Exploring the Potential of Calotropis procera in Pharmacological Approaches

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been a source of treatments for many ailments for thousands of years. The WHO estimates that 80% of worldwide population use traditional medicines to treat common health issues. Plant derived bioactive substances constitute 50% of Western medications. The increase in incidents of emerging medical challenges, including post-COVID syndrome, rising multidrug-resistant (MDR), and many more, has raised annual fatalities. To address these issues, novel medications and strategic approaches are urgently required. Designing novel drugs relies on exploring medicinal plants, which have great scope in combating diseases. Calotropis procera is a medicinal plant belongs to Apocynaceae family and subfamily Asclepiadoideae that have been exploring for developing novel drugs. C. procera consists of numerous phytochemicals including flavonoids, terpenoids, cardenolides, steroids and oxypregnanes. Therefore, its phytoconstituents have been used to treat a variety of conditions including cancer, asthma, epilepsy and snake bite. C. procera is reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antinociceptive and antimalarial properties. Roots, leaves and flower of C. procera have been used in wide range of ethnomedicinal and pharmacological actions including leukoderma, malaria and eczema. Recent ongoing techniques including computational tools using the phytoconstituents of C. procera against various diseases will open up avenues for developing novel drugs.