Murraya koenigii (linn.)- a plant with potential therapeutic properties

Abstract

Because of tremendous increase in human population which is thought to reach about 9.6 billion by 2050, it becomes a need of the hour to promote the use of plant based products or their extracts for the benefit of mankind. Indians regard food (vegetables, fruits, spices, medicinal plants) as a source of supporting system for body’s healing processes. Traditional system of Indian medicine, known as Ayurveda play an important role in the treatment of wide variety of diseases. There has been tremendous growth in field of herbal medicine as therapeutic agents. Today it is gaining popularity in western countries because of negligible side effects, low costs, easy availability and rapid rate of biodegradability. All the plants are thoroughly studied before they can be employed for Ayurvedic pharmacopeia. One such plant of Indian origin, Murraya Koenigii, is known to possess ethnomedicinal properties and has been used for centuries in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. The present review provides detailed description on the distribution, morphology, phytochemical and pharmacological prospects of the plant that justifies its use as a potential therapeutic agent