Sphaeranthus indicus: A Review of its Chemical, Pharmacological and Ethnomedicinal Properties

Sphaeranthus indicus is a well-known plant used in the Indian system of medicine. The plant is widely distributed throughout the plains and wet-lands of India, Sri Lanka and Australia. Folklore medicine claims its use in epileptic convulsion, mental illness, hemicranias, as a general tonic, deobstruent, aphrodisiac etc. Various biologically active compounds have been isolated from S. indicus. This study is an attempt to compile an up-to-date and comprehensive review of S. indicus that covers its traditional and folk medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology.