Abstract

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF LEPIDIUM SATIVUM LINN, A TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANT

Dr. Nita Raval*

ABSTRACT

The garden cress, Lepidium sativum Linn, now cultivated as a salad plant throughout India, but not indigenous to that country. It is a fast growing, edible herb and an important medicinal plant since vedic era. In Ayurveda its various parts have been used for disease like diarrhea, dysentery, skin, liver and renal disease, asthma, cough, cold, leucorrhoea, scurvy and so many diseases. Lepidium sativum considered as diuretic, tonic, abortifacient, aphrodisiac, thermagenic, emmenagogue, depurative, opthalmic. It is mainly contains alkaloids, saponins, anthracene glycosides, carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, sterols as chief phytochemical constituents. The seeds have a rich amount of proteins and fat . its bran has a great water holding capacity due to high diatary fibre contant. Some food products which have been devloped from garden cress not only supports their nutritional satus but also having refreshing and rejuvating effect. The present article gives improtant information of Lepidium sativum on therapeutic use, traditional medicinal uses mantion in various Ayurvedic literecture, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of morden era.

Keywords: Lepidium sativum, phytochemical, nutritional satus.