The Therapeutic Potential of Artemisia amygdalina Decne, An Endemic Plant Species from Kashmir Himalaya: A Review

The genus Artemisia occupies an important place in the rich plant biodiversity of Kashmir Himalayas. Being endemic to Kashmir Himalaya, Artemisia amygdalina is used as medicine to treat various diseases. This plant species has been used in folk medicine in the treatment of a number of diseases, including epilepsy, piles, nervous disorders, cough, cold, fever, and pain since ages. Significant progress has been made in phytochemical and biological investigations of Artemisia during the past few years. However, a detailed and critical review of A. amygdalina, which is an important endemic medicinal plant species, is not available. It is in this backdrop that a comprehensive and critical review of this plant species has been compiled. Relevant literature regarding Artemisia amygdalina was retrieved from databases like Web of Science, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Springer, PubMed, SciFinder, and Science Direct. Moreover, we collected data from classic books, unpublished materials and papers on this plant species. Artemisia amygdalina are widely utilized in the treatment of illnesses such as malaria, hepatitis, cancer, inflammation and infections by fungi, bacteria and viruses. This species is rich in bioactive compounds like alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, terpenes, p-cymene, 1, 8-cineole, phenolics, tannins (polyphenolics), steroids, etc. These secondary metabolites attribute remedial properties to the species. This review article was written to provide readers with up-to-date information on the active components, pharmacology, traditional uses, trade and difficulties in the conservation and sustainable use of this significant plant species.