A REVIEW ON PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH – REMEDY FOR SICKLE CELL DISEASE

Aim: This article focuses on the current review of world-wide medicinal plants studied for their phytochemical investigations, various biological activities and clinical studies in relation to their use for treatment of Sickle cell disease. Method: All relevant literature databases were searched up to 18 September 2014. The search terms were plant, herb, herbal therapy, phytotherapy, sickle cell anemia and antisickling agent. All of the human, animal, in vitro studies, and reviews were included. Antisickling agent, antioxidant, and ethnopharmacological effects were the key outcomes. Results: In vitro and in vivo studies in various herbs revealed that anthraquinones, anthocaynin, amino acids, caricapinoside, p-hydroxy benzoic acid etc. are the potent herbal constituents responsible for antisickling activity in sickle cell anemia patients and these herbal constituents can be further researched for development of a much safer and affordable medicine in future. Conclusion: This extensive literature review indicated the presence of large number of medicinal plants and their phytochemical constituents that can be of great interest for further research in search of the therapeutically active natural products for the treatment of sickle cell disease. However, it implies from the present review that comparatively very less number of medicinal plants have been explored in search of the constituents for the antisickling activity. Extensive medicinal plant research in the area of sickle cell disease may open completely new vistas and treatment strategies for this incurable genetic disorder