Abstract

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CEDRUS DEODARA (ROXB.) LOUD. WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NIGHANTUS

Avik Pal* and Sumita Ghosh

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Abstract

Medicinal plants play an important role in the health care of human beings. Devadaru (Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) Loud.) is an evergreen tree having strong, oily, aromatic wood and light yellowish-brown to brown in colour white heartwood. The parts of Devadaru that are used for medicinal purposes are- heartwood, oil, leaf, bark and resin. In this present study heartwood of Devdaru was used. It consists of various chemical constituents like Dihydromyricetin, cedrine, centdarol, naringenin, B-sitosterol, stigmasterol, camphesterol, deodorin and cedrinoxide etc. Its main properties are presence of Tikta Rasa, Laghu, Snigdha Gunas, Ushna Virya and Katu Vipaka. It has Kapha-vata shamak, Dipan, Pachan, Medohara, Vedanasthapan, Sothahara, Lekhan, Swedajanan properties. Many pharmacological activities of Cedrus deodara have been reported in-vivo and in-vitro. Various parts of this plant bear antiinflammatory, immuno modulatory, antispasmodic, anticancer, anti-apoptotic, anti-bacterial as well as other activities. It is rich in tannins, flavonoids and various alkaloids which gives it immense medicinal value. It has been mentioned in various Samhitas like- Charak Samhita, Susruta Samhita and in various Nighantus like Bhavaprakash Nighantu, Saligram Nighantu, Raj Nighantu etc for various medicinal uses.

Keywords: Samhitas, Nighantus, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-bacterial, Anti-cancer.