Phytochemical and Pharmacological Potential of Plant Pimenta dioica Linn.

Medicinal plants have been playing an essential role in the various stages of human culture development. As a source of every medicine, medicinal plants have always been at forefront virtually all cultures. From ancient time medicinal plants are regarded as rich resources of traditional medicines and which result these plants many of the modern medicines are prepared. The evergreen, tropical tree, Pimenta dioica has been widely used for a management of human as well as pet's abnormalities in folk medicine. The various part also used in perfumery industry, food spice and as a natural pesticide. Commonly it also known as Allspice due its taste and aroma remind many people of a mix of cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Many novel aromatic components discovered after systematic investigation of pimenta leaves and its unripe berries, mostly Terpenoids, glycosides, steroids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, polyphenols etc. that show anticancer, antibacterial, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal and antifungal potentials. Recent studies have shown the known compounds isolated from Allspice are Eugenol, Ericifolin and Gallic acid. Due its biosynthetic miscellany the allspice may have an additional space in most households, in their medicine cabinets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]