Human beings from prehistoric period are mainly dependent on mother
nature for the fulfilment of their elementary needs, such as medicines, foodstuffs,
shelters, clothing, flavors and fragrances, etc. From ancient times, medicinal plants are
known to act as a source of a variety therapeutic agents which are widely used in
traditional medicine system to cure the various deteriorative diseases and ailments. The
wide range of therapeutic applications of various medicinal plants is largely attributed
to the presence of a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs), such as
alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, polyphenolic acids, saponins, tannins,
glycosides and essential oils etc. Apart from a variety of traditional uses, medicinal
plants are also well known for their notable pharmacological potential like anticancer,
antiperiodic, antimicrobial, analgesic, antiemetic, antitumor, antioxidant, antiinflammatory,
antiarthritic, etc. Ajuga bracteosa Wall. ex Benth (A. bracteosa),
commonly known as Nilakanthi in Ayurveda belongs to the family Lamiaceae, is an
important endangered medicinal plant of Himalayan origin. A. bracteosa is a good
source of flavanol, glycosides, ergosterol, neo-clerodane diterpenoids, iridoid
glycosides, 8-endoperoxide and phyto-ecdysones, which shows numerous biological
and pharmacological activities viz. antiviral, antitumor, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial,
anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, antioxidant, etc. Further, variety of A. bracteosa leaves
uses had been elaborately described in Ayurveda, Unani and Chinese medicine text, for
the treatment of numerous ailments like agues, dysentery, vomiting etc. The plant is
also known for its antivenom potential against snake bite. A. bracteosa is an
endangered and medicinally high valued Himalayan species that why it is very
significant to reveal its full potency. Therefore, the present article mainly focuses on
the distribution, cultivation, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological potential
and future prospective of this versatile Himalayan plant.
Keywords: Ajuga bracteosa, Himalayas, Medicinal plant, Pharmacology,
Phytochemistry, Secondary metabolites, Traditional uses.
