Bioactive Compounds and Pharmacological Potential of Calotropis Gigantea: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

The traditional medicinal applications of the perennial herb Calotropis gigantea are widely recognized. It has been successfully utilized for a long time within the Siddha, Ayurveda, and Unani medical systems. Every part of the plant is utilized in medicine because of its diverse properties, including analgesic, anthelmintic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, sedative, anti-asthmatic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, procoagulant, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, and pregnancy-interceptive effects. For example, the plant's leaves, latex, flowers, stem bark, and roots are utilized as expectorants and depilatory treatments for leprosy, scalp scabies, skin eruptions, hemorrhoids, asthma, hepatosplenomegaly, and painful joint swelling. This plant is an excellent choice for the pharmaceutical industry's modern drug manufacturing due to its ability to treat various conditions, including tumors, ulcers, and piles. Calotropis gigantea belongs to the Apocynaceae family. The plant's pharmacological properties are attributed to phytochemical components such as alkaloids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, alcohols, fatty acids, calotropeol esters, glycosides, and proteases. Moreover, the chemical structures and therapeutic activities of Calotropis gigantea are strongly correlated. Consequently, this review summarizes its pharmacological activity, ethnobotanical characteristics, and phytochemical composition.