SYSTEMIC REVIEW: PHARMACOGNOSY, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF MARTYNIA ANNUA

Over the past decade, herbal and ayurvedic drugs have become a subject of world importance, with both medicinal and economical implications. A regular and widespread use of herbs throughout the world has increased serious concerns over their quality, safety and efficacy. Martynia annua, locally known as “Vichchida or kagdo” (English name “Devil’s claw”) Fam. Martyniaceae has a diverse pharmacological and phytochemical importance. Thus, a proper scientific evidence or assessment has become the criteria for acceptance of herbal health claims. This review article explores the traditional knowledge or claims along with Pharmacognostical, Phytochemical, Pharmacological and future aspects of this plant. Over many centuries humans have been mining the bounties of nature for discovering new phytoconstituent that have been used for the treatment of number of diseases; many such treatments are useful even today as modern day medicine. Emerging evidence also suggests that search is still continuing for harnessing active compounds from nature in combating human illnesses and it also leads the path to search out new active natural and novel semisynthetic or synthetic compounds.