ABSTRACT
Plants belonging to the genus Calotropis are commonly called as giant milkweeds due to the presence of milky latex in their different parts. Calotropis gigantea is a perennial shrub with ethnobotanical and religious significance in India. It is well distributed in warm temperate regions and tropics especially wastelands and xeric area. The plant contains pharmacologically important constituents that exhibit both poisonous and medicinal properties. Some of its phytoconstituents include terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, oxypregnanes, and glycosides. Ethnomedicinally, different parts of the plant are used to treat various ailments such as paralysis, intermittent fevers, swellings, bronchitis, and dyspepsia. In recent times, significant antitumor activity of methanol extract of root bark has been observed in mice, while the ethanol extract of leaves has shown anxiolytic effect. Some bioactive compounds in the leaf extract of this plant have been found as prospective drugs against Covid-19 through docking analysis. Besides, calotropin present in its latex is a potential toxin. Cardenolides found in this plant are cardiac active glycosides which cause toxicity to most animals including insects. Despite being poisonous, the genus Calotropis is being studied extensively for its phytoconstituents and their therapeutic potential.
