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Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng: botanical, phytochemical, pharmacological, and nutritional significance


Citation

Arumugam, Greetha and Swamy, Mallappa Kumara and Sinniah, Uma Rani (2016) Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng: botanical, phytochemical, pharmacological, and nutritional significance. Molecules, 21 (4). pp. 1-26. ISSN 1431-5157; ESSN: 1420-3049

Abstract

Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. is a perennial herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae which occurs naturally throughout the tropics and warm regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. This herb has therapeutic and nutritional properties attributed to its natural phytochemical compounds which are highly valued in the pharmaceutical industry. Besides, it has horticultural properties due to its aromatic nature and essential oil producing capability. It is widely used in folk medicine to treat conditions like cold, asthma, constipation, headache, cough, fever and skin diseases. The leaves of the plant are often eaten raw or used as flavoring agents, or incorporated as ingredients in the preparation of traditional food. The literature survey revealed the occurrence 76 volatiles and 30 non-volatile compounds belonging to different classes of phytochemicals such as monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, esters, alcohols and aldehydes. Studies have cited numerous pharmacological properties including antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antitumor, wound healing, anti-epileptic, larvicidal, antioxidant and analgesic activities. Also, it has been found to be effective against respiratory, cardiovascular, oral, skin, digestive and urinary diseases. Yet, scientific validation of many other traditional uses would be appreciated, mainly to discover and authenticate novel bioactive compounds from this herb. This review article provides comprehensive information on the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and nutritional importance of P. amboinicus essential oil and its various solvent extracts. This article allows researchers to further explore the further potential of this multi-utility herb for various biomedical applications.


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Additional Metadata

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Agriculture
DOI Number: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21040369
Publisher: MDPI
Keywords: Plectranthus amboinicus; Indian borage; Pharmacology; Biological activities; Nutrition; Phytochemistry; Botany; Medicinal plant
Depositing User: Nurul Ainie Mokhtar
Date Deposited: 14 Nov 2017 10:20
Last Modified: 14 Nov 2017 10:20
Altmetrics: http://www.altmetric.com/details.php?domain=psasir.upm.edu.my&doi=10.3390/molecules21040369
URI: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53602
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