Biological and Pharmacological Properties of Terminalia Chebula Retz. (haritaki)- an Overview

Medicinal plants have been considered valuable and cheap source of unique phytoconstituents which are used extensively in the development of drugs against various diseases. A large proportion of the world population, especially in the developing countries relies mainly on the traditional system of medicine. The use of plants and plant products in medicines is getting popularized because the herbal medicines are cheap and have natural origin with higher safety margins and lesser or no side effects. Terminalia chebula Retz. (T. chebula) belongs to the family Combretaceae and is one of the most important medicinal plants used in medicines of ayurveda, siddha, unani and homeopathy. It is called the “King of Medicines” in Tibet and is listed first in the Ayurvedic material medica because of its extraordinary power of wound healing and a wide spectrum of medicinal properties. T. chebula possesses antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antidiabetic, antimutagenic, antioxidant, antiulcer and wound healing properties. It also prevents cardiac damage and is used for the treatment of kidney disease. It is a mild, safe and effective laxative in traditional medicine. T. chebula and its phytoconstituents have therapeutic effect with no toxicity. T. chebula is an active ingredient of the well known herbal preparation, Triphala, which is used for the treatment of enlarged liver, stomach disorders and pain in eyes. This review gives a bird’s eye view on the biological and pharmacological properties of various extracts and isolated phytoconstituents of T. chebula to enrich our knowledge about this plant.