Big breakthrough in combating ageing by Gujarat Ayurved university

A new study reports that a shrub can make you look younger than your age. A major breakthrough in the arena to combat aging, Jamnagar-based Gujarat Ayurved University has claimed Giloy — a shrub to act as an anti-aging agent.

The study by the Indian Ayurvedic University researchers published in the Netherlands-based Wolters Kluwer has concluded that the consumption of heart-leaved moonseed or Giloy — a shrub — increased the lifespan of the common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).

The investigators found that the general lifespan of the flies, which is not more than 29 to 30 days, increased to about 85 days after they were fed concentrations of Giloy powder for 30 days.

Drosophila is extensively used as an animal model to have a better understanding of aging and longevity. The current government has raised its support by endorsing the study and wants to extend the scope of the research to humans.

“We will be tying up with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the country’s largest medical research body, to expand the scope of the study,” Rajesh Kotecha, secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, told ThePrint. “We are planning a massive research project to validate these findings on the different levels.”

The researchers mixed the regular food of flies with Giloy powder in different concentrations. The flies were exposed to these concentrations for 30 days.

The key findings of the study included are:

• In the group under observation, which was fed Giloy in 0.25 gram per 100 ml concentration, the highest lifespan of male and female flies was 83.2 and 84.8 days respectively.


• In 0.50 gram per 100 ml concentration, the lifespan of both male and female flies was 33 days.

The study concluded that there was an ideal concentration of the powder that contributed to a significant increase in lifespan.

“This indicates that there is a particular concentration level which causes maximum lifespan extension and the concentrations beyond that limit do not further increase the lifespan, which may be due to the absorption threshold of the powder,” write the authors.

“The increase in lifespan of the flies due to the Giloy powder can be attributed to its high antioxidant properties,” the research paper added.

Giloy powder is referred to as Guduchi churna in the paper and is deemed a longevity promoting herb.

“Although the exact mechanisms of the action of Guduchi churna on enhancing the survivability of D. melanogaster could not be ascertained, it has validated the concept of Vayasthapana and Rasayana effect of Guduchi churna,” write the authors.

Rasayana, a rejuvenation therapy deals with a group of medicinal preparations, which stimulate immunity and prevent the causation of many ailments such as untimely aging.

Ayurveda is based on prevention rather than cure of the illness. Ayurvedic medicines are based on purification of the body in a natural way and the environment created helps remove all toxins and help regain body’s natural tolerance or resistance from the diseases and help rejuvenate the body and regain good health.