A Review On The Phytochemical And Pharmacological Characteristics Of Some Indian Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Herbal remedies have been used since the beginning of human history. Written records from the ancient Chinese, North Africans, and Indians attest to man's resourcefulness in employing plants to treat a wide range of illnesses¹. Achyranthes aspera Antimalarial, emmenagogue, purgative, diuretic, antiarthritic, oestrogenic, antileprotic, antispasmodic, cardiotonic, antibacterial, and antiviral properties are all associated with Linn. (A. aspera). Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, and terpenoids are said to be present.². Colebrookea oppositifolia is a significant plant for medicine.  The leaves have antifertility and oil fungal poisonous properties; they are used locally to treat wounds and fractures; the roots are utilized to cure epilepsy³. The characteristics that aid in the identification of this leaf medication include the presence of paracytic stomata, trichomes of glandular, non-glandular, uniseriate, and multicellular kinds, rectangular or druses type calcium oxalate crystals, and acicular raphides. The results of a preliminary phytochemical examination showed that the water extract had carbohydrates, glycosides, and traces of volatile oil; the acetone, ethanol, and water extracts contained phenols, tannins, and flavonoids; the ethanol and water extracts contained saponins, proteins, and amino acids; and the water extract contained gums and mucilage⁴. Granatum Punica from Punicaceae family includes the sacred fruit, which has been used for many purposes in ancient writings. Pomegranates are utilized in several medical systems. The biological characteristics of extracts made from various pomegranate components, such as their hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, analgesic, and anticancer effects. Because of these qualities, the extracts are employed in a variety of medical specialties, including the treatment of impotence, cholera, inflammation, and infection. Punica granatum was shown to contain anthocynin, flavonoides, alkaloids, tannins, triterpenes, and phytosterols using phytochemical screening.⁵.