Category Archives: Ayurveda Emergency Medicine

The Coronil Confusion: Can Anu Taila Prevent Corona Infection?

Recently Patanjali launched a new Ayurvedic medicine for COVID-19 infection kit. Kit comprises of three medicines available – Anu taila, shvasari vati and coronil tabs.

However Patanjali has not been able to demonstrate the use of Coronil kit in current COVID-19 patients. Therefore, I would not recommend using coronil kit at an exclusive treatment for COVID-19 patients.

However, the let’s see if coronil can help us in the prevention or management of COVID-19.

Coronil has 3 medicines – Anu Taila, Shvasari vati, and Coronil Tabs. All this has three medicines work in different manners and exert multiple effects on different parts of the body.

In this blog, Let’s look at anu taila first.

The nose is a very complex structure with a lot of convolutions inside. the convulsions in the nasal passage trap thousands of pathogens that enter inside our nose with every breath. However, if this nasal passage provides host cells for the pathogens to decide then. 
But, if the cells in this nasal passage have low immunity we can become host to the pathogens entering through the nose. When pathogen irritates the nasal lining the first defense response of the body is to secrete excess mucus through the security glands in the sinuses and try to trap the pathogens in the nose itself. And that is why we face running nose whenever we have an infection inside the nasal lining.

As for the corona virus, the important factor ids the ACE2 receptors present in the nasal lining. These receptors are present all over the oral cavity, respiratory pathway, small intestines, blood vessels and multiple other organs. These receptors are the entry point of corona virus inside the body.

What is Anu taila ?

Anu Taila is a classical ayurvedic nasal drop mentioned in Ayurvedic text like Charak Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Sushrut Samhita. The number and choice of herbs differ slightly from one text to the other. For example, Charak Samhita (uses 23 herbs) mentions use of Triphala, where else in Ashtang Hriday there is no mention of Triphala as an ingredients (27 herbs). 

Anu Taila is considered to be a Tridosha Nashak that helps balance all 3 dosha in the body namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Let’s see how Anu Taila works. 

Anu Taila – PHYSICOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF ANU TAILA https://www.wjpps.com/Wjpps_controller/abstract_id/6847#

What is Nasya?

Interestingly, Anu Taila is not a tab, it is a nasal drop. According to Ayurveda, nose is the door to head region. And therefore all kinds of disorders of his head region as well as those of the respiratory system starts with the nose. If we are able to increase immunity instant immunity in the nose region then we will be able to protect our body for all the pathogens that can enter through those. Here we can see the first and the best benefit of Anu taila.

More about Nasya

Possible drug absorption and pathway for Anu Taila

  • The drug administered intranasally enters the nasal cavity through superior, middle and inferior meatus which further has six sinus openings.
  • The drug stimulates the olfactory cells. This Stimulation is further relyed through olfactory axons.
  • It crosses the cribriform plate of ethmoid bone Axons form olfactory bulbs. These bulbs form the Axons synapses with dendrils of the mitral cells. Many such synapses form olfactory glomerulai.
  • From olfactory glomerulai, drugs reaches olfactory cortex via axons of mitral cells continue to form olfactory tract.

Why Anu Taila is so effective? (coming next)

Preventive Action of Anu Taila

Links to supporting research studies given at the end of the blog

Anu Taila : A Mechanical Barrier

Anu taila forms an oily layer on the nasal surface that serves as an excellent mechanical barrier to all kinds of pathogens. This extra protective layer for the nasal passage also traps the pathogens before they touch the nasal lining.  It is as good as a mask that we are wearing inside the nose. 

So, with Anu Taila, there is a high possibility that any pathogen entering the nose will get trapped in the nasal passage itself, without causing any damage. After regular usage, this protection spreads to the deeper regions of the respiratory system, just like the effect of smoking affects the entire respiratory system. 

This layer stays on the nasal lining temporarily. However, on regular usage, it can serve as a great first defense against corona virus. So, probably we can apply Anu Taila before going outside!

In India, we have an ancient tradition of oiling the nose with cow ghee. and you can get this extra mechanical protection by applying cow ghee also. However, Anu taila offers some extra benefits as compared to plain cow ghee. And these extra benefits comes from the excellent combination of ingredients herbal ingredients it contains.


Anu Taila : An Antiviral Agent 

Anu Taila contains a big list of natural anti-microbial herbs.

Below listed are some special herbs with demonstrated anti-viral effects.

  • Choti elaichi  (Green Cardamom)
  • Tejpatta (Bayleaf)
  • Mulethi (Liquorice)
  • Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus
  • Khus (Vetiver)
  • Dalchini  (Cinnamon)
  • Pine (Cedrus deodara)

These herbs do not kill the virus, but they create a hostile and un-survivable environment for all pathogenic microbes. Their killing effect is neat. They kind of cut out the oxygen supply for the microbes. Microbes die their own death.

Selected important studies are mentioned, however there are hundreds of such studies proving the efficacy of these herbs

Anu Taila : An Anti-Oxidant

Most of the herbal ingredients esp.

