Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK)

Effect of Jaloukavcharan in Abhishyanda W.S.R. allergic conjunctivitis

Syam Chandran C — 2025-06-16

Abhishyanda (allergic conjunctivitis) is a highly common eye condition that affects people of all ages and is often equated with allergic conjunctivitis. In Ayurveda, Abhishyanda is recognized as the underlying cause of numerous eye disorders. Early and effective treatment is crucial, as delayed intervention can lead to severe complications that may jeopardize eyesight. Ayurveda offers a detailed description of Jaloukavcharan (leech therapy), which is utilized for treating various diseases across different body systems, including the ears, nose, throat, eyes, and head. Nowadays, leeches are also employed by ophthalmologists to address inflammatory conditions, traumatic injuries, and various eye diseases. The saliva of leeches contains various bioactive substances that have therapeutic effects in several medical conditions. The present case series is a single armed clinical trial of 30 patients having symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis like Raga (Congestion), Kandu (itching), Sravam (lacrimation), Daham (burning sensation), Shookapoornatha (foreign body) and Prakasha Ashishnutha (photophobia) with a course of 1 month. The primary data was gathered through interview and laboratory method. This includes semi structured questionnaire and lab investigations of absolute eosinophile count, HbsAg and HIV. Jaloukavacharan has demonstrated statistically significant results in treating all the above-mentioned subjective symptoms of Abhishyanda (allergic conjunctivitis) and the objective symptoms of absolute eosinophile countin some patients (23.3%). The treatment included three sessions on alternate days, followed by a follow-up of every 15 days over the span of one month with noside effects and a non-recurrence. Hence it can be used for Abhishyanda as prime treatment.

Investigating the efficacy of cyclic meditation in the management of post-exercise fatigue among law enforcement trainees: a randomized controlled study

Sabastian Baabu — 2025-06-16

Cyclic meditation (CM), a practice rooted in traditional knowledge, offers a holistic approach to mental and physical well-being, promoting stress reduction, focus, and emotional balance, all of which are essential for enhancing overall health and resilience that can benefit individuals in our fast-paced, often disjointed modern world. To examine the impact of CM on exercise-induced fatigue (EIF), 48 law enforcement trainees (age 28.1±4.4 y, height 1.7±0.06 m, and mass 63.9±8.5 kg) from the Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur, Kerala, India were randomly chosen and were distributed to two even groups. The intervention group (n=24) practiced 30 min of CM after morning physical training session for 30 days, while the control group (n=24) rested in supine. Testosterone, cortisol, and Testosterone-Cortisol ratio (T:C) were assessed for 20 participants in each group on days 1 and 31 after the physical training session. Counter Movement Jump (CMJ) and Rating of Fatigue (ROF) questionnaire were measured for all the participants on days 1, 15, and 31 after the physical training session. The intervention group exhibited significant improvements in CMJ height (p<0.05), CMJ flight time (p<0.05), and ROF (p<0.05), but the control group did not exhibit any significant changes. The control group showed significant decline in testosterone (p<0.05) and T:C (p<0.05) and a significant rise in cortisol (p<0.05) while the intervention group did not reveal any significant changes. The intervention group significantly improved CMJ variables and ROF, restricted the decline in testosterone by over 10%, suppressed the reduction in T:C by more than 50%, compared to the control group and reduced cortisol levels by 27%. Bottom of Form These findings suggest that CM could aid in recovering from EIF.

Evaluation of the in vivo subacute toxicity of Otolith as a novel traditional hypoglycemic agent

