Medicinal Vigor of Gul-E-Ghafis ( Gentiana Olivieri Griseb.) – A Review

Gul-e-ghafis ( Gentiana olivieri Griseb., Family Gentianaceae) a ethnomedicinally paramount herb in Unani System of Medicine to treat various ailments of urinary tract, stomach, hepatic, nervous, reproductive system. Whole plant of Gentiana olivieri Griseb. holds a rich source of secondary metabolites including alkaloids, bitter secoiridoid glycosides, triterpenes, fats, flavone-c-glycosides (isoorientin). The alkaloids (gentianine, gentianidine) have been culpable for their manifold pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, hypotensive and the flavone-c-glycosides (isoorientin) have been responsible for anti-infl ammatory, anti-nociceptive, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic effect. In this review an attempt has been made to enlightened morphology, phytochemistry, ethnobotanical and reported pharmacological activities for exploring the interminable medicinal potential of Gul-e-ghafis.