AYURVEDA AS A COMPLEMENTARY STRATEGY AGAINST ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EVIDENCE, MECHANISMS INSIGHTS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a growing worldwide concern for health, requires an alternative and mechanistically heterogeneous treatment approaches. Ayurveda with its broad spectrum of therapeutic herbs and phytoconstituents, is a potent alternative to antibacterial and resistance-modulating treatments. Methodology: Research and review articles published from 2015 to 2026 were selected through PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Using Rayyan, 90 records screened of which, 13 duplicates were removed and 13 Articles were excluded and 64 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. Results and Discussion: As per the reviewed evidence Ayurvedic plant phytoconstituents demonstrate an antibacterial, antibiofilm, antivirulence, resistance-modulating, and antibiotic-adjuvant effects against clinically relevant resistant pathogens. Several substances such as thymol, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, piperine, and quercetin, may increase the therapeutic value of conventional antibiotics by using complimentary processes. However, formulation variability, poor standardization, mechanistic gaps, a lack of pharmacokinetic and safety evidence, possible drug-herb interactions, and regulatory heterogeneity contribute as a barrier to clinical translation of ayurvedic formulation. Conclusion: Rather than taking the place of traditional antibiotic medication, Ayurveda presents an appropriate complementary, multi-target approach for managing AMR. To elucidate its clinical relevance, future research should concentrate on standardized formulations, pharmacological and mechanistic validation, safety characterisation, and carefully planned clinical trials.