A Review on Common Forest Trees: Traditional and Pharmacological uses

Abstract

Forest plats are good source of medicinal agent for thousands of years. Plants and their products have been the primary resource of food and medicines; a number of modern drugs have been isolated used to serve the living world. Azadirachta indica has been used as more than 4000 years due to its medicinal activity. This tree considered as a potential source of naturally occurring insecticide and pesticide. Capsules, tablets, creams, soaps, shampoos and other useful products are developed from the stems, roots, leaf and young fruits of the tree. Pongamia pinnata (karanj) well recognized to human society for its traditional system of medicine used against many diseases. All parts of this tree are traditionally used as curing agent of for bronchitis, rheumatism, diarrhoea, whooping cough, gonorrhoea, leprosy and many more. Aegle marmelos commonly known as bel is highly appreciated as aromatic plant. Leaf of this plant is reported as principal source of many numbers of chemical constituents and various therapeutic products by many researchers. Other parts are also recorded for producing compounds like; terpenoids, alkaloids, coumarins, fatty acids and amino acids. The present review, three common forest plants were documented for their traditional and pharmacological activity such as; neuroprotective and hepatoprotective effect, antitumor, antidiabetic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic analgesic, antimalarial, antimicrobial activities.