Bisfayej (Polypodium vulgare L.): A review on medicinal importance of rhizome with Unani prospective and modern pharmacology

Abstract

About 80 percent of the world population is using herbs for medicinal purposes. The whole plant and some time the particular parts of the plants are used because of the specific quality of that parts. Different parts of plants like roots, seeds, fruits, flower and their storage organs like bulb, corm, tuber, rhizome, tuberous root and pseudo bulbs etc. are used for medicinal purposes and it is believed that, it is safer and effective in crude form than isolated phytochemicals. Rhizomes of several plants are used in Unani medicine under the name of " root " , including Bisfayej, Khulanjan, Vaj Turki, Zanjabeel, Zarambad etc. In this communication information about Bisfayej (Polypodium vulgare L.), a versatile medicinal rhizome is described in detail. Its includes introduction, distribution, botanical description, temperament, pharmacological action, therapeutic uses, toxicity and adverse effect, correctives, substitutes, compound formulations, chemical constituents and other scientific researches.