CURRENT STATUS ON BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ACORUS CALAMUS - A REVIEW

The review emphasis on the current status of the researches in Acorus calamus highlighting their number of useful biological activities. The Acorus calamus most extensively investigated phytochemically and pharmacologically. Number of bioactive constituents was identified and characterized from the leaves and rhizomes and their essential oils. Major chemical constituents identified are alpha and beta asarones which is responsible for therapeutic and medicinal properties of Acorus species. Several, recently published reports have revealed many newer useful bioactivities of leaves and rhizome extracts, essential oils and isolated chemical constituents such as anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, anti-adipogenic, antimicrobial, fungicidal, insulin sensitizing/antidiabetic, neuroprotective, wound healing, mitogenic, insecticidal, anthelmintic, allelopathic, antiepileptic, antispasmodic activities and inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. This article highlights the various biological activities studied in A. calamus