The all the traditional system of medicines are included in the account of AYUSH. The AYUSH department included the following system of medicines Ayurvedic, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH). These systems help us to eradicate or help in to overcome the problems related to the allopathic medicines such as side effect, drug resistance and adverse effect of the drug. Due to all these reasons the plant source for medicinal purpose are highly prefer. This review article describes the medicinal importance of the medicinal plant Murraya koenigii. The therapeutic value of Murraya koenigii extract for the various diseases with its other pharmacognostic features such as morphology, growth constraints, biochemical composition and biological activities. This review contains the description of Murraya koenigii with its pharmacological activities of isolated compounds and bioactivity of extract on different animal models in various laboratories. In addition to that, it highlights its potential to have a various type of pharmacological activity.

Keywords: medicinal plant, plant extract, phytochemistry, biological activity, research work

India is frequently known by enormous biodiversity of medicinal plants. Among them Murraya koenigii have a lots of bioactive principles due to which plant has been proven as the medicinally important plant but least or no attention received by the scientist. Murraya koenigii is proven as the natural medicinal plant.¹ There are different forms of Murraya koenigii due to which they are found as the useful plant such as extract, essential oil, or directly used due to the presence of following active constituent bismahanine, murrayanine, murrayafoline-A, bi-koeniquinone-A, bismurrayaquinone, mukoenine-A, mukoenine-B, mukoenine-C, murrastifoline, Murrayazolinol, murrayacine, murrayazolidine, murrayazoline, mahanimbine, girinimbine, koenioline, xynthyletin, koenigine-Quinone A and koenigine-Quinone B for therapeutic purpose by folk people.^2–5 Many medicines such as digitalis, vinblastine, aspirin and quinine has plant as a source of origin for example foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), willow bark (Salix spp.), quinine bark (Cinchona officinalis). For therapeutic or prophylactic purposes medicinal plant are used. For the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants presence of secondary metabolites plays a very important role such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpinoids, vitamins, tannins etc., these all are the secondary metabolites of the plant as active constituent.⁶ These all secondary metabolites of plant physiologically affect the body at different stages of body development and make the body disease free. The plant Murraya koenigii belonging to the family Rutaceae is largely growing plant throughout the spring, summer and in rain fall season in every part of the tropical region up to the height of 1500 to 1655m from sea level.^6,7 It is also known as Curry Leaf English, Mitha Neem in Hindi, and Karuveppilei in Tamilnadu and Surabhinimba in Sanskrit.⁸

Synonym in Indian Language

Curry Leaf (English), Karepaku (Andhra Pradesh), Narasingha (Assam); Barsanga, Kartaphulli (Bengal); Gorenimb (Gujrat); Mitha Neem (Himachal Pradesh); Kathnim, Mitha Neem, Kurry Patta (Hindi); Karibeva (Karnataka); Kariveppilei (Kerala); Gandhela, Gandla, Gani (Kumaon); Bhursanga (Orissa); Mahanimb (Sanskrit); Karivempu (Tamilnadu).

Synonym in other language

Burmese: Pindosine; Danish: Karrry bald; Dutch: Kerriebladeren; English: Curry leaves; French: Feuilles de cury; German: Curryblatter; Indonesian: Daun kari; Italian: Fogli de Cari; Spanish: Hoja.

Biological source

The species name commemorates the botanist Johann König. The genus Murray commemorates Swedish physician and botanist Johann Andreas Murray who died in 1791. Hence the botanical name of the curry leaves is Murraya koenigii.⁹

Taxonomic status

1. Kingdom - Plantae
2. Sub-kingdom - Tracheobionta
3. Superdivision - Spermatophyta
4. Division - Magnoliophyta
5. Class - Magnoliospida
6. Subclass - Rosidae
7. Order - Sapindales
8. Family - Rutaceae
9. Genus - Murraya J. Koenig ex L
10. Species -Murraya koenigii Spreng.

