A Review on Therapeutic Benefits of Active Chemical Moieties Present in Polyalthia longifolia

Polyalthia longifolia (Annonaceae family) is native to the drier areas of India and is locally called "Ashoka." It is also cultivated in Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Polyalthia longifolia is also known as Buddha tree, mast tree, cemetery tree, false Ashoka or green Champa. Generally, Polyalthia longifolia is viewed as a street tree because of its effectiveness in combating noise pollution. Macroscopically, the versatile Polyalthia longifolia can reach over 15.0 m high with symmetrical pyramidal growth and weeping pendulous branches. The term Polyalthia is derived from Greek roots, with "poly" meaning many and "althia" meaning cure, indicating that this plant has been used to treat various diseases/disorders. In traditional and indigenous systems of medicine, Polyalthia longifolia has been commonly used in the treatment of fever, helminthiasis, diabetes and various cardiac problems. Pharmacological investigations have shown that Polyalthia longifolia possesses significant biological and pharmacological activity, which may include antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor, anti-ulcer, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. To date, more than 30 studies have analyzed extracts from bark, leaves, roots, seeds, etc. of the plant and reported a total of approximately 100 compounds, including steroids, flavonoids, clerodane diterpenes, cleroda-oic acids and alkaloids. In context of the broad medicinal potential of Polyalthia longifolia, this review compiles a detailed exploration of currently available knowledge of the phytochemical and their pharmacological properties of Polyalthia longifolia. Its potential applications in the treatment of various conditions are also discusseds.