Cyperus rotundus: A potential medicinal plant

Abstract

We all know that from ancient times, people used plants and trees for their food, shelter and medicinal purposes. Now a days everybody wants to use the herbal medicine instead of allopathic one because of their side effects. There is a potential medicinal plant named as “Cyperus rotundus” commonly known as “Nut Grass”, belongs to family Cyperaceae, basically it is a kind of rhizomatous plant. It grows up to 100 cm in small clumps. It is distributed almost throughout all the regions of world because of its great adaptivity with respect to soil, temperature, ph, altitudes and moisture. It shows a wide range of pharmacological activities in in vivo and in vitro model of experiments including anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, insecticidal repellent, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-nociceptive, anti-oxidant, hypolipidemic, effect on platelet function, gastrointestinal, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, dermatological, anti-dysmenorrhea, effect on lymphocytes proliferation, sedative, aromatic, anti-anxiety, anti-depressive etc. This review article focus on the medicinal properties, distribution, morphology, isolated phytochemicals and their structures with molecular formulas as well.