History

The history of curry leaves are seen in early 1^st to 4^th century AD. In Tamil and Kannada literature it was updated as word ‘kari’ with its uses. The word now popularly used for the Murraya koenigii is curry leaf which is originated from Tamil word Kari which means as ‘spiced sauce’.¹⁰ In the early literatures of Tamil and Kannada the use of Murraya koenigii is described as the flavouring agent for the vegetables.¹¹ Today Murraya koenigii are grown as the cultivated crop in India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands and Africa as flavouring agent for the food.¹²

Distribution

Murraya koenigii originates from east and south part of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China and Hainan but widely cultivated in South-East Asia and some parts of the United States and Australia.¹³ It grows throughout India up to the height of 1500 to 1655m from sea level and in the Andaman Islands.¹⁴ It is also available in other part of Asian region like in moist forests of 500-1600m¹⁵ height in Guangdong, Shainan, S Yunnan (Xishuangbanna), Bhutan, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. Together with South Indian immigrants, curry leaves reached Malaysia,^16,17 South Africa and Reunion Island.^3,4 Out of the 14 global species that belong to the genus Murraya, only two are known to be found in India, which is Murraya koenigii (Spreng) and Murraya paniculata (Jack).^18,19 Can grow in full sun or light shade.Murraya koenigii is distributed from south and East Asia to Australia.^20–22

Curry Leaf plant to have flowers and vibrant green leaves throughout the spring, summer and in rain fall. The leaves drop off during its’ resting period in the winter months. They like full sun, well-drained soil, which should be the dry side and they need fertilizer in the month of summer.^23,24 The fruiting season was observed to continue from the end of June to the end of August, and the July is considered as the peak fruiting season. In India, harvesting of leaves started from 15 months after planting out and collection of leaves repeated in every 2 to 3 months.²⁵ In cold countries such as in Southern California, South Texas and South Florida, outdoors growth needs protection from freezing. Seeds are fragile so handle with care.²⁶

Tree

Murraya koenigii is semi deciduous, unarmed aromatic small spreading shrub or tree with strong woody stem but slender with the stem which is dark green to brownish in colour the tree is 4–8.7m (13–31 feet) tall, with a trunk up to 81cm²⁷ diameter.²⁸The diameter of main stem is about 16cm.^28,29

Flower

The flowers of curry leaves is small, white fragrant and funnel- shaped, regular, pentamerous, stalked, complete, ebracteate, hypogynous, persistent, inferior, green, corolla, polypetalous, androecium, polyandrous, lanceolate, stigma, bright, sticky, style, short, ovary, inflorescence, a terminal cyme, the diameter of a flower is 1.12cm in the fully opened form, each cluster bear approximately 60 to 90 flowers at a time after flowering at once, 5-lobed calyx, with petals in having length 5 mm and the petals are 5 in number, with stamen in number 10 and in small in size approximate number 4 mm, dorsifixed, arranged into circles, with long superior gynoecium with size 5 to 6mm.²⁰ Curry tree flowers have a sweet fragrance, bisexual with self-pollinated for produce black berries in small size with shiny appearance containing a large visible seed with the number 1.²¹

Leaf

Curry leaves are aromatic in nature having characteristic aroma, leaves of curry leaves are shiny and smooth with paler undersides.³⁰ Leaves are pinnate, exstipulate, having reticulate venation and having ovate lanceolate with an oblique base,³⁰ with 11-21 leaflets whose size description is each leaflet is 0.79–1.57inch long and 0.39–0.79 inch broad. Leaflets are short stalked, alternate, gland dotted and having 0.5-cm-long petiole The leaf margins are irregularly serrate.^20,31 The yield of a bush in approximately found about 480 g in three to four pickings.³²

The stem of Murraya koenigii is brown to dark green in colour, with dots on the bark like small node on it, when the bark was peeled off longitudinally under the exposing the white wood underneath; the girth of the main stem is 16cm up to 6 meters in height and 15 to 40cm in diameter.³³

Fruit

Fruits of the Murraya koenigii occur in cluster form varies in 32 to 80 in number.³⁴ The fruits are in the ovoid or subglobose and small in size in the spinach green colour seed in one or two number which are enclosing each other in thin pericarp.⁶ The fruits are 1 to 1.2cm in the diameter with length 1.4 to 1.6cm, purple black after ripening and they are edible and yields 0.76% of a yellow volatile oil.³⁵ Curry leaf fruit is 11mm long and weigh about 445mg Fruits. The plant produces small white flowers which can self-pollinate. The weight of pulp is 880mg and the volume is 895 microliters.^14,10 The seeds of the Murraya koenigii are poisonous in nature and should not be consumed for any purpose.⁶

