AN OVERVIEW ON CALENDULA OFFICINALIS LINN.: (POT MARIGOLD)

Abstract

Since times immemorial, plants are considered as an important source for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Herbal medicine is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are the basis of traditional medicine. These herbal therapies are cost effective and free from any side effect. Although there are around 8,000 medicinal plant species used by different communities in India across different ecosystems, only around 10% of them (880 species) are in active trade. So, there is a need of exploration of plants for their medicinal efficacy. India has a very rich source of plants for healthcare to prevent different diseases and Calendula officinalis L. is among such aromatic herbs (family: Compositae), which is used in the traditional system of medicine i.e., Ayurveda, since long because of its rich ethnomedicinal importance. Calendula is commonly known as Pot marigold. It contained a good range of phytochemical constituents including essential volatile oils, saponins, triterpenes, triterpenoids, esters, flavonoid, steroids, carotenoids, amino-acids and polysaccharides. It is mainly used due to its various biological activities to treat various diseases and act as an analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory agent. It exerted many therapeutic effects including antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antiviral, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective and wound healing. It is also used as a cure for gastrointestinal disease, eye disease, skin injuries and cases of burn.