Nutritional and Health Consequences of Bauhinia variegata

Abstract

Public health around the globe is still under the major threats and of some serious infectious diseases though a marvelous progress carried out in the field of human medicines. Therefore, use of products from natural sources as medicinal agent probably antecede in human history. The advancement and knowledge of various useful plants and their properties, functions and its use over synthetic drugs has increased in recent years. Bauhinia variegata L. (Kachnar) is an ornamental flowering plant within the Leguminosae family. Hairy branches of the plant are widely used in various traditional remedies to cure vast range of disease infections. Several plant portions, like roots, stem and stem bark, leaves, buds and flowers, are not only popular in different disease treatment but also useful in the manufacture of fibers, gum and to conserve the nature. The phytochemical screening exposed that B. variegata consist of various important secondary metabolites like flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and steroids, saponins and tannins compounds that are appropriate to be used in the treatment of various biological activities, such as antibacterial, antidiabetic, antitumor, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiulcer, anticarcinogenic effects, anti-inflammatory, nephro and hepatoprotective effects and wound healing effect. The current review is to demonstrate the medicinal, nutritional and biological importance of B. variegata as multidimensional effects on various diseases.