Psoralea corylifolia L.: Panacea to several maladies
Neha Mahajan, Bhupendra Koul, Pankaj Gupta, Bhahwal Ali Shah, Joginder Singh
Abstract
Psoralea corylifolia is a renowned medicinal plant in the arena of traditional herbal medicine. It has been extensively used in the treatment of various skin disorders, including psoriasis, vitiligo, eczema, leprosy and other maladies. P. corylifolia possesses anti-vitiligo, anti-microbial, oestrogenic, anti-tumor, anti-depression, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immunomodulatory properties, etc. which can be attributed to the presence of elite phytochemicals. The purpose of this study was to consolidate the information on traditional-medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity trials and commercial medicinal products of P. corylifolia. Data was gathered from various engines such as Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, etc. Information on the aforementioned topics from 266 references was meticulously organized and included in this review. A total of 155 bioactive compounds belonging to the chemical class of flavones, coumarins, meroterpenes, chalcones, stigmasterols, flavonoids etc., have been isolated from P. corylifolia plant parts. The main phytochemicals which are concerned with its anti-psoriasis property are psoralen, isopsoralen. Although the medicinal uses and safety of P. corylifolia extracts have been time-tested, more meticulous and in-depth studies regarding its bioactive constituents' extraction regimes, stability and activity (mode of action) are still required. Future research should also focus on clinical trials related to the dosage optimization of its extracts. We hope that this compendium will serve as an easy resource and encourage future research on P. corylifolia, for better healthcare.