Polyalthia Longifolia and Its Pharmacological Activities : Review

Polyalthia longifolia var. angustifolia is a member of the Annonaceae family and is a small medium-sized tree distributed in many tropical countries around the world, commonly used as ornamental street tree due to its effectiveness in combating noise pollution. In traditional and indigenous systems of medicine Polyalthia longifolia has been commonly used in the treatment of fever, helminthiasis, diabetes and in cardiac problems. Various pharmacological investigations have shown that Polyalthia longifolia posseses significant biological and pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor, anti-ulcer, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. In context of various medicinal importance of P. longifolia, this review is an attempt to compile detailed exploration of all currently available botanical, phytochemical, pharmacological and other ethnomedicinal properties of P. longifolia in an attempt to provide a direction for further research work.