Gmelina asiatica: exploring traditional uses, pharmacological insights, and phytoconstituents—a comprehensive review (1961–2023)

Abstract

Gmelina asiatica is one of medicinal plants that is famous in traditional medicines. It is known as Asian bushbeech under the family Lamiaceae. Gmelina asiatica is widely used in Indian folklore to treat many illnesses and disorders, such as treatment of jaundice, hemorrhoids, dysuria, arthritis, edema, liver diseases, neurological disorders, fever, heart diseases, dandruff, skin infections, acne, diabetes mellitus, catarrh of the bladder, syphilis, as antiseptic, astringent, demulcent, contraceptive and blood purifier. As well as, there are various reports on the pharmacological activities of this plant that scientifically support some of its traditional uses. These activities have been shown to include anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, antipyretic, nematicidal, anxiolytic, neuroprotective, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and analgesic activity. Gmelina asiatica is rich in furofuran lignans and flavonoids and contains many other secondary and primary metabolites, but only a few studies have been conducted to identify and isolate its phytoconstituents. The current review aims to provide the published information on Gmelina asiatica, its features, traditional uses, ethnobotanical uses by different tribes, pharmacological activities, and reported phytoconstituents, from 1961 to September 2023, which was collected from books and online databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, SpringerLink, and Wiley Online Library. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024.