  • Choti elaichi  (Green Cardamom)
  • Tejpatta (Bayleaf)
  • Mulethi (Liquorice)
  • Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus)
  • Khus (Vetiver)
  • Dalchini  (Cinnamon)

have a excellent anti-oxidant effect on the body cells, esp. the respiratory tract. With their anti-oxidant effect, these herbs may improve the overall immunity of all the body cells and makes them more resistant to viral infections.

  • Anti-oxidant Effect of Green Cardamom
  • Anti-oxidant effect of Cinnamon
  • Anti-oxidant effect of Cinnamon – Study 2
  • Anti-oxidant Effect of Nagarmotha
  • Bozan B., Karakaplan U. Antioxidants from laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) berries: influence of extraction procedure on yield and antioxidant activity of extracts. Acta Alimentaria. 2007;36:321–328. [Google Scholar]
  • El S.N., Karagozlu N., Karakaya S., Sahın S. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oils extracted from Laurus nobilis L. leaves by using solvent-free microwave and hydrodistillation. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2014;5(02):97–106. [Google Scholar]
  • Elmastaş M., Gülçin I., Işildak Ö., Küfrevioğlu Ö., İbaoğlu K., Aboul-Enein H. Radical scavenging activity and antioxidant capacity of bay leaf extracts. Journal of the Iranian Chemical Society. 2006;3:258–266. [Google Scholar]
  • Mohsen K, Zahra K, Mehrdad R, Azizi Y. Anticonvulsant and antioxidant effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Cyperus rotundus rhizome on pentylentetrazoleinduced kindling model in male mice. Med Plants Res 2011;5:1140-6.  
  • K. R. Määttä-Riihinen, M. P. Kähkönen, A. R. Törrönen, and I. M. Heinonen, “Catechins and procyanidins in berries of vaccinium species and their antioxidant activity,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 53, no. 22, pp. 8485–8491, 2005.View at: Google Scholar
  • Gruenwald, J.; Freder, J.; Armbruester, N. Cinnamon and health. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr.2010, 50, 822–834. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  • Free Radical Scavenging Active Components from Cedrus deodara
  • Kilani S, Ben Ammar R, Bouhlel I, Abdelwahed A, Hayder N, Mahmoud A, et al. Investigation of extracts from (Tunisian) Cyperus rotundus as antimutagens and radical scavengers. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2005;20:478-84.  
  • [PUBMED] 

Anu Taila : An Immunity Booster

Almost all the herbs in Anu taila have a great immuno-modulatory impact on the nasal lining.

  • Majdalawieh, A.F.; Carr, R.I. In vitro investigation of the potential immunomodulatory and anti-cancer activities of black pepper (Piper nigrum) and cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). J. Med. Food2010, 13, 371–381. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  • Gruenwald, J.; Freder, J.; Armbruester, N. Cinnamon and health. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr.2010, 50, 822–834. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  • Stavinoha, R.C.; Vattem, D.A. Potential neuroprotective effects of cinnamon. Int. J. Appl. Res. Nat. Prod.2015, 8, 24–46. [Google Scholar]
  • Bisht A, Bisht GR, Singh M, Gupta R, Singh V. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of tubers of Cyperus rotundus Linn. collected from Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Int J Res Pharm Biomed Sci 2011;2:661-5.  
  • Samejima K., Kanazawa K., Ashida H., Danno G.-i. Bay laurel contains antimutagenic kaempferyl coumarate acting against the dietary carcinogen 3-amino-1-methyl-5 H-pyrido [4, 3-b] indole (Trp-P-2) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1998;46:4864–4868. [Google Scholar]
  • Imam H, Zarnigar, Sofi G, Seikh A, Lone A. The incredible benefits of Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus). Int J Nutr Pharmacol Neurol Dis [serial online] 2014 [cited 2020 Jul 15];4:23-7. Available from: http://www.ijnpnd.com/text.asp?2014/4/1/23/124611

Anu Taila : Ayurvedic Tridosha Nashak

According to Ayurveda, all these are kapha balancing herbs and they make body cells more resistant to all kinds of pathogens related to cough and colds. 

With prevention of vata and pitta dosha imbalance, Anu Taila prevents multiple symptoms like headache, loss in sense of smell or hearing etc. However, these points are more relevant in COVID-19 management. I will elaborate on these points in the COVID-19 management section.

Anu Taila as an Antiviral Humidifier

At any time, Anu Taila is a far better humidifier than vapor as it moistens the nasal lining. And the oily layer protects the natural moisture of the nasal lining. This quality of Anu Taila, combined with the natural anti-viral effect, protects the nasal lining from dryness and increased vulnerability to virus attack.

Therefore, we can see that Anu Taila can be a potential complementary preventive support in case of COVID 19.

Besides, the present corona infections are being treated by managing the symptoms. In the next blog, let’s see how Anu Taila can help to manage COVID19 symptoms in the infected patients.

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