PLANT CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF BAUHINIA VARIEGATA LINN. (CAMEL FOOT TREE): A REVIEW

Abstract

Bauhinia variegata Linn. (Camel foot tree) is an average sized deciduous tree. It is commonly known as “kachnar”. It belongs to the most nascent family “caesalpiniaceae”. It is a medicinal plant and widely used by the Indian tribes in the form of extract of leaves, buds, flowers, stem bark, stem, root bark, root and seeds. Mountain ebony is popular in Unani, Ayurveda and Homeopathy system of medicine for curing different types of disease. All crudes have been evaluated (alcoholic and aqueous extract) of aerial parts of B. variegate Linn. for in-vitro and in-vivo activity. Various chemical constituents have been isolated from plant parts like flavonoids, glycoside, steroids, tannins and reducing sugar. The numerous prominent pharmacological activities have been also reported like antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, nephroprotective action, immunomodulatory and wound healing effect. In this review, a detail inclusive screening study of chemical constituents of B. variegata Linn. and their pharmacological importance are discussed. KEYWORDS: Mountain Ebony, Phytochemical screening, Aerial plant parts, Kachnar, Pharmacological activity