Cassia alata and Cassia auriculata – Review of their bioactive potential

Abstract

Nature has been a powerful source of powerful medicines for thousands of years and number of modern drugs has been extracted and exploited from natural sources, for its use in traditional medicine. Traditional herbal medicines have a long history of use and are generally considered to be safer than synthetic drugs. Over 50% of all modern clinical drugs are natural products that play an important role in drug development in pharmaceutical industries. The present communication constitutes a review on the distribution, phytography, medicinal properties and pharmacological actions of Cassia alata and Cassia auriculata. These plants are known to contain various active principles of therapeutic value and to possess biological activity against a number of diseases.