A REVIEW ON PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF BOSWELLIA SERRATA: A NATURAL REMEDY

Before discovering synthetic drugs, peoples were dependent completely on the herbal medicinal plants for the prevention and treatment of various diseases or ailments. This is the era where a large number of synthetic drugs have been discovered for the treatment of various diseases and better health care for people suffering from various diseases. However, herbal drugs are still the choice for treating many diseases. They are preferred over synthetic drugs as they are pharmacologically very active and have no side effects or low side effects when used for the treatment of diseases. B. serrata is one of the medicinal plants amongst many other plants used traditionally to treat various ailments or diseases. The medicinal plant has a long-range of reported pharmacological activities viz. anti-inflammatory activity, anti-arthritic activity, anti-rheumatic, analgesic activity, antimicrobial activity anti-oxidant activity, anticancer activity, antitumor activity, anti-asthmatic activity, anti-diarrhoeal activity, immunomodulatory activity, hypo-lipidaemic and hepatoprotective activity, anti-complementary activity, antifungal, anti-convulsant activity, anti-obesity, cardiotonic activity and anti-ulcer activity. The Oleo-gum-resin of the plant B. serrata is traditionally used to treat arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, joint pain, skeletal muscle pain, back pain, and diarrhoea. The plant is also used to treat bronchitis, asthma, jaundice, cough, bad throat and various intestinal infections. All the reported activities are suggested due to the presence of various secondary metabolites present in their chemical composition. This review paper provides information related to the phytochemical properties and pharmacological activities of B. serrata.