An Updated Review on Xeromphis uliginosa: An Underutilised Plant

Xeromphis uliginosa (Retz) Maheshwari, an underutilised potential plant of the family Rubiaceae. The plant is distributed in dry and moist deciduous forests, native to Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The ethnic communities uses the parts of the plants as a vegetable and curing various ailments like cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, eye complaints, pimples, diuretic, tonic properties, biliousness etc. The unripe fruit is astringent. It is also used as colour intensifier in dying and leaves are good fodder for cattle and deer. Efforts have been made by researchers to verify the claims for curing various ailments. The present updated review is an attempt to highlight the various ethnobotanical, ethnomedicinal uses as well as phytochemical and notable pharmacological reports of the plant.