Caesalpinia crista L.: A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties

Abstract

Caesalpinia crista L. (Caesalpiniaceae) is a well-known medicinally useful plant. The plant grows mainly on the river banks in tidal forests near the eastern sea-coast from Orissa, and western sea-coast from Konkan southwards, and in the Sunderbans in West Bengal, in Bhopal and Himachal Pradesh. It is traditionally valued and reported for treating anthelmintic, tumour, removing the placenta, anti-microbial, liver disorders, febrifugal, pain, inflammation, rheumatism, respiratory disorders, fever, stone in the bladder, malarial fever treatment of hernia, swellings, asthma and colic. Caesalpinia crista contains alkaloids, cassane-diterpenes, flavonoids, nor-cassane diterpenes, proteins, saponins, triterpenoids, etc. Root, stem, leaves and seed are used as anthelmintic, anti-inflammation, analgesic activity, antioxidant, anti-tumour, anti-malarial activity. This review aims to provide a detailed overview of the traditional and ethnomedicinal uses, chemistry and biological activities of Caesalpinia crista possibly make recommendations for further research.