconazole, Itraconazole etc. have been used for the treatment of these infections. In Ayurveda, so many herbs like Cakramarda, Bakuchi, Karanja, Rasona, Haridra etc. having antifungal activity which are experimentally proved to control and treat Dadru Kustha without any adverse effect.