Microscopy

The microscopically view of Murraya koenigii is as follow:

Leaves: The leaves have the obliquely ovate or fairly rhomboid with acuminate obtuse or acute apex. The petiole is about 20 to 30cm in length and the leaves have reticulate venation and dentate margin with an asymmetrical base.³⁶ In the microscopic studies, it was elucidate that the stomata were distributed on adaxial surface and the adaxial surface does not have stomata and the type of stomata that was found is anomocytic. The transverse section of the leaves has a layer of epidermis which is composed of rectangular cell. The upper epidermis was covered with cuticle and in the midrib the epidermis has 1 to 4 layers of collenchymatous hypodermis with 2-5 layers of chlorenchyma cells.³⁷ The ground tissue is oval to polygonal parenchyma cell with vascular bundle. Calcium oxalate found in sandy and prismatic crystals.³⁸ The curry leaf shows the presence of unicellular trichomes with obliterated lumen, parenchymatous pith in petiole, long pericyclic fibre in the midrib, large cruciferous stomata and prismatic calcium oxalate crystals. Fresh leaves on steam distillation under pressure yield 20.6% of volatile oil and without pressure less than 2%.^39,40 The fibres measure 2000μ in length.

Root: The root shows tetrarch to pentarchstele, phelloderm fibres are absent and concentric grains of parenchyma are present.⁴¹

Powder: Green in colour with no distinct odour or taste, unicellular, bent or curved trichomes, two layered palisade, portion of secretory canals, well developed pericyclic fibres and a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate are the important identifying characters.⁴¹

Murraya koenigii is very rich source of organic compounds with different chemical composition such as alkaloids, flavonoids carbohydrates, and sterol is present in the plant extract prepared in solvents such as petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, chloroform, ethanol and water.^{42,43,34,44,45} The major chemical constituents are explained For the confirmation of the phyto-constituents in the plant extract, various numbers of tests were performed:

1. The presence of alkaloids was confirmed by using Mayer’s reagent, which shows formation of white or cream colored precipitates in the extract of Murraya koenigii.
2. Phenolic compounds were confirmed by formation of white precipitate by the addition of few drops of 5% lead acetate solution to alcoholic extracts of Murraya koenigii.
3. The presence of flavonoids is detected by Yellow coloration of filter paper by dipping in ammoniated alcoholic upon the extract.
4. Presence of Saponins is considered when the extract showed honey comb like frothing formation after giving a shake with sodium bicarbonate.
5. The presence of proteins and free amino acids is indicated by the conducting the following tests i.e., Millons, Biurets and Ninhydrins test.
6. Presence of sterol and triterpenes are indicated by alcoholic extract which was shaken with chloroform and few drops of acetic anhydride along with few drops of concentrated sulphuric acid from the side of the tube form the blue to brick red coloration.⁴⁶

The essential oil composition of Murraya koenigii was studied and then presence of D-Sabinene, D-α-Terpinol, di-α-phellendrene, D-α-pinene, caryophyllene and dipentene ⁴⁷ and the property of Murraya koenigii oil is explained (Table 1).

Leaves

The fresh leaves of Murraya koenigii contain 61.77- 66.2% of moisture, 2.1-12.5%of protein, 14.6-18.97% of total sugar, 9.7-13.06% of total ash, 1.35-1.82% of acid insoluble ash, 1.35-1.82% of alcohol soluble extractive and water extractive value ranges between 27.33-33.45%.⁴⁸ The nutritional value is explained. Solvents used in preparation of the extract are ethyl acetate, ethanol, petroleum ether, water and chloroform and compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids and sterols have been extracted. In leaves by acetone extract Koenigine, koenine, koenidine and (-) mahanine were isolated.³⁹ Form the hexane mahanimbine, isomahanimbine, koenimbidine and murrayacine where isolated.⁴⁹ Isomahanimbicine was isolated in the petroleum ether³⁹ (Table 2).

