Current Medical Applications of Terminalia Chebula: An Overview

Abstract

Medicinal plants have long been used, and many of them are known today as drug production sources. The study and research of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine and their various effects in the treatment of some diseases can help produce new drugs. Terminalia chebula, known as the Haritaki plant, has always been at the top of Chinese, Tibetan, Ayurveda, and Iranian traditional medicines. Its classification is based on the size, shape, and growth of the fruit. We have done a thorough literature search in databases and collected the data and research results indexed in PubMed, Elsevier, and Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Scientific Information Database, Google Scholar databases, and various books up to 2020. It has pharmacological uses such as neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, renoprotective, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antiarthritic, and antifertility properties. It also can act as an immunomodulator and anticancer agent. There are some available drugs obtained from T. chebula. Due to the different and wide pharmacological uses of Terminalia chebula, further studies are required to develop new drugs.