Abstract

A REVIEW ON RHODODENDRON ARBOREUM “A MEDICINAL HERB”

Pratap Singh*, Riya Verma, Nupur Mehta, Gurvindar Kaur and Hritik Koundal

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Abstract

Rhododendron arboreum is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a showy display of bright red flower. The mane „RHODODENDRON‟ is derived from the Greek word „RHODO‟ means rose &‟DENDRON‟ means tree. Rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal & is known as (Laligurans) & the state tree of Uttarakhand. It is called „Burans‟, Bras, Buras or barahke -phool market popularity as Rhodo juice/sharbat and the plant is found in the Himalayas from Kashmir eastwards to Nagaland. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the main cause of death worldwide and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be a unifying mechanism in CVDs process and plants are naturally loaded with distinctive secondary metabolites. HEPATOPROTECTIVE activity shown by leaves of Rhododendron arboreum possibly because of its reported anti-oxidants activity and this property may attributed to the quercetin related flavonoids, saponins, and phenolic compounds present in the leaves of Rhododendron arboreum.

Keywords: Rhododendron, arboreum, Burans, Pharmacognosy, Cardiovascular, Hepatoprotective.