Therapeutic potential of evergreen maiden hair fern Adiantum venustum D. Don: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Adiantum venustum D. Don (Himalayan or Evergreen maiden hair fern), also known as ‘Hansraj’ in India, is a pteridophytes that grows extensively in tropical and temperate areas. It has been used in traditional medicines to treatment cough, cold, fever, and headache. However, the information available is scarce and scattered. So, the primary goal of this review is to provide complete and updated knowledge about the distribution, morphology, pharmacognostic characteristics, chemistry and biological activities of A. venustum to assess its therapeutic potential and future research opportunities. Different parts of this fern have been extensively used in traditional medicines to treatment diseases from time immemorial. It is a reservoir of active chemical compounds like terpenoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, sterol, carotenoids and others, which possesses antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, and anti-analgesic properties. The current review has been designed to provide the upto-date knowledge and perspectives about A. venustum and its potential use as a therapeutic plant. So, researchers should take a keen interest in exploring and isolating new active components, bio-assay their pharmaceutical values and mode of action, and conducting clinical trials to justify their reported studies on human health benefits.

Keywords

• Adiantum venustum
• Hansraj
• Fern
• Adiantone
• Pteridophytes