A Review on Botanical aspect and Therapeutic Potential of Swertia Chirata

Abstract

Medicinal plants always played an important role in the health development of mankind. Out of 2,50,000 higher plant species on this planet, more than 80,000 types are declared to have in some ways remedial importance and around 5000 species have characteristic analeptic value. Swertia chirata has been used in traditional and folklore medicine for the treatment of several diseases and disorders. Swertia chirata Buch-Ham (Family- Gentianaceae) is an extremely bitter in taste,erect plant about 2-3 ft long herb found in Meghalaya and Himalayan regions. The chief bioactives of Swertia are Xanthones, other active constituents of this genus are the secondary metabolites which played a momentous role in biological activities like hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antioxidant, digestive, astringent, laxative, anti-inflammatory and anti-malarial.  Thus this review encompasses the available literature on Swertia chirata. It is revealed that the plant has been used ethno-medicinally as an important therapeuticagent for a number of disease ailments and experimental studies carried out on modern scientific parameters reproves the claims of Unani medicine.