NARDOSTACHYS JATAMANSI: IMPORTANCE OF HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT AND ENDANGERED PLANT IN AYURVEDA

Medicinal herbs have a rich history of their utilization for a variety of ailments. India is considered among those countries which have produced a vast variety of medicinal plants. Medicinal plants are the source of the discovery of new drugs across the world. Most of the drugs available today have some herbal content of plants in them. Due to this over-utilization of the herbal plant, it becomes endangered. Nardostachys jatamansi is a popular aromatic herbal plant. This plant is also on the verge of extinction due to the overexploitation of the rhizomes part of the herb. It is small, hairy, perennial, rhizomatous species of Valerianacea family. It is cultivated mostly in higher altitude areas. Jatamansi demonstrates various folk, Ayurvedic and pharmacological uses. Jatamansone and nardostachone are the main compounds present in the plant that possesses various activities like antimicrobial, antifungal, hypotensive, antiarrhythmic and anticonvulsant activity, etc. In this review, the phytochemicals pharmacological properties, Ayurvedic properties and folk uses of N. jatamansi are briefly explained.