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ABSTRACT:
The plant Swertia chirata, aboriginal to Himalayas in India, Nepal and Bhutan, have been used for millennia, to cure variety of ailments and diseases. The chief bioactive constituents of plant are xanthones, flavanoids, iridoids, secoiridoids glycosides, which plays momentous role in its biological activities like antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antipyretic, antimalarial, analgesic, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, antiviral, gastroprotective, antileishmanial, anthelmentic. Its medicinal usage is declared in American and British pharmacopoeias, Indian Pharmaceutical codex and in different conventional systems of medicines like Ayurveda, Unani and Sidha. Various studies have successfully done to prove its medicinal uses which are traditionally mentioned. As a result of its range of pharmacological properties and active phytoconstituents, Swertia chirata is used in various polyherbal formulations which are available in market to cure different diseases. In this present review the attempt is made to compile and document information on different aspects of Swertia chirata, however the main focus is on its chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and medicinal uses.
KEYWORDS: Swertia chirata, phytoconstituents, swertiamarin, mangiferin, swerchirin.
1. INTRODUCTION:
Swertia chirata: The Herb
The herb Swertia chirata commonly known as 'Chivata' is well reputed for its multifarious therapeutic values since the era of 'Atharvaveda'[1]. In Ayurveda, Swertia chirata is described as bitter (tikta) in taste and its thermal action defined as cooling (shita), easily digestible (laghu) and dry (ruksha)l2\ Swertia chirata has been remarked in biography as, Ophelia chirata; Agathotes chirayita, Gentiana chirayita. As pinpointed by National Medicinal Plant Board, Government of India, Swertia chirata is in the midst of the 32 awful preeminence medicinal herbs in the affluent biodiversity of Uttarakhand (India)[3].
Chirata is an ancient Ayurvedic drug sometimes known as "Nepali neem" since it is common in forests of Nepal. It is known by an array of names, suggesting its widespread use. It is called Anaryatikta, Ardhatikta, Bhunimba, Chiratika, Chiratitka, Haima, Jvarantaka, Kairata, Kandatiktaka, Kiranta, Kirataka, Kirata, Tikta, Naditikta, Naipala, Nepalanimba, Nidrari, Ramasenka,Sannipatha, Sutiktaka, Trinanimba, and kairata, Viktaka in Sanskrit, Cherayata in Patna, Chirrato and Chiraita in Nepal, Chiraitaand Kiraita in Mumbai, Chirayatin in Gujarat, Chiretain Bengal, Nilaveppa in Kerala, and Sekhagi in Burma. It is also called Chiaravata (Urdu); Qasabuzzarirah (Arab, Farsi);Charayatah (Deccan); Nelabevu (Kannada); Nenilawandi,Nilavembu, Shirattakuchi (Tamil). The trade name of S. chirata is chiretta[1,3].
Habitat
The herb Swertia...