A Comprehensive Review on Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Aspects of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth

Abstract Picrorhiza kurroa Royal ex Benth, Kutki (P. kurroa) is an important medicinal plant, which has been traditionally recommended and used in Ayurveda for thousands of years with some precautions. The last few decades have witnessed a significant revival of interest in its pharmacology, pharmacognosy and phytochemistry. Kutki is a small perennial herb and rapidly decaying high-value medicinal plant that grows in the north-western Himalayan region of India, Pakistan and hilly parts of Nepal. The leaf, bark and underground parts of the plant, mainly the rhizome, are used in Ayurveda for their medicinal properties. Evidence of its hepatoprotective activity in several experimental and clinical studies has led to the correlation of specific phytochemical components of P. kurroa (e.g., iridoid glycosides, especially picrosides) with precise pharmacological activities, and the efficacy of P. kurroa in many diseases is done. Kutki is mainly used for liver disorders like jaundice as it protects the liver from cell damage caused by free radicals due to its antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. The present review study is an attempt to provide detailed information about traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of P. kurroa, an important medicinal herb of the western Himalayas. Keywords Picrorhiza kurroa, Kutki, Katuka, Pharmacological activities