Paederia foetida Linn. A Comprehensive Review of Its Ethnobotanical Applications, Phytochemical Profile, Pharmacological Properties, and Future Therapeutic Prospects

Paederia foetida L., Rubeaceae is one of the medicinal plants that has been extensively employed in

the traditional healing system of Asia, including Ayurveda, the Chinese system of medicine, and tribal

medicine practiced in various Asian countries. The aim of this review is to provide information

regarding ethnomedicinal significance, botanical description, phytochemical screening, and

pharmacological activity of this medicinal herb. The herb is rich in various bioactive compounds,

including iridoid glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, and essential oils, which render it a storehouse of

various health-promoting activities. The pharmacological activities of the plants have been scientifically

proven, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, analgesic, gastroprotective,

hepatoprotective, and anti-cancer activity. In the review, the methods of the process of extracting and

evaluating these activities are also presented, and the need for standardization of the process is

emphasized, as it is a known fact that standardization is the need of the hour for the further development

of drugs. This review, which combines traditional knowledge with the present-day pharmacological

evidence of the effectiveness of the said drugs, thus emphasizes the potential of the use of P. foetida as

a promising source of phototherapeutics of the future.