Barleria cristata: perspective towards phytopharmacological aspects

Barleria cristata (Family: Acanthaceae), commonly known as Philippine violet, is used in different ethnomedical systems for the treatment of a wide range of ailments. This review aimed to provide a scientific overview of B. cristata with reference to its ethnobotanical aspects, geographical distribution, medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activity, and critical analyses research gaps and future research opportunities for investigations on this plant.

Ethnomedical uses of the plant have been observed in lungs disorders, inflammatory conditions, toothache, anaemia, snake bite, diabetes and tuberculosis. The exhaustive bibliographic research carried out on this plant revealed that the plant parts are rich in various phytochemical constituents including triterpenes, phenolic compounds, glycosides and flavonoids type phenolic compounds. Furthermore, the plant was also investigated in terms of its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antifungal, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity.

This review confirms that B. cristata is a potential herb for the treatment of a wide range of diseases especially lung disorders and inflammatory conditions. Modern pharmacological studies have also validated many ethnobotanical uses of B. cristata, though data regarding many aspects of this plant such as mechanism of action, adverse effects of extracts and active compounds are still limited which call for additional studies.