The Medicinal Potential of Wrightia tinctoria: A Review

The herbal tree Wrightia tinctoria commonly known as vettpalai or indrajava, is native to southeast Asia and India and is a member of the Apocynaceae family.This study highlights the phytochemical composition, pharmacological properties and potential medicinal use of Wrightia tinctoria by systematically reviewing academic research on the plant.The plant is rich in compounds containing alkaloids, saponins, indoxy yielding O-glycoside(s), phenolics, flavonoids, isatin tryptanthrin, anthranilate, rutin, β-isatin, tryptophan, indigotin, indirubin, wrightial and sterols.The vast number of literatures found in database revealed that the extracts of different parts of W. tinctoria showed significant pharmacological actions.Clinical studies indicated a broad range of applications in the treatment of psoriasis and other skin diseases.