A Brief Review on Botanical Description, Medicinal Uses and Pharmacological Actions of Lablab Purpureus

Abstract

Lablab purpureus is a species of the beans, which is commonly known as a Dolichos bean belongs to the family Fabaceae. The crop is believed to be cultivated in south Asia and introduced into Africa. It is a multipurpose leguminous plant and holds a unique position as a vegetable among legumes because of its high level of nutritional value. The different varieties of the plant show the different composition. It is a rich source of proteins which possess a variety of health benefits, including reducing susceptibility to heart and kidney disease, and lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics. The field crop is an herbaceous, climbing, short-lived plant with a vigorous taproot and cultivated in a large extent in Karnataka and adjoining districts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The phytochemical analysis of the plant shows the presence of various components such as sugar, alcohols, phenols, steroids, essential oils, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, coumarins, terpenoids, pigments, glycosides, and anthranoids. The pharmacological study of the plant showed that it possesses antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, insecticidal, anti-obesity, immuno-modulatory, hypolipidemic, antiviral, anticancer, analgesic, anti-fungal, hepatoprotective, anticholesterolemic, antidote and carminative activity. The plant was also used as anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, antidiabetic, febrifuge, flatulent and for phlegmatic disorders. Keywords: Botanical description, Dolichos bean, Lablab purpureus, Nutritional value, Protein, Pharmacological actions.