Pharmacognostic Review on Datura

Datura, a wildly growing plant from Solanaceae family, is attributed with both poisonous and medicinal values. Datura spp. in Ayurveda, different parts of Datura are used for various human ailments when applied both locally and through oral administration. Several functional groups have been reported to be present in different parts of the plant. The plant shows various types of activities such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-diarrheal that may be due to the presence of the active chemical constituents. especially in Ayurvedic medicine, D. stramonium has been used for curing various human ailments, including ulcers, wounds, inflammation, rheumatism and gout, sciatica, bruises and swellings, fever, asthma and bronchitis, and toothache. This comprehensive review of D. stramonium includes information on botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and ethnomedicinal uses.