Medically significant monotypic species Martynia annua L.: A review on ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology

Martynia annua commonly known as Thael kodukkai belonging to the Martyniaceae family is an herbaceous plant with many medicinal properties. It is a weedy peculiar species native to tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico. The entire herb is found to exhibit potential pharmacological activities. The various parts of this plant have been reported to show many therapeutic indications like anticancer, antibacterial, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, analgesic, antipyretic activity, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-nociceptive, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hemolytic, anti-thrombotic, anti-arthritic, anti-haemorrhoidal, anti-alopecia, anti-muscular, anti-helminthic, gastroprotective and anti-fertility activities. This review aims to provide the compilation of existing knowledge on the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of M. annua from the reported studies. The phytochemical screening results of various extracts of stem, root, leaves and fruits of M. annua were discussed in this review. A greater number of phytoconstituents were reported to be present in leaves. This review suggests that this plant contains various phytoconstituents like anthraquinones, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds that are responsible for various pharmacological activities. In the future, this plant provides an immense scope for pharmacological investigations.