Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON WRIGHTIA TINCTORIA

Battu Ganga Rao*, Dodda L. N. Rajeswari, Devarakonda Ramadevi and Battu Heera

ABSTRACT

Plants are being used from so many years to treat various diseases. Wrightia tinctoria is a small deciduous tree belonging to the family Apocayanaceae. It is distributed in India, Australia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Timor, Vietnam. Within India, it is found in most of the peninsular and central India except northern and north-eastern states. Traditionally, the plant is used to treat seizures, wounds, jaundice, leukaemia, gynaecological disorders, toothache, headache, dandruff, diarrhoea and skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema, scabies etc. The phytochemical studies have shown that the presence of alkaloids, triterpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, lipids and carbohydrates. W.tinctoria showed wide spectrum of pharmacological activities on anti-microbial, antipsoriatic, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-helminthic, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory analgesic, anti-diabetic, diuretic, hepatoprotective and anti-ulcer properties.

Keywords: Wrightia tinctoria, phytochemistry, pharmacological studies.