FROM TRADITIONAL MEDICINE TO MODERN DRUG DISCOVERY – A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF NYCTANTHES ARBOR-TRISTIS LEAF PHYTOCHEMICAL

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L., commonly known as Harshingar or Parijat, is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Oleaceae and has an important place in traditional systems of medicine. Different parts of this plant have been traditionally used for managing various health conditions, including fever, inflammation, arthritis, and certain skin disorders. Scientific investigations have identified several groups of phytochemicals in the plant, including iridoid glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, sterols, and terpenoids. These constituents have been investigated for a range of pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and antimalarial effects. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for many of these activities are not yet fully understood. Network pharmacology provides a systematic approach to exploring the possible relationships between multiple plant-derived compounds, molecular targets, and disease-associated biological pathways. This review aims to critically examine the phytochemical composition and reported pharmacological properties of N. arbor-tristis, with particular emphasis on the application of network pharmacology in understanding its multi-target therapeutic mechanisms. It also discusses the potential role of compound–target network analysis, protein–protein interaction studies, pathway enrichment, and molecular docking in identifying promising bioactive constituents for further investigation. In addition, the review highlights important research gaps, including variations in phytochemical composition, limited mechanistic evidence, insufficient pharmacokinetic information, and the need for systematic toxicity assessment. Integrating phytochemical research with network pharmacology may help prioritize compounds for experimental validation and guide future natural-product drug discovery. Nevertheless, computational predictions must be supported by appropriate laboratory studies before therapeutic applications can be established.