Bacopa monnieri, a Nootropic Drug

Abstract

Bacopa monnieri L. Pennell (family: Scrophulariaceae) is a reputed drug of Ayurveda. It is used in traditional medicine to treat various nervous disorders; it is also used as a stomachic, a digestive, rejuvenate, for promoting memory and intellect, for skin disorders, and as an antiepileptic, antipyretic, and analgesic. In a sector study by the Export–Import Bank of India, B. monnieri was placed second in a priority list of the most important medicinal plants, evaluated on the basis of their medicinal importance, commercial value, and potential for further research and development. Based on the traditional claims on B. monnieri as a memory enhancer, many classical and proprietary preparations are now available on the market. In the last two decades, B. monnieri has been studied extensively for its chemical constituents, its efficacy has been established in several in vivo and in vitro models, and randomized clinical trials have also been carried out. This article reviews the work carried out on the chemical, pharmacological, clinical, and biotechnological aspects of this plant.