Medicinal, Biological and Pharmacological Aspects of Plumbago zeylanica (Linn.)

Abstract

The present review deals with chemical compounds, medicinal properties, biological activities and pharmacological effects of Plumbago zeylanica. Plumbago zeylanica (Linn.) belongs to family Plumbaginaceae, commonly known as Chitrak is one of the medicinal plants used in the Indian traditional system of medicine. Traditionally P. zeylanica is used as a stimulant digestant, expectorant, laxative and in the treatment of muscular pain and rheumatic diseases. Some parts of P. zeylanica are used in various pharmacological activities. The different parts of P. zeylanica are used for various ethnomedicinal purposes and investigations have been carried out on different chemical compounds such as plumbagin and other compounds of this plant. Its biological activities like antibacterial, antimycotic, antiviral, antiplasmodial, leishmanicidal, trypanocidal and anticarcinogenic have been studied along with pharmacological effects of it.