Abstract

ABRUS PRECATORIUS LINNAEUS AND ITS BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES - A REVIEW

Tanaya Ghosh, Prasenjit Mitra, Dilip Kumar Jha and Prasanta Kumar Mitra*

ABSTRACT

Abrus precatorius Linnaeus (A. precatorius L.), commonly known as Gunja / Indian liquorices, is a medicinal plant of the family ‘fabaceae’. The plant is being used for therapeutic purpose since Vedic period. The plant has multidimensional medicinal properties. In traditional system of medicine as well as in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, the plant is reported to possess medicinal effects as an antidote, aphrodisiac, remove biliousness, cures leukoderma, itching, useful in eye diseases, skin diseases and wounds. Modern researchers demonstrated several biological activities like anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anti-migraine, anti-inflammatory, anti-serotonergic, anti-tumor, analgesic, anti-spasmodic etc. of A. precatorius L. In the present review the plant A. precatorius L. is described and its biological activities are discussed.

Keywords: Abrus precatorius Linnaeus, biological activities.