A review on ethnobotanical uses of Smilax ovalifolia.

Abstract

Medicinal plants are used by various tribes for treating various kinds of diseases since time immemorial. These traditional medicinal systems play a key role in healthcare system of rural people. Smilax ovalifolia belongs to the familySmilacaceae. It is distributed in the forest area of the Central and Eastern parts of China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam and nearby regions. The present paper is a review on ethnomedicinal uses ofSmilax ovalifolia, which is widely used by different tribes and medicinal practitioners for treating of various diseases. Different parts of the plant (roots, leaves and tender shoots) are variably used in treating wide range of diseases like jaundice, skin problems, toothache, urinary complain, muscular sprain, stomach pain, rheumatic arthritis, venereal diseases, infertility, as sexual stimulant, in abnormal semen discharge, uterine diseases, sores, dysentery, malaria, tuberculosis, leucorrhoea, wound healing, to increase appetite, different types of gastric disorders and also used as antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic and blood purifier. The plant is also used as vegetable by some groups. After the study it can be concluded that the plant can considered as a suitable source for new drug development and synthesis.