PRISMA Based Systematic Review: Pharmacognostic Study of Zanthoxylum armatum DC.

Introduction Herb, Zanthoxylum armatum DC., commonly called as Indian prickly ash, and Nepal pepper (family Rutaceae), that commonly utilized in the traditional medicinal system. Objective The current review provides a requisite data collecting descriptive information on the organoleptic, microscopical, ethnobotanical use, phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of Z. armatum; therefore, helps in forming a bridge between research gaps and the upcoming future findings for most of the researches. Materials and methods The systematic literature survey was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. The collective information was gathered from books, renowned journals, and electronic databases including Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed from 1966 to 2020. Results Most of the bioactive metabolites have been isolated and characterized till dates, such as monoterpenes in essential oil and lignan components are reported to present in the herb. Several in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological bioassays revealed the potential of Z. armatum as antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular effects and so on. Conclusion Therefore, the current review will summarize the organoleptic, microscopy, phytochemistry and biological activities of Z. armatum providing more emphasis on in-vitro as well as in-vivo studies along with clinical research, helpful in exploring the potential efficacy of the plant.