Picrorhiza kurroa, Royle ex Benth:Traditional uses, phytopharmacology, and translational potential in therapy of fatty liver disease

Abstract

Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth, Kutki (P.kurroa) is an important medicinal plant, traditionally recommended and used in Ayurveda for millennia, with certain cautions. There has been a significant revival of keen interest in its pharmacology, pharmacognosy, and phytochemistry for the last few decades. The evidence of its hepatoprotective activity, in experimental and clinical studies, accelerated the correlation of the specific phytochemical constituents of P.kurroa with precise pharmacological activities. Iridoid glycosides, particularly picrosides, emerged as the active molecules. For effective translation of traditional remedies into modern therapy, value addition by mechanistic understanding of molecular actions, drug targets, the degrees of efficacy and safety as well as convenient dosage forms is needed. Reverse pharmacology approach and phytopharmaceutical drug category facilitate such a translation. The present review illustrates how a potential translation of traditional practices of using P.kurroa into a phytochemically standardized, clinically targeted natural product for global unmet medical needs viz. Fatty liver disease can be attained.

Keywords

• Picrorhiza kurroa
• Reverse pharmacology
• Hepatoprotectives
• Picrosides
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Ayurveda