The Ayurvedic medicine Clitoria ternatea—From traditional use to scientific assessment
Abstract
Clitoria ternatea L. (CT) (Family: Fabaceae) commonly known as 'Butterfly pea', a traditional Ayurvedic medicine, has been used for centuries as a memory enhancer, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing and sedative agent. A wide range of secondary metabolites including triterpenoids, flavonol glycosides, anthocyanins and steroids has been isolated from Clitoria ternatea Linn. Its extracts possess a wide range of pharmacological activities including antimicrobial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, local anesthetic, antidiabetic, insecticidal, blood platelet aggregation-inhibiting and for use as a vascular smooth muscle relaxing properties. This plant has a long use in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for several diseases and the scientific studies has reconfirmed those with modern relevance. This review is an effort to explore the chemical constituents, pharmacological and toxicity studies of CT, which have long been in clinical use in Ayurvedic system of medicine along with a critical appraisal of its future ethnopharmacological potential in view of many recent findings of importance on this well known plant species.
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The extracts of Clitoria ternatea have been used in Ayurveda as an ingredient in Medhya rasayana.
“The extracts of C. ternatea have been used in Ayurveda, as an ingredient in “Medhya rasayana”.”
From Indian Medicinal Herbs and Formulations for Alzheimer’s Disease, from Traditional Knowledge to Scientific Assessment (2020) · cites this paper as [138]
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Ayurvedic medicinal plants for Alzheimer’s disease: A review
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- Authors
- Mukherjee, P. K., Kumar, V., Kumar, N. S., & Heinrich, M.
- Affiliations
- University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Mukherjee, Pulok K.
- Venue
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 120
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 291-301
- ISSN
- 0378-8741 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2052168472
- Cited by
- 369
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 1.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Cross Connect (Southern Cross University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Medicinal Plants and Neuroprotection
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Medicinal Plant Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants
- Keywords
- Clitoria ternatea, Ayurveda, traditional medicine, nootropic activity, memory enhancement, anti-stress activity, anticonvulsant activity, sedative effects, secondary metabolites, triterpenoids, flavonol glycosides, anthocyanins, pharmacological activity, toxicity, ethnopharmacology
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Fabaceae, Medicine, Ayurvedic, Phytotherapy, Memory, Plant Extracts, Anti-Anxiety Agents, Plant Structures
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