A Review on Semecarpus anacardium (Marking Nut)

Semecarpus anacardium Linn.(Bhallataka or Bhilwa) belongs to the Anacardiaceae plant family and has long been used medicinally in traditional systems like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani.[1-3]Historically, Bhallataka has been employed to treat chronic skin conditions, inflammation, tumors, and as a counter-poisoning agent.[4-5]S. anacardium contains many different types of bioactive compounds, including biflavonoids, phenolic compounds, minerals, vitamins and amino acids, as well as sterols and glycosides.[4-6]Many of its medicinal properties stem from these compounds.Notably, however, the presence of toxic components in the plant, especially the bhilawanols and anacardic/urushiol-type compounds, prevents its direct therapeutic usage.[6-8]Therefore, one may use traditional detoxification (Shodhana) procedures to make Bhallataka less harmful (toxic) to the individual using it; in this manner, the user can derive benefits from Bhallataka safely [8][9] This review aims to describe the results of an evaluation of the scientific literature regarding the phytochemistry of Bhallataka; its general usage as a vitamin source in history; the effects of its chemical composition, both positive and negative, on users and the impact that Bhallataka will have in future growth of the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12].