Emblica officinalis (Amla) with a Particular Focus on Its Antimicrobial Potentials: A Review

Emblica officinalis Gaertn. or Phyllanthus emblica Linn., popularly called as Indian gooseberry or Amla, is among main herbal plant in Indian traditional medicine. Different parts of E. officinalis are beneficial for curing various ailments but the fruits especially show tremendous pharmacological and medicinal applications. Phytochemical analysis revealed important bioactive chemical compounds such as tannins, alkaloids, polyphenols, gallic acid, ellagic acid, emblicanin A and B, phyllembein, quercetin, ascorbic acids, vitamins and minerals. Different extracts of amla possess potent antimicrobial activities to counter different bacterial pathogens. Amla phytochemicals also possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, hypolipedemic, memory enhancing, anticancer, antidiabetic, antidepressant, anti-ulcerogenic, insecticidal, larvicidal, and wound healing activities. All of these well-established activities can have broad applications in managing most of the diseases affecting human and animal patients. It can either replace the conventional therapeutic agents due to its superior efficacy and lack of side effects or can act an adjunct therapeutic agent thereby enhancing the total efficacy of conventional agents. The biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles from E. officinalis is getting popularity due to the low cost factor along with the enhanced antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles produced. The current review emphasizes on the phytochemical constituents, mechanisms behind the antimicrobial activity and also briefly summarizes other medicinal and therapeutic usefulness of the E. officinalis.