Vol. 7, Issue 9 (2018)

Author(s):
Goutam Mukhopadhyay, Shymodip Kundu, Argha Sarkar, Pintu Sarkar, Riyanka Sengupta and Chandan Kumar

Abstract:
Drugs of natural origin play a significant role in the public health care system of any nation. Indian Materia Medica includes about 2000 drugs of natural origin of which approximately 400 are mineral and animal origin while the rest are of vegetable origin Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems 600-700 herbs for medicinal use. The traditional knowledge with its holistic and systematic approach supported through experimental base can serve as an innovative and powerful discovery of natural 5α-reductase inhibitor. Eclipta alba (Bhringaraja) having important role in the traditional Ayurvedic and Unani systems of holistic health and herbal medicine of the east. The principal constituents of Eclipta alba are coumestan derivatives like wedololactone [1.6%], demethylwedelolactone, desmethyl-wedelolactone-7 glucoside and other constituents are ecliptal, ß-amyrin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, hentriacontanol, heptacosanol, stigmasterol. All the parts of Eclipta alba and chemical constituents are used as anticancer, antileprotic, analgesic, antioxidant, antimyotoxic, antihaemorrhagic, antihepatotoxic, antiviral, antibacterial, spasmogenic, hypotensive, hepatoprotective ovicidal, promoter for blackening and growth of hair. Therefore this plant plays a momentous role in medicinal field and it has promising cosmetic as well as therapeutic application & hence its extraction is essential. As per report the alcoholic extract of E. alba shows no signs of toxicity in rats and mice and the minimum lethal dose was found to be greater than 2.0g/kg when given orally and intra-peritonially in mice. This article highlights chief constituents, extraction procedure, phytochemistry, Bio activity, pharmacological activities, phytochemical screening& toxicity studies of Eclipta alba.