Article: THERAPEUTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ARKA (CALOTROPIS PROCERA) AND ITS RECENT ADVANCES: A REVIEW

Article Category: Review articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.100481

Pages: 32-37

Author: Smita A. Dudhe *

Abstract: Ayurveda is mainly based on herbal medicine. Medicinal plants are considered as new resources for producing agents that could act as alternative to antibiotics. Calotropis procera a widely growing plant has antimicrobial property against various bacteria and has been reported to possess number of medicinal properties and other purposes. It is used in traditional medicine as a purgative, antihelminthic, anticoagulant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic and antimicrobial and to treat leprosy, leucoderma, ulcers, tumors, piles and diseases of the spleen, liver and abdomen. Various in vivo and in vitro studies have been done to prove medicinal property of Calotropis procera against various bacteria such as Enterobactercloacae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis etc. Its active principles are uscharin, calotoxin, calactin, calotropin, calotropagenin and uscharin. In Ayurvedic text it is described as krimighna (antihelminthic), kandughna (reduces itching) vranashodhan (wound healing), jantughna (antimicrobial), kushthaghna (treat leprosy), shothhar (reduces edema), vednasthapan (analgesic). So, this study is designed to elaborate all medicinal properties and recent advances in Calotropis procera.

Keyword: Arka, Calotropis procera, therapeutic uses and recent advances.