Anthocephalus cadamba: A Comprehensive Review

Anthocephalus cadamba Miq. belonging to family Rubiaceae enjoys a very prominent position in Ayurveda. History of Kadamba can be traced back to Vedas, Puranas and Samhita. It grows naturally in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. The plant has been extracted by conventional methods such as infusion, decoction, maceration and percolation. The preliminary phytochemical screening of Anthocephalus cadamba whole plant (barks, leaves, flowers and fruits) showed the presence of saponins, terpenes, sesquiterpenes glycosides, alkaloids and absence of anthraquinones and flavonoids. A variety of phytoconstituents, such as cadambine, cadamine, β-sitosterol, quinovic acid, chlorogenic acid etc. have been isolated from the extracts. The plant has also been studied for its various pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antidiabetic, sedative, antiepileptic, antioxidant, antitumor, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, wound healing and antidiarrhoeal. The present review explores its description, traditional uses, chemical constituents and pharmacological activity so that its potential as a multipurpose medicinal agent can be understood and appreciated.