Pharmacological Classification of herbal anti-asthmatics

Abstract

Bronchial asthma is a major public health problem worldwide and the morbidity and mortality ofasthma have increased in last few decades. There is high prevalence of usage of alternativetraditional system of medicines for the treatment of asthma. Large numbers of medicinal plantpreparations have been reported to possess anti-asthmatic effects. Plant cells are now consideredto be the chemical factories synthesizing a large variety of chemical compounds. Further,Ayurvedic system of medicine has an elaborate description of asthma from the earliest timesdescribing it as ‘Shwasa’ meaning disease pertaining to breathing. This review classifies the anti-asthmatics herbs based on the possible mechanism of action reported. Thus, these plants can beused to obtain a polyherbal formulation which contains various herbs acting at particular sites ofthe pathophysiological cascade of asthma for prophylaxis as well as for the treatment of asthma.