Ethnomedicinal, Pharmacological and Commercial Perspectives of Laccifer lacca Body Exudate (LBE)

Abstract

Nature-derived products have been serving humanity from ancient times in many aspects such as food (honey & wax products from bees), textiles (silk from silkworms), and various kinds of pollination in flowering plants. Undoubtedly, people cannot forget their benefits to our daily life, except above benefits insects have a great potential in the form of folklore medicines. LBE is a resinous secretion of a scale insect commonly known as Lac Insect (L. lacca) as a protective coating on the outer surface of many kinds of trees, including Ber (Ziziphus marutiana), Kusum (Schleichera oleosa), Palas (Butea monosperma syn. frondosa). The review highlights the coverage of natural product chemistry and ethnomedicinal and commercial perspectives on natural products obtained from LBE because of recent literature exploration.