FERONIA LIMONIA - A PATH LESS TRAVELLED

From ancient days to recent civilization, human beings depend on nature for running their life smoothly from day to day. Plants remain a vital source of drugs and now a day’s much emphasis have been given to nutraceuticals. Feronia limonia belonging to family Rutaceae is well known in Indian traditional systems for its traditional uses. Various parts of the plant have astringent, constipating, tonic for liver and lung, diuretic, carminative, and cardiotonic traditional uses. Various important phytoconstituents like alkaloids, phenolic compounds, triterpenoids, coumarins, tannins, steroids etc. have been isolated from Kavith. But only few pharmacological activities like antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumour, antifungal and CNS depressant activity have been scientifically reported. From enormous traditional uses documented in various traditional system of medicine and presence of vital phytoconstituents make Kavith (Feronia limonia) an important plant to be studied scientifically to prove various traditional uses. In present review we explore Kaitha’s description, traditional medicinal uses, phytoconstituents and investigated pharmacological activities in various parts of the plant to show potential ethnopharmacological importance of the plant. So that this review can serve as ready to use material for further research on the plant.