A Brief Review on Phytochemical Constituent and Pharmacological Activities of Anisomeles malabarica (L.)

Abstract

Anisomeles malabarica L., also known as ‘Malabar catmint’ and ‘Peiyamuritti’ in local Tamil, is a genus of herbaceous herb in the Lamiaceae family. This Malabar catmint is native to tropical and subtropical India and Sri Lanka. Catmint is regarded as a medicinally significant plant because of its anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-anaphylactic and anti-bacterial properties. It is well-known for its ability to treat a variety of health problems such as dyspepsia, rheumatism, amentia, anorexia, wound healing and swelling, and teething problems in children. Its leaf extract is effective against epilepsy, intestinal worms, halitosis and gout. It is used as astringent, carminative and febrifuge. Because of the presence of various acids such as anisomelic acid, 2 acetoxymalabaric acid, betulinic acid, ovatodiolide, -sitosterol, anisomelyl acetate anisomelin, malabaric acid, triterpenebetulinic acid, geranial acid, and others, this medicinal herb is used not only for medicinal purposes but also as folkloric medicine and in the production of several cosmetics and aromatics. Because the cultivation practices of the medicinally important plant are time consuming, we can use advanced plant cultivation techniques such as tissue culture to produce a large number of plants in a short period of time and in a small area. The purpose of this review paper is to describe the various aspects of A. malabarica botanical description, medicinal values, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, and cultural practices.