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New Delhi: In a first, international science journal MDPI has published a research paper in the Sanskrit language. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s FMCG firm Patanjali Ayurveda had submitted the paper.

Switzerland’s Basel-based MDPI, which prints 219 scientific journal titles, published a paper in Sanskrit for the first time. Biomolecules, one of the peer-reviewed journals under MDPI, has carried video abstracts of the paper on a medicinal herb, but with English subtitles.

“This is the first step towards the acceptance of ‘Sanskrit language’ in the field of research among the international community. This represents Patanjali’s commitment towards being ‘swadeshi’,” Patanjali Ayurveda CEO Acharya Balkrishna told ThePrint.

Balkrishna is the lead researcher for the paper.

“The esteemed journal has published content in the Sanskrit language for the first time ever. It reiterates our promise of promoting Indian culture and for us, it is even bigger than achieving a Rs 1,000 crore of turnover,” he said.

MDPI publishing director Martyn Rittman confirmed this. “I am not aware of any previous videos we have published in Sanskrit, it is very likely that this is the first such case for MDPI,” Rittman said in an emailed response to ThePrint.

“Diversity and sustainability are very important to us, so we are very pleased to have published a video abstract in Sanskrit,” he added.

Used since nearly 1500 BCE, Sanskrit is a primary liturgical language of Hinduism.

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Paper says ‘ashwagandha’ cures skin disorder

The Patanjali research paper, published on 25 January in a special issue of the journal titled ‘Pharmacology of Medicinal Plants’, is on medicinal herb ‘Withania somnifera’, commonly known as ‘ashwagandha’.

“W. somnifera (WS), the Indian medicinal wonder plant, has been used since time immemorial,” the paper authored by Balkrishna and seven other researchers says.

All researchers work at the drug discovery and development division of Patanjali Research Institute, according to information in the paper.

The study proves that the WS seeds help in reducing psoriasis — a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the rapid buildup of skin cells causing scaling and redness on the skin’s surface.

“With the combination of both skin repair and anti-inflammatory properties, herbally-sourced WS seed fatty acids display strong anti-psoriatic potential,” the paper claims.

The study also acknowledges Patanjali Ayurveda founder Ramdev’s financial contribution. “We are humbly grateful to Param Shradhey Swami Ramdev ji for his financial and institutional support to accomplish this research work.”

Patanjali will use findings for cosmetics and skin products

After finding that oils extracted from WS seeds could be used as a natural remedial alternative or complementary treatment for psoriasis-like skin inflammation, Patanjali Ayurveda is now ready with a business plan.

“We will definitely monetise the findings. We will be using the findings to launch our own products under the cosmetics and medicine category,” Acharya told ThePrint.

“However, the research is open access and we haven’t applied for any patent. We welcome other players to use the findings for their product development as well.”

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