An Overview Of Therapeutic Activities Of Allium Species In India

Onion and garlic are considered one the most important ancient cultivated crops of genus Allium. Large numbers of Allium species have been widely used for various purposes in hilly area of Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh, a state in North east India, harbours a wide range of wild Allium species which are being used by natives as for vegetable, spices, condiment and medicine. Most of the species are locally cultivated and have good market value in areas of occurrence. However, wild Allium species of Arunachal Pradesh is largely threatened by several human activities exerted by natives. The present work mainly highlights information on species diversity, distribution and utilization of Allium species of India for their chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. The genus Allium contains a number of diverse species. Although only a few Allium species are cultivated, there is evidence that several wild species continue to provide for the needs of various communities. Breeders increasingly look for novel traits from the wild Allium. Very few of the wild Allium species have been studied and little information is available on their pharmacological activities. We discuss the contribution of different Indian Allium species to the understanding and improvement of their pharmacological activity. We aimed to study the different allium species in India and the medicinal uses of these.