Phytocompounds and pharmacological insights of Leptadenia pyrotechnica: a new perspective on drug discovery

Globally, traditional herbal products are used to cure a variety of acute and chronic human illnesses with little to no harmful side effects. They have played a significant role in health systems around the world. Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne. (LP) is a wild shrub (family: Asclepiadaceae, sub-family: Apocynaceae) plant, commonly referred to as kheemp in Rajasthan, grows well in a sandy desert environment (arid-ecosystem) and produces a lot of biomasses, making it a possible source of fibre, food, and medicine. The LP is rich in primary and secondary metabolites such as proteins, peptides, fatty acids, their esters and alcohols, phenols, alkaloids, simple amines, terpenes, and their derivatives, which have been utilized to treat illnesses because of their various pharmacological properties. LP, a xerophytic plant native to India, holds significant potential in modern drug discovery due to its diverse phytochemical profile. According to relevant research, LP exhibits a broad spectrum of notable therapeutic properties, comprising cytotoxic, antibacterial, wound healing, anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antilipoxygenase, anthelmintic, and antiatherosclerotic properties. However, there is no collective report on the phytocompounds of LP, their biosynthetic pathways, or their progress in pharmacological research. Because of this, the main goal of the present review is to demonstrate the significance of LP for human health and, consequently, drug discovery. A thorough analysis of LP’s documented traditional use, various phytocompounds, and potential medicinal properties, as well as the methods used to analyse them and their pharmacological and toxic effects, will be provided drawing from a comprehensive survey of both domestic and foreign research publications. The study concluded that LP has exceptional therapeutic benefits to encourage further preclinical as well as clinical research and the mechanisms underlying its activity.