Terminalia catappa Linn.: A TREASURY OF PHARMACOLOGICAL BENEFITS

Terminalia catappa Linn. belonging to family Combretaceae is well known plant due to its nutritional fruit, bark, leaves and roots which are having medicinal properties. The various phytochemicals which are present in it are such as gallic acid, ellagic acid, corilagin, alkaloid, flavonoid, protein, phytosteroids, phenol and carotenoids are isolated form the different parts of the plant in various solvent systems. These isolated compounds have found to be possess numerous pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antifungal, antinociceptive, hepatitis treatment, hypocholesterolemia, immunomodulatory, anthelmintic, antiviral, antiaging, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-tumor, hematological, anthelmintic, aphrodisiac, wound healing. These all pharmacological activities cumulatively enhanced its traditional value and uses. In this review paper, the different pharmacological activities and their benefits are explored which are exhibited by different phytoconstituents present in different parts of the plant.