Pharmacological Activities of Indian Heliotrope (Heliotropium Indicum L.): A Review

Heliotropium indicum Linn., commonly known as ‘Indian heliotrope’, is a herb with pale violet flowers belonging to the family Boraginaceae and is very common in India with a long history of traditional medicinal uses in many countries in the world. It is distributed in the tropical and temperate regions of the world and found throughout India. The plant is reported to possess antibacterial, antitumor, uterine stimulant effect, antifertility, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and diuretic activities. A few number of chemical investigations have been performed on this plant, as for example, pyrrolizidine alkaloids and other chemical compounds like Indicine-N-Oxide, Tannins, Saponins and Heliotrine were also isolated from this plant. This review gives an update mainly on the pharmacological activities of Heliotropium indicum Linn.