Vol. 1, Issue 2, Part A (2019)

Herbal medicine is one of the oldest valuable bestowals that were given to mankind. Many plants and herbs hold their prestigious position in the field of medicine. Plants are being used from more than 1000 years to treat diseases. Medicinal plants which act as therapeutic agents are also a good source of information for a wide variety of phytochemical constituents which can be developed as drugs with precise and good selectivity. These are the bank of potentially useful active constituents which could serve as novel leads and clues for newer drug design. Okra is a cultigen (a plant that has been altered by humans through a process of selective breeding). The exact origin of okra is unknown, but it is thought to have come from Africa, where it has been grown as a crop for centuries. Evidence suggests it was grown in Egypt as long ago as 2,000 BC. Medicinal plants are believed to be safer and proved elixir in the treatment of various ailments. Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra) is an important medicinal plant of tropical and subtropical India. Its medicinal usage has been reported in the traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. This review aimed at summarizing phytochemical reports and biological activities of Abelmoschus esculentus L. from the database sources. The findings suggest that A. esculentus contains various nutrients and important phytochemicals. It possesses a number of important ethnomedicinal and biological activities.