Therapeutic Effects of Botanicals Used in Management of Dhiq al-Nafas (Bronchial Asthma): An Evidence Based Review

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases globally and currently affects approximately 300 million people worldwide. As per scientific data, approximately 10-12% of adults; and 15% of children are affected by the disease. The increasing global prevalence of the disease imposes a high health care costs into its mechanisms and treatment. Unani system of medicine (USM) is a well known traditional therapy for number of diseases since ancient times. Time has proved that USM has a special role in treatment of chronic diseases, due its special Usooleillaj (Line of treatment). Dhiq al-Nafas (bronchial asthma) is also considered as a chronic disease. Since ancient times, the disease was cured by number of single as well as compound formulations by renowned Unani scholars. This review provides a comprehensive summary of medicinal plant throughout the world, with reference to renowned Unani scholars and physicians for treatment of Dhiq al-Nafas. A number of Unani single and compound drugs, highly efficacious and safe drugs are available for the asthma. The data were taken from classical literature of USM, Modern reference books & electronic journals. The recent information was collected from different authentic search engines. This review will provide the centuries therapeutic information's of classical literature and recent scientific studies of 12 herbal drugs mentioned in USM, which will help the academia, clinicians, research scholars and post graduate students from Unani Medicine, Traditional & Complementary Medicine and other related disciplines, having research interest or work in the Unani medicine.