MEDICINAL PROPERTIES, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF ARISTOLOCHIA ROTUNDA LINN: A POTENT UNANI DRUG

Aristolochia Rotunda Linn has been known as zarawand-mudahraj in Unani Medicine. It belongs to the family aristolochiaceae and commonly known as the Smearwort, snake root, European birthwort. It has been used in Unani system of medicine for various properties such as immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, hepatoprotective activity. In Unani system of medicine for various therapeutic actions such as  musakkin-i-alam, muhׅallil awrām, mufattihׅ-i-sudad, mudir-i- ḥayḍ,  mudir-i- baul wa ḥayḍ, muqawwi-e-bah, muqawwī, muharrik,  muqawwi-i- asab, muhallil, mulaṭṭif, munaffith -i- balgham, mushil-i-balgham, muqateh wa mukhrij-i-balgham, munaaqi e dimagh,munaqqie meda munaqqie qabatur ria, mulayyin, qātil-i- kirme shikam, mudammil qurụ̄h, dāfiʻ-i-zaher or tiryāq-i-sumoom, jāli, jazib since centuries. In Unani literature, Roots are of two type’s zarawand taveel and zarawand mudharaj based on geographical distribution, some Unani scholars depicted the varieties of zarawand mudharaj viz. zarawand mudharaj shami, zarawand mudharaj rumi and zarawand mudharaj maghribi. The present article describes a detailed review of literature of this plant species including taxonomy, pharmacology, Phyto Chemical Constituents and pharmacological activities in an organized way. This review paper will surely serve as an important source for future scientific investigations on this plant.