Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd.: An ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. (Asteraceae; Purple Fleabane) has a long history of traditional use for the management of several disorders related to skin, central nervous system, kidney, gynecology, gastrointestinal, metabolism, and general health. The review aims to provide updated systematic information on ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological uses, toxicity studies, and patented formulations of V. anthelmintica. This review will not only help to identify the research gaps but also provide information to the scientific community for future research requisites.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Empirical searches were conducted on the medicinal plant via significant search engines like Google Scholar, Scopus-Elsevier, Medline, SciFinder, Web of Science, Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ) from inception until June 2018. Besides, references from local literature, books, and non-English journals were also included.

RESULTS

Scientific reports revealed that V. anthelmintica is a popular medicinal plant used in local and traditional medicine to manage various disorders. Phytochemical studies have identified 193 chemical constituents amongst which steroids form the most abundant class, followed by terpenes. Crude extracts and isolated compounds exhibited various pharmacological activities such as anti-vitiligo, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antipsoriatic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, immunomodulatory and also helped in managing pulmonary fibrosis and promoting the synthesis of estrogen. Approximately 45 chemical constituents were found to be biologically active. There are only three toxicity reports and 37 patents available on V. anthelmintica.

CONCLUSION

The review suggests that V. anthelmintica act as a promising source for drug development. The potential uses of V. anthelmintica are owing to the presence of phenolic acids, steroids, fatty acids, and terpenes in its composition. However, further studies are needed to explore the exact mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, chronic toxicological studies, safe dose consumption, and possible interactions with other herbs.