Biotech Today

The use of ayurvedic and herbal medicinal plants to treat various diseases dates to over thousands of years. These therapeutic plants have various phytochemical compounds which aim at maintaining an overall health status of an individual having no/minimal side effects. Bryophyllum pinnatum is one such miracle divine herb containing steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids, triterpenes, glycosides, bufadienolides, lipids, and organic acids which are the active chemicals. Madagascar’s Bryophyllum pinnatum (air plant) is a succulent, perennial herb. It is observed that this plant has potential benefit as an antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antiphylactic, antileishmanial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anthelmintic, anticonvulsant, antipyretic, depressant, immunomodulator, insecticidal, muscle relaxant, sedative and as a budding neuroprotective, nephroprotective and hepatoprotective herb. The goal of this review is to give the necessary information about various health benefits of Bryophyllum pinnatum especially as a neuroprotectant and its increased usage as an herbal drink. Intricate experimentations, analysis and interpretation of the data must be done on various parts of this traditional plant which can also be subjected to clinical trials in the future.