Abdullah Ahmed Areqi — 2025-06-16

In coastal areas like Hodeida governorate-Yemen, otolith, or "ear stone", are used to treat diabetes. Locals believe that these formations can manage diabetes and relieve migraine pain. This study examines the in vivo subacute toxicity and safety of catfish otolith as a novel traditional antidiabetic agent. Twenty \ fourmale rats were evenly divided into four six-rat groups. Control group (Group 1) received 0.9% w/v sodium chloride for 21 days. The remaining three groups received oral otolith at different doses for the same time. Group 2, the low-dose group, received 5 g/day otolith per body weight. Mid-dose group 3 received 10 g/day otolith per body weight. Finally, Group 4, the high-dose group, received 15 g/day otolith per body weight. The animals' behavior and anomalies were recorded throughout the experiment. Biochemical tests like liver and kidney function and hematological tests like total blood count were done at the end of the experiment. In large doses, otoliths reduced cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides and increased HDL. Otolith did not affect renal function or electrolyte balance at the tested doses. It affected certain hepatic enzyme functions at higher doses, but protein levels remained stable across doses, indicating neither liver injury nor considerable hepatic function loss. This study sheds light on otolith's safety, notably for renal function, electrolyte homeostasis, and liver health.

Medicinal plants having a dual role in treating both human and livestock diseases in Suro Barguda District, West Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Eshete Ashagre Mersha — 2025-06-16

This study aimed to identify and analyze medicinal plants used by the Guji Semi-Pastoralist People in Suro Barguda District, West Guji Zone, and Southern Ethiopia. 124 informants with knowledge of traditional herbs were interviewed, and ethnobotanical data was collected. 22 medicinal plant species were identified, with Euphorbiaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Apiaceae, and Solanaceae being the most common. Oral application was the most popular method, and herbal medicines were often made using freshly harvested plant parts. The high-use value indices of multipurpose plant species identified in the research area provide indicators of high use pressure and keys to developing and executing complementing in situ and ex situ conservation interventions to maintain these highly used plant species.

Factors determining ethnomedicinal plants choice in Pushparajgargh Tehsil of Madhya Pradesh, India

Birjhu Singh Shyam — 2025-06-16

The quantitative ethnobotanical indices and the important value index (IVI) were used to analyze the socio-cultural and ecological significances of the ethnomedicinal flora of a tribal-dominated division of the district Anuppur (Madhya Pradesh), India. The documented plants treat various ailments caused by taxonomically unrelated pathogens. The Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) results showed that reported plants were used to treat 12 different categories of diseases, including alcoholism. Plants such as Hedychium coronarium, Andrographis paniculata, Shorea robusta, Acorus calamus, and Azadirachita indica were the most important and popular plants among the local healers. The Index of Cultural Significance and IVI values further confirm plants' cultural and ecological importance. Findings also underpin demography (i.e., versatility and availability), social dynamics, and human traits (age, dynamics of knowledge, and social network) as reasons for the selection of plants by the healers.

Traditional preparation of Na.kam su.a - an ethnic fermented fish product of Garo tribes of Meghalaya in Northeast India

Ningthoujam Peetambari Devi — 2025-06-16

Traditionally, food fermentation has been practised as one of the food preservation methods and is still in vogue predominantly in Southeast Asian Countries. The methods of preparation and utilisation of different fermented fish products vary among the communities or regions of Northeast India. The Garo tribe of Meghalaya has a unique form of a fermented fish product known as “Na.kam su.a” prepared from Gangetic hairfin anchovy, Setipinna phasa. The proximate composition analysis of na.kam su.a, contained 32.54% crude protein followed by 36.82% moisture, 16.26% ash, and 13.44% lipid. The energy value of na.kam su.a was estimated as 419.6 kcal/100 g. The paper highlights the method of preparing and utilizing this traditional fish product of the Garo tribal community of Meghalaya in Northeast India.

Indigenous technical knowledge on drought mitigation techniques on yield of groundnut and adoption of farmers in semi-arid regions of Andhra Pradesh

