Ethnomedicinal Heritage of Narkya (Nothapodytes nimmoniana): Traditional Knowledge to Modern Therapeutic Potential

Abstract Nothapodytes nimmoniana (J. Graham) Mabb. (Icacinaceae), known as Narkya, Ghanera or Amruta is a medicinal tree of the Western Ghats and adjoining forests that occupies an unusual position between folk medicine and modern oncology. Indigenous communities have used its leaf, root and bark preparations for skin disorders, parasitic infections, inflammation and fevers while the plant is now the principal natural source of camptothecin (CPT) the alkaloid from which the anticancer drugs topotecan and irinotecan are derived. This review traces the transition from traditional knowledge to molecular therapeutics drawing on 20 publications from 2012 to 2026. It summarises documented ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical diversity across plant tissues, pharmacological and oncological evidence and the severe conservation pressures caused by industrial demand for CPT. Emerging directions include computational target prediction, in vitro propagation, endophytic fungal production of CPT and plant mediated nanomaterials for synergistic use. The review highlights gaps that limit translation, namely limited standardisation of traditional preparations, scarce in vivo and clinical data for crude extracts, inadequate protection of wild populations and argues that traditional knowledge and biotechnology must advance together if the species is to remain available for future therapeutics.