Be it a cancer attack or the deadly assault of nuclear radiation, the age-old Ayurvedic formula, Trifala, holds the power of shielding mankind, a top radiation biologist has said.

K P Mishra, formerly associated with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, claimed that the peerless power of Trifala -- a combination of three herbs, Amalaki, Haritaki and Bibhitaki -- held the promise of protecting the body from the attack of dreadful diseases.

Dr Mishra, who is also the president of the Indian Society for Radiation Biology and Indian Biophysical Society, is in Varanasi to attend the 5th International Conference of Low Dose Radiation Effects on Human Health and Environment, which is underway at the Banaras Hindu University.

''Trifala is not only the best laxative and colon tonic, but also offers perfect treatment to allergies, cold, flu and obesity. The age-old basic Ayurvedic formulation also tones up the immune system of the body -- essential to foil any attack be it cancer or nuclear radiation,'' Dr Mishra, presently a visiting professor to the Hiroshima University, Japan [Images], said.

The basic Ayurvedic formulation can be of immense protective value against diseases like cancer and radioactivity especially arising out of nuclear radiation in this era of growing dependence of nuclear power both for advancement and war.

''Trifala tones up the immune system, by differentiating between diseased human cells and the healthy or normal cells. Once the diseased cells have been identified, the power of Trifala kills these cells, making way for the development of new healthy cells, consequently toning up the immune system. Intake of this staple Ayurvedic formulation will thus help people beat all onslaughts on their body,'' he added.

In case of nuclear radiation also, a fully toned immune system courtesy the intake of Trifala could help people neutralise the harmful effects of radioactivity, Dr Mishra said.

Dr Mishra, who was heading the ongoing project at the BARC to develop a drug that would help the soldiers neutralise the harmful effects of nuclear radiation in case of an atomic attack said the power of Trifala was discovered by a team member, Dr Sandhya, during the work on the project.

''The search is on for finding more such formulations like Trifala, which can make the body immune to deadly radiations,'' Dr Mishra maintained.

''Research during the course of project has proved that Trifala consumers working in occupations replete with radioactivity like X-ray centres were immune to harmful radiations,'' he added.

Enlisting the other projects underway at the BARC, Dr Mishra said a series of efforts were being made to apply radioisotope technology -- technology based on naturally occurring or synthetic radioactive form of an element -- to benefit the country's population.

The slew of radioisotope based initiatives included application to eliminate the destruction of crop by insects, tracing untapped ground water resources, besides checking the organ wise functioning of human body, he added.

''The technology is in the process of being applied to sterilise the insect population which destroy crops, thus saving a huge amount our crops which are decayed,'' he added.

The most significant area of radioisotope, a seminal branch of nuclear medicine is the work on applying it to devise missile technology based medicine system, which will ensure targeted delivery of drugs especially in cases of cancer and diabetes.

''A missile hits a specific enemy target. Similarly efforts are underway at the BARC to devise a system of radioisotope based nuclear medicine, especially in cases of cancer, where the anti-cancer drug acts only on the diseased cells and not the healthy parts of the body,'' Dr Mishra.

When the system is put in place, maximum result can be obtained through minimum input of drugs, thus replacing the side effects of radiotherapy on patients and eliminating the need for surgical intervention to a large extent, he claimed.

The Liposome or Cell Membrane based targeted drug delivery system is being packaged in such a manner that even low dosage of the medication acts meticulously on the cancer cells and not on healthy cells, Dr Mishra maintained.

The success of targeted drug delivery system will serve a breakthrough in the cancer treatment scene in the country through side effect-free assured cancer therapy, he added.