A Critical Review on Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigations of Martynia annua Linn.

Martynia annua Linn (Martyniaceae) is an important herbaceous annual medicinal herb found as a wild plant throughout India. In spite of the fact that the majority of its parts are utilized as a part of folklore and it is known as kakanasika in Ayurved, fruits, seeds, roots and Leaves are the most vital parts which are utilized therapeutically. The present article gives an account of updated complete information on its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. The review shows that large numbers of phytochemical constituents have been isolated from the Martynia annua Linn plant which possesses actions like Antioxidant, Anthelmintic, Analgesic and Antipyretic, Antibacterial, Anti-convulsant,  Antinociceptive  and, Antifertility, Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant, Wound Healing, Antidiabetic, Gastroprotective, Antifungal, Cytotoxic  Activity and various other important medicinal properties. In folk medicine, Decoction of whole plant is used in pneumonia and cold fever. Leaves are eaten in times of scarcity and also given in epilepsy and its juice is gargled for sore throat. The fruits are used for the treatment of asthma; the seeds are also applied locally for itching and eczema. The Roots are boiled with milk and taken as a tonic and roots made into a poultice and applied in snake bite. For the last few decades or so, extensive research work has been done to prove its biological activities and pharmacology of its extracts. The aim of this review article was to summarize the information associated to Pharmacognostical, ethnobotanical, traditional, Phytochemical and pharmacological activity of the Martynia annua Linn plant.