A REVIEW ON THE WIDESPREAD THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION OF THE TRADITIONAL HERB DRYMARIA CORDATA

Abstract

Drymaria cordata (family Caryophyllaceae), commonly known as Laijabori in Assamese, is a traditional herb native to tropical America with its distribution being widely extended to Northeast India. It is used as one of the ingredient in many native poly herbal formulations for its analgesic, wound healing, anti-inflammatory activity. It is also used as an antidote, appetizer, depurative, emollient, febrifuge, laxative and stimulant in both humans and animals. A number of biologically active compounds have been isolated from the leaves of this taxon including drymaritin which exhibits anti HIV properties. The present article gives an overview of Drymaria cordata with its economically important and extensively preferred medicinal properties. The review highlights the wide number of biological activities like analgesic and antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, cytotoxic, anti-convulsant, antibacterial, antitussive activities and various other medicinal properties along with the phytochemical analysis from its leaves. The review also reveals the various biologically active constituents which have been isolated from this species and also its management and conservation for future use.