Hyptis suaveolens Poit:A Review on Its Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile

Medicinal herbs are the local heritage with global importance. Medicinal herbs have curative properties due to presence of various complex chemical substance of different composition, which are found as secondary plant metabolites in one or more parts of these plants. Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. Is a plat belonging to family Lamiaceae, or the Mint family. It is a family of plants of about 210 genera and some 3,500 species. The original family name is Labiatae, so given because the flowers typically have petals fused into an upper lip and a lower lip. Although this is still considered an acceptable alternate name, most botanists now use the name "Lamiaceae" in referring to this family. They are herbs or undershrubs, distributed over both hemispheres and include a number of medicinal and sub-medicinal plants of great value. This important order has no poisonous members. They mostly exhibit aromatic or bitter-aromatic, stimulant and astringent properties. They are used as tonics, emmenagogues, diaphoretics, antispasmodics, burns and wounds, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antispasmodic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, headaches, anticatarrhal, anticutaneous. A wide range of chemical compounds including terpenoids, alkaloids, acidic polysaccharide and 33 constituents were identified in the oil of hyptis suaveolens isolated from its leaves. Extracts and metabolites from this plant have been found to possess pharmacological and insecticidal activities. This contribution provides a comprehensive review of its ethnomedical uses, chemical constituents and the pharmacological profile as a medicinal plant. Particular attention has been given to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and wound healing properties, insecticidal effects presented in this review such that the potential use of this plant either in pharmaceutics or as an agricultural resource can be evaluated.