Shalmali (Bombax ceiba): Versatility in its therapeutics

Abstract

The medicinal plants are widely used by the traditional medical practitioners for curing various diseases in their day-to-day practice. Shalmali is a well-known plant used in the traditional system for treatment of many diseases. The therapeutic activity of Shalmali is partly due to the presence of flavonoids, phenolics, sesquiterpenoids, shamimicin, bombamalosides, bombamalones, bombasin, bombasin 4-o-glucoside, and bombalin. In the present review, efforts have been made to recapitulate different aspects of scientific studies on the Shalmali such as ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and mainly the pharmacological activities. In vitro and in vivo studies, for various pharmacological activities of the Shalmali, for example, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, immunemodulatory, hypotensive, hypolipidemic, antihyperglycemic, and analgesic have been demonstrated.