PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CLITORIA TERNATEA- A REVIEW

Abstract

Medicinal and aromatic plants have been used over the ages for its potency and minimal side effects. Due to this, the exploration is at its highest
peak. Seeing this phenomenon the climbing plant Clitoria ternatea (CT) belonging to the Fabaceae family and commonly known as 'Butterfly
pea' and Shankpushpi, has been taken up which is used in Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine, because of its varied uses over centuries as a memory
enhancer, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing and sedative agent. A wide range of secondary
metabolites including triterpenoids, flavonol glycosides, anthocyanins and steroids has been isolated from Clitoria ternatea Linn. Its extracts
possess a wide range of pharmacological activities including antimicrobial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, local anaesthetic,
antidiabetic, insecticidal, blood platelet aggregation-inhibiting and for use as a vascular smooth muscle relaxing properties. This plant has a long
use in traditional. Ayurvedic medicine for several diseases and the scientific studies has reconfirmed those with modern relevance. The pant
contains many active constitutes like alkaloids, glucosides, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates etc. This review is an effort to explore
the phytochemical constituents and pharmacological studies of CT, which have been in clinical use in the Ayurvedic system of medicine along
with a critical appraisal of its future ethno pharmacological potential in view of many recent findings of importance on this well-known plant
species.