Abstract

MEDICINAL IMPORTANCE OF TRADITIONAL HERBAL PLANT HARITAKI (TERMINALIA CHEBULA): AN OVERVIEW

Dr. Shachi Chandil*, Dr. T. A. Pansare and Dr. Harikishan Bamoriya

Abstract

Haritaki (Terminalia chebula Retz.) of Combretaceae family is called the „King of Medicines‟ in Tibet. This medicinal plant is widely distributed throughout India, Srilanka and Burma, Herbal drugs represent a major allocation of all the recognized systems of health within the world. Also, the medicinal plants are foundas cheap and valuable sources of varied phytoconstituents which are used significantlyin the improvement of drugs against various diseases. Terminalia chebula which iscommonly known as black myrobalan or chebulic myrobalan, which is a deciduous tree of Combretaceae family, which has been considered as one among the foremost important medicinal plant in medicines of Ayurveda. Numbers of chemical constituents are found to be related to the drug like ellagic acid, tannins, chebulinic acid, gallic acid, flavonoids and punicalagin. Terminalia chebula Retz. Possess antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, antiviral, antifungal, anti-ulcer, anticancerous, anti-mutagenic and wound healing activities. Moreover, Haritaki has been used significantly within the preparation of several Ayurvedic formulations. This review elucidates on its Phytochemistry, Pharmacognostic characters and various pharmacological effects exhibited by Terminalia chebula.

Keywords: Haritaki, Phytochemistry, Pharmacognosy, Terminalia chebula.