Phytochemistry and ethnomedicinal qualities of metabolites from Phyllanthus emblica L.: A review

Phyllanthus emblica or Indian gooseberry is an integrated part of Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicines. For several decades, the well-known ancient herb has been extensively utilized in traditional medicine to cure diseases like fever, diabetes, constipation, jaundice, ulcers, biliousness, anemia, anorexia, and dyspepsia. In the traditional system, Indian gooseberry has various ethnomedicinal applications. In the Ayurvedic system, different methods of administration (anupan) have shown different ethnomedicinal properties of Indian gooseberry. Seventy well-known chemical components in Indian gooseberry have been identified through phytochemical evaluation, among which the flavonoids and phenols are most prominent. From the toxicity perspective, it is considered a safe herb in India, and is taken as a food supplement in European countries. The wide-spectrum pharmacological activities of the crude extracts and isolates of Indian gooseberry are attributed to the predominance of phenols and flavonoids. Thus, it is important to study the exact mechanism of the activity of the phytochemicals in Indian gooseberry, especially in anti-cancer activities. Extract of Indian gooseberry enhances proliferation in several cancer cells in vitro, including stem cells like ovarian cancer (OC) cells, and also has been observed to possess anti-proliferative characteristics in vivo. This review intends to explore the therapeutic potential of Indian gooseberry based on scientific reports and attempts to find the gaps for future research.