Abstract

Dr. Vedparkash Sharma* and Dr. Omprakash Sharma

ABSTRACT

Presently there is an increasing interest worldwide in herbal medicines accompanied by increased laboratory investigations into the pharmacological properties of the bioactive ingredients and their ability to treat various diseases. Various drugs have entered the international market through exploration of ethnopharmacology and traditional medicine. Although scientific studies are carried out on a large number of plants but smaller numbers of marketable drugs or phytochemical entities have entered the evidence-based therapeutics. Efforts are therefore needed to establish and validate evidence regarding safety and practice of Ayurvedic medicines. Oroxylon refers to the tree O. indicum; commonly called the tree of Damocles, Indian caper, Indian trumpet flower, Indian trumpet tree. The tree is named as “Tree of Damocles” after an incident depicted in an ancient story by Cicero. O. indicum Vent. a member of the bignoniaceae family is a small or medium sized deciduous tree growing throughout Asia continent.[1] It has been used traditionally for a wide diversity of ailments such as cancer, diarrhea, fever, ulcer, jaundice and arthritis.