Mitnala Jayalakshmi — 2025-06-16

Frontline demonstrations were conducted to evaluate and promote Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) related to drought mitigation strategies in groundnut cultivation. The demonstrated ITK practices included summer deep ploughing, sub-soiling with a chisel plough following summer showers, application of farmyard manure, sowing across the slope, and the creation of dead furrows at 2-meter intervals with a depth of 30 cm. A total of ten demonstrations were organized each year during the kharif season of 2018, 2019 & 2020 in farmers’ fields of Bodabanda and Venkatapuram villages in western part of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh to showcase the effectiveness of these traditional techniques. The results from the frontline demonstrations indicated that groundnut demo plot recorded the highest number of pods (22, 18.1 and 22.3) and yield (1498, 1511 and 1496 kg ha^-1) in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. In the demo plot, an extra income of Rs. 16587/- ha^-1, Rs. 19375/- ha^-1 and Rs 17687/- ha^-1 were recorded in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. The technology gap of demonstration field was 177 kg ha^-1, 156 kg ha^-1 and 166 kg ha^-1 and an average technology index of 8.32% was observed with demonstration fields during three consecutive years. The highest per cent change in adoption was recorded for summer deep ploughing (79.17). The degree of effectiveness of summer deep ploughing ITK practice ranks first with 2.29 mean score and lowest was recorded in forming dead furrows at intervals of every 2 meters, each with a depth of 30 cm with mean 1.88.

The effect of traditional wet cupping therapy on (methylarginine) load

Hayriye Alp — 2025-06-16

Hi-jama therapy or wet cupping therapy is a complementary therapy that has been in order to centuries in the complementary and preventive treatment of various cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders. However, its mechanism of action is yet not completely elucidated and further studies are needed. This study aims to add to the elucidation of the of hi-jama therapy mechanism by comparing methylarginine grades in cupping blood and intravenous blood. This study included 100 healthy women aged 20-60 years, without any chronic disease, who underwent hi-jama therapy at Konya Necmettin Erbakan University Medical Faculty Traditional and Complementary Medicine Center. Methylarginine measurement was performed as a biochemical test with the tandem mass spectrometry. It was determined that total methylarginine concentrations increased in cup blood compared to venous blood in individuals who underwent wet cupping therapy. Our findings support the hypotheses that wet cupping therapy may act through detoxification of harmful metabolites from the blood.

Thermal comfort and daylight assessment of vernacular house in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh

Karthik Chadalavada — 2025-06-16

Vernacular architecture, deeply rooted in local traditions, reflects the socio-cultural and climatic influences of its region. However, modernization and structural modifications have led to changes in indoor thermal conditions and daylighting. This study evaluates thermal comfort and daylight performance in a traditional vernacular house in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, emphasizing the role of passive design strategies in enhancing indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Using Design Builder software, this study assesses the impact of passive cooling techniques and daylight optimization in a heritage dwelling. The results indicate a 20% improvement in thermal comfort due to passive strategies, but a 25% reduction in natural lighting due to structural modifications. This highlights the need for context-specific retrofitting strategies that balance thermal and visual comfort while preserving the architectural integrity of heritage structures. This is the first study to quantitatively assess passive techniques for improving IEQ in vernacular houses of Amaravati, contributing to sustainable design and heritage conservation.

A novel method of absolute noise removal from the degraded palm leaf manuscripts

Deepa Unnikrishnan — 2025-06-16

Received 24 March 2025; revised 10 May 2025; accepted 15 May 2025

Document image denoising and binarisation is an essential pre-processing step while digitising and segmenting the characters from the degraded Palm Leaf Manuscripts (PLM). The accuracy of segmenting the characters lies in the clarity of the binarised images. As the quality of these manuscripts has deteriorated due to old age and fungal or bacterial attacks, the content carved onto them is affected and is less visible. This paper aims to explain a novel method to denoise and binarise the degraded PLM, thereby increasing visibility so that the characters can be segmented easily for further implementations. The paper also discusses a hybrid thresholding technique that blends existing global and adaptive binarisation methods. Circular contour analysis detects and removes the punch hole mark from these manuscripts by replacing it with a mask of the same size as white pixels for absolute denoising. The proposed method generated excellent results of Peak Signal to Noise Ratio and Structure Similarity Index Matrix of 15.64 dB and 88% respectively. The paper also gives a comparative study of the novel method with the currently available algorithms.

Editorial Board June 2025

Charu Lata — 2025-06-16

Content June 2025

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June 2025 Author Index

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June 2025 Subject Index

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