A Brief Dig into the Potent Medicinal Plant Phyllanthus Amarus Schum. and Thonn.

Abstract

Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn., a plant of substantial medicinal significance, is known for its usage in the ‘Ayurvedic’ system of medicine for over 2000 years. This herb grows throughout the world including India. P. amarus along with other species of its genus has been a vital part of several herbal formulations available in the Indian market under the trade name Bhuiamlaki. Several pharmacognostic evaluations over the years established the genus Phyllanthus of great commercial value. Ethnopharmacological studies conducted with P. amarus to date have shown its diverse therapeutic usage globally. This owes to the vast array of secondary metabolites present in the herb, substantially in the leaf tissue. Different analytical and phytochemistry studies performed across the globe revealed that P. amarus is a hub of various classes of secondary metabolites viz. lignans like phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin, flavonoids, alkaloids, triterpenes, sterols, volatile oil, ellagitannins including simple and complex tannins, etc. Different analytical techniques have been employed over the past years for isolating and studying these varied secondary metabolites. Further, bioactivities and pharmacological properties of P. amarus that were mainly due to the presence of these wide arrays of secondary metabolites have also been explored extensively across the globe by several research groups. This plant has also been explored at molecular and transcriptome level, although relatively lesser but its extensive molecular and transcriptome analysis have only been performed from our lab. Thus, P. amarus has considerable potential to be explored in the future as a significant therapeutic source not only in the traditional medicinal system but also in the modern pharmaceutical industry.