A Review on Therapeutic Potential of Artemisia nilagirica

Abstract

In the modern world of therapy, medicines are in major short of new treatments. It can take many years for a new drug to get through the research and development pipeline to be available in the market and the cost is enormous. And the growing drug resistance caused by the misuse of medications, has rendered several antibiotics and other life-saving drugs useless. Both these trends mean that scientists and pharmaceutical companies are urgently looking for new drug sources and are increasingly turning their eyes to traditional medicine. Major population (80%) in countries of Africa and Asia depends on traditional herbal treatments for their primary health care needs. When adopted outside of its traditional culture, traditional medicine is often called alternative medicine. Artemisia nilagirica which is locally known as ‘Indian wormwood’ belongs to the Asteraceae family and is considered against many ailments as it is possessed to have high content of biologically active molecules and essential oils. The plant has been used since centuries in antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, antifilarial, insecticidal, antiulcer, anticancer, antioxidant and anti-asthmatic activity. This review indicates the collected information on the description of in vitro cultivation, phytochemical constituents and therapeutic potential of A. nilagirica. The pharmacological studies reported in the present review confirms the therapeutic value of A. nilagirica. Presences of wide range of chemical compounds indicate that the plant could serve as a potent material for the development of novel agents having good efficacy in various disorders in the coming years.