An overview of the Multi-Utility Potential of a Tropical American Herb: Ageratum houstonianum Mill.

The demand for plant-based metabolites, pharmaceuticals, food supplements, cosmetics etc. keeps on increasing day by day. For that purpose, our quest for finding novel uses of plants is never ending. Among a large number of useful species of plants, some are generally overlooked, or underestimated. In this paper, such a species from the genus Ageratum of family Asteraceae is being discussed, which is claimed to have high therapeutic potential to treat various diseases, yet ignored largely as a weed. It is a multipurpose herb with many ethno-medicinal and pharmacological characteristics, with a long history of traditional medicinal use. Extract of young leaves is said to be effective against skin problems, and a study of the literature revealed many other pharmacological activities of this plant. The current review is an attempt to provide pharmacological and biological reports on A. houstonianum.