Beyond Tradition: Caralluma's Pharmacological Marvels in Herbal Medicine

Abstract

Numerous herbal remedies have been employed across several medical systems to address and manage various health conditions. In addition to providing main ingredients with therapeutic uses, medicinal plants are becoming a valuable source for identifying new therapeutic targets. One genus that has been used in conventional medicine is Caralluma. The categorization of Caralluma into subgenera, the number of species, its global distribution, and the medicinal properties of different Caralluma species were all carefully assessed in this paper. Caralluma has been used medicinally for six general types of diseases, including diabetes and digestive disorders, in India, Iran, and Pakistan, China, among other countries. Caralluma contains antimalarial, antitrypanosomal, anti-ulcer, antioxidant, antinociceptive, and antiproliferative properties. It is used as traditional medicine in various disorders including diabetes, paralysis, leprosy, rheumatism & and inflammation. These bioactivities might result from the genus's many groups of chemicals being present. Caralluma contains pregnane-glycosides, flavones, megastigmane-glycosides, pregnane-steroids, and aromatic-volatile compounds. By critically analyzing the current fragmented literature on ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, & and toxicity, this study seeks to build a connection between traditional applications and scientific investigations on the species Caralluma. Nonetheless, the studies discussed here demonstrate its advantageous effects on boosting health.