A review on ethnobotanical, phytochemical and pharmacological activities of Quisqualis indica Linn.

Abstract

Medicinal herbs have been in use for thousands of years, in one form or another, under the indigenous system of medicine like Ayurveda, Sidha and Unani. Scientists have even started correlating the botanical properties of plants with their pharmacological activity. The main motto of the present review aims to compile data related to the phytochemical and pharmacological activities shown by the plant Quisqualis indica L. Quisqualis is a small genus of woody climbers distributed in tropical Africa and tropical Indo-Malaysian region. Its Botanical name is Quisqualis indica/Combretum indicum and belongs to family Combretaceae.Quisqualis indica contains tannins, flavonoids, steroids, carbohydrates, protein, amino acids, saponins and phenolic compounds. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its bright flowers with pleasant fragrance. In China, ripe seeds are roasted and given in diarrhoea and fever. Roots are used to treat rheumatism, also can be used as anthelmintic to expel parasitic worms or for alleviating diarrhea. The different parts of plant were found to exhibit different pharmacological activities like anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, acetyl cholinesterase inhibition, immunomodulatory etc.