Morphology, Molecular and Micropropagational Activities of Nerium odorum - A Review

Nerium (L.) is commonly known as Kaner is an important medicinal shrub of family Apocynaceae. It comprises only one species i.e. Nerium odorum. Explants of this plant cultured in vitro and has been found to retain the capacity to synthesis alkaloids identical to that in the intact plant. Alkaloids of these plants have a great medicinal importance to treat various diseases like cardiovascular diseases, indigestion, leprosy, malaria, cancer, etc. The members are wild as well as cultivated with milky saps that contain secondary metabolites which have medicinal value. It has long being used in India as rat poisoning and snake bite cure. The present review deals with the enormous amount of studies undertaken in different aspects of this plant in the areas of morphology, molecular biology and tissue culture.