Emblica officinalis geart.: A comprehensive review on phytochemistry, pharmacology and ethnomedicinal uses

Abstract

Emblica officinalis Geart. fruit is an important dietary source and its use as a medicinal plant has increased many fold over a period of time. A survey of the literature relating to the medicinal uses of E. officinalis fruit reveals it to be one of the widely used medicinal plants. It finds place in folklore medicine, Ayurveda, Unani and other indigenous systems of medicine. Following a large number of claims on the wide range of traditional medicinal properties of the plant, considerable efforts have been made to verify its efficacy as a curative agent through pharmacological investigations. In this study, a comprehensive account of the phytochemical investigation and therapeutic potential of E. officinalis fruit is presented. © 2012 Academic Journals Inc.