ISSN 2249-9687 Review Article Bryophyllum pinnatum: A review

Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) (Crassulaceae) is a perennial herb grows 3-5 feet tall, fleshy dark green leaves that are distinctively scalloped and trimmed in red, and bell like pendulous flowers. It is used in folk medicine in tropical Africa, tropical America, India, China, and Australia. This review covers detailed ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and bioactivities of Bryophyllum pinnatum. A number of active compound groups including alkaloids, triterpenes, lipids, flavonoids , glycosides, bufadienolides, phenols and organic acids has been covered. It is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of variety of ailments like anthelmentic, immunosuppressive, hepatoprotective, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic, nephroprotective, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, analgesic, anticonvulsant, neuropharmacological and antipyretic. It is well known for its haemostatic and wound healing properties. All these aspects along with available marketed preparations and patents are considered in this review to allow an evaluation of the potential for utilisation of the large biomass of Bryophyllum available focusing on the chemical constituents utilized against variety of pathological conditions. © 2012 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved