Abstract

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM

Sandhiya N.*, Vijaya Bharathi R. and Radha R.

ABSTRACT

The plant Cardiospermum halicacabum commonly known as Balloon Vine, belongs to the Sapindaceae family. This plant grows extensively in India, Africa, and South America. Balloon Vine is a woody perennial vine distributed almost globally in the tropics. This plant also known as “khanputi” and Mudakathan in Tamil is used in Ayurveda for the treatment of Rheumatism, lumbago, earache and fever. The plant is commonly referred as "Heart pea", or "winter cherry", "balloon plant / love in a puff”. It contains Tannins, Saponins, Flavanoids, Steroids, Terpenoids, Cardiac glycosides, Alkaloids, Anthraquinones. C.halicacabum possesses various medicinal activities such as anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antidiarrhoeal, antiparasitic, rubefacient, anticonvulsant. The present article summarises the history, chemical constituents and ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological activities of C.halicacabum.

Keywords: Cardiospermum halicacabum; Mudakathan; anti-inflammatory; anti-rheumatic.