Plants play a wide role in our ecosystem due to their enormous medicinal properties and presence of
diversified chemical constituents that are known to be highly beneficial to mankind to a large extent. The
current review focusses on the detailed description, phytochemistry, bioactive components, ethnobotanical
survey and the important pharmacological applications of the medicinal plant Lawsonia inermis L.It is
commonly referred to as “Henna or Mehndi” and is a widely used plantknown for its coloring property and
medicinal applications. It has wide distribution in both tropical as well as subtropical regions and has been
extensively utilized by mankind for over 9,000 years. Its leaves, flowers, roots, seeds and stem bark are
been utilized in the form of herbal medicine to treat a number of ailments such as diabetes, ulcer, rheumatoid
arthritis, cardiac disease, leucorrhoea, leprosy, fever etc.. The plant has also been reported to possess
antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic,
anti-dermatophytic and tuberculostatic properties due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as
alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, tannins, quinones, flavanoids, coumarins, carbohydrates, proteins and fatty
acids etc.. The need for medicinal plants are now been rapidly increasing due to their low toxic nature and
high pharmacological properties hence the present review is compiled to give a detailed insight in to the
therapeutic potential of the important medicinal plant Lawsonia inermis L.
Diverse resourcing of Nerium indicum leaves for bio-utilization
