A Comprehensive Review on an Underutilized weed, Digera muricata
Shazia Usmani
Abstract
Digera muricata, Family: Amaranthaceae, commonly known as False Amaranth, is a pharmacologically diverse medicinal plant. Several active phytochemical constituents have been explored namely, quercetin, sitosterol, stigmasterol etc. Several studies demonstrated the exploration of pharmacological potential of various parts such as leaves, stems, roots and the plant as a whole, as an antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-diarrhoeal, and hepatoprotective. This review gives comprehensive account with special reference to phytochemistry, nutritional value, ecology and significant pharmacological importance of the plant. The literature search was carried out through different search engines viz PubMed, Science Direct etc. The data collected is assorted in terms of leaves, stem, and roots which were used for diverse investigations. The collected data suggested that the extracts from this plant may possess abundant pharmacological potential. However, the search for phytoconstituents from this plant did not provide much data which indicates towards the underutilization. Thus, there is an urgent need for further investigations to isolate and characterize pharmacologically active agents which confer medicinal properties on Digera muricata, as well as to elucidate the structures of these agents by which they exert their healing properties and to scientifically corroborate the
existing traditional practices concerning its health benefits.
Keywords: False Amaranth, nutritional value, pharmacology, phytochemistry, wild, Digera muricata
Shazia Usmani
Abstract
Digera muricata, Family: Amaranthaceae, commonly known as False Amaranth, is a pharmacologically diverse medicinal plant. Several active phytochemical constituents have been explored namely, quercetin, sitosterol, stigmasterol etc. Several studies demonstrated the exploration of pharmacological potential of various parts such as leaves, stems, roots and the plant as a whole, as an antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-diarrhoeal, and hepatoprotective. This review gives comprehensive account with special reference to phytochemistry, nutritional value, ecology and significant pharmacological importance of the plant. The literature search was carried out through different search engines viz PubMed, Science Direct etc. The data collected is assorted in terms of leaves, stem, and roots which were used for diverse investigations. The collected data suggested that the extracts from this plant may possess abundant pharmacological potential. However, the search for phytoconstituents from this plant did not provide much data which indicates towards the underutilization. Thus, there is an urgent need for further investigations to isolate and characterize pharmacologically active agents which confer medicinal properties on Digera muricata, as well as to elucidate the structures of these agents by which they exert their healing properties and to scientifically corroborate the
existing traditional practices concerning its health benefits.
Keywords: False Amaranth, nutritional value, pharmacology, phytochemistry, wild, Digera muricata
