Cassia tora Linn:A review on its ethnobotany, phytochemical and pharmacological profile

Cassia tora Linn is a small annual herbs or undershrub growing as common weed in Asian countries. It is found as a weed throught India. The plant which is used in several traditional medicines to cure various diseases. This weed has been known to possess antiproliferative, hypolipidemic, immunostimulatory, anticancerous, antimutagenic and hepatoprotective activity. A wide range of chemical compounds including anthraquinones, chrysophanol, emodin, rhein, euphol, basseol, palmatic, isostearic, behenic acid etc. have been isolated from this plant. The presented review summarizes the information concerning the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activity and toxicity of the Cassia tora plant.