DEMYSTIFYING THE ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANT MORINDA PUBESCENS WITH ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL, PHYTOCHEMICAL, AND PHARMACOTOXICOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

Abstract

Indian plants have been the predominant source of medicines throughout the vast majority of human history. For centuries, indigenous Indian cultures have used herbal medicine traditionally to treat a myriad of maladies. One of the most versatile and infrequent concerning its phytochemistry and pharmacology is Morinda pubescens (M. pubescens) plant discovered by J. E. Smith. Interest in this plant has been renewed in recent years, first from its identification as a chemopreventive agent for wound healing, cancers and subsequently from reports that it has phytocompounds contributing to antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and plant growth stimulatory effects. Although skepticism concerning its standardization, a growing body of in vivo evidence indicates that M. pubescens plant has protective effects in rodent models of stress and disease. In this comprehensive review, the ethnomedicinal reports on the M. pubescens plant demystified with both in vitro and in vivo shreds of evidence which would be further tempting to reveal the book buried facts of this traditional medicine through modern scientific approach. In the knowledge of our literature survey, this is the first review to be done on the M. pubescens plant from overall Tamil Nadu.