KABAR (CAPPARIS SPINOSA L.): PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION AND THERAPEUTIC USES IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF UNANI MEDICINE: A REVIEW

Abdul Habib, Mohd Afsahul Kalam*, Iqra Rifat, Ifra Qayoom and Mohd Naved

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times as therapeutic agents for the management and treatment of diseases because they possess health-promoting effects and contain bioactive components. These are used worldwide to treat many diseases, and new drugs continue to be developed through research from these plants. Capparis spinosa L. belonging to Capparidaceae family is an important source of different secondary metabolites of interest to humankind. It is commonly known as Caper bush. It has wide range of diversity. It is used for the treatment of various human ailments including gastrointestinal problems, hypertension, inflammation, amenorrhoea, anemia, liver dysfunction, rheumatism, bodyache, intestinal worms etc. Numerous bioactive phytochemical constituents have been isolated and identified from different parts (aerial parts, roots and seeds), which are responsible alone or in combination for its various pharmacological activities. This paper is a review of pharmacological properties, phytochemistry and therapeutic uses of Capparis spinosa L. as mentioned in the classical literature of Unani System of Medicine as well as to cover the recent studies on the drug in human and animal models.

Keywords: Caper bush, Capparis spinosa L., bioactive, therapeutic use, medicinal plant.