ASYSTASIA GANGETICA: A BIBLIOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL PUBLICATIONS OUTPUT DURING 1960-2020

There has been an exponential growth in plant-based products during the last few decades for the treatment of various ailments. According to literature, about 25% of prescribed drugs are of plant origin globally. One such important plant is Asystasia gangetica, also known as ‘Chinese violet’ or ‘Ganges primrose’ is an ornamental, scattering, groundcover herb. The plant is about 0.30 to 0.60 m in height, mainly distributed in sub-Saharan tropical Africa, Arabia, and tropical Asia (including India). Ethnobotanically, the decoction of its leaves is effective in the treatment of rheumatism, stomachache, anthelmintic, heart pains, asthma, astringent, diaphoretic, woman infertility, etc. It is mainly reported to contain chalcone, biflavons, glucoside, amino acid, iridoid glycoside, etc. Pharmacologically plant is reported to possess anti-asthmatic, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidaemic, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant activity, anti-snake venom, etc. The present review is an attempt to describe the important medicinal properties of A. gangeticain the traditional and modern scientific research. It is concluded that the plant has numerous therapeutic potential which need to be explored.