Ethno medicine and its relevance in present context from the perspective of Bridelia scandens Wild.

Ethnobotany as a research field of science, has been widely used for the documentation of indigenous knowledge on the use of plants and for providing an inventory of useful plants from local flora. Plants are being used as a medicine to cure various disorders from the beginning of civilization. BrideliascandensWild. belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae is distributed in India and other regions in the world. Different parts of B.scandens are traditionally used in treatment of various aliments Viz. joint pain, jaundice, malaria, herpes, allergies, inflammation, scabies, and dermatitis and so on. Further B.scandensWild. has been investigated by researchers for its biological activities and therapeutic potentials such as antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, hepatoprotective activity. However extensive studies are yet to be carried out in order to prove the folklore usage of this plant. The present review focuses on folkloric and traditional uses, phytoconstituents, and pharmacological activities of B.scandens.