Seed of Murraya koenigii consist of furocoumarin lactone, carbazole alkaloids, glycolipids, Phospholipids and terpinene. It also contains 4.4% of total lipids in which 85.4 % are neutral lipids, 5.1 % are glycolipids and 9.5 % are phospho-lipids. 73.9% triacylglycerol, 10.2% free fatty acids and small amounts of diacylglycerols, monoacylglycerols and sterols which are present in neutral lipids. The seeds of Murraya koenigii contain terpinene these are as follow terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, linolol,⁵⁰ ocimene, limblee, limbolee and simbolee.^51-53 The fruit contain pulp which is having 64.9% of moisture, 16.8% of total soluble solids,⁴⁸ 9.76% of total sugar,⁵⁴ 9.58% of reducing sugar,⁵⁵ 0.17% of non-reducing sugar, 13.35% of vitamin C,⁵⁶ 2.162% of total ash, 1.97% of protein,⁵⁷ 0.082% of phosphorus, 0.811% of potassium (32,2), 0.166% of calcium, 0.216% of magnesium,⁵⁸ 0.007% of iron and 0.00057% of tannin.

Stem and bark

The chemical constituent of matured stem and bark of Murraya koenigii are carbazole alkaloids, coumarin galactoside, Carbazole carboxylic acid, glycolipids, Phospholipids etc.

Roots

The roots of Murraya koenigii include many types of bioactive compounds. The extraction of root was done in benzene and petroleum ether (Table 3).

Alcohols

Chemical Composition	Structure	Nature	Extracted From	Percentage	Reference
α-Copaene		Sesquiterpenoid	Leaves	0.82	12
α-Pinene		Turpentine	Leaves	42.676	[19]
α-Humulene		Sesquiterpene	Leaves	2.770	19
Aromadendrene		Sesquiterpene	Leaves	0.72-0.78	25
α-Selinene		Monoterpenoid	Leaves. Stems	6.10	28
β- Elemene		Sesquiterpene	Leaves. Stem	0.35-7.09	21
Bismurrayafoline E		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	0.76-1.23	40
Bispyrafoline		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	0.34-0.98	26
β-Myrcene		Olefinic Natural Organic Hydrocarbon	Leaves, Stems	1.103	38
Bornyl Acetate		Terpene	Leaves, Stems, Roots	1.165-1.68	12
Bicyclomahanimbicine		Terpenoid Alkaloids	Leaves, Stems,	1.43	23
β-Bisabolene		Sesquiterpene	Leaves	2.3	28
β-Pinene		Terpene	Leaves	8.347	19
β-Caryophyllene		Sesquiterpene	Leaves, Seeds	7.3-19.50	28
β-Costol			Alcohols	Leaves	0.9	51
β-Eduesmol		Alcohols	Leaves	9.61	36
β-Phellandrene		Cyclic Monoterpenes	Leaves	6.5	37
Bikoeniquinone		Indole Alkaloid	Roots	0.001109	63
Bicyclomahanimbine		Alkaloids	Leaves, Stems, Roots	0.324	19
Butanedioic Acid		Dicarboxylic Acid	Leaves, Stems	2.18	19
Butyl Myristate		Esters	Leaves, Stems	0.66	51
β-Selinene		Sesquiterpenes	Leaves, Stems	3.81	36
Bismahanine		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	0.0208	37
Bis-3-Hydroxy-3- Methyl Carbazole		Indole Alkaloid	Roots	0.00136	44
β-Terpineol		Alcohols	Leaves	2.52	38
β- Cadina		Oleoresin	Leaves	6	32
Carotene		Terpene	Leaves	0.898	55
Camphene		Bicyclic Monoterpene	Leaves	2.16	54
Cis-2-Cyclohexen-1-Ol		Monoterpenoid Alcohol	Leaves	0.54	46
Chrysanthenyl Acetate		Monoterpene	Leaves, Stem	0.39	25
Cycloheptane		Cycloalkane	Leaves	0.13	39
Citral		Monoterpenoidal Aldehyde	Leaves, Stems	0.76	13
3-Carene		Bicyclic Monoterpene	Leaves, Stems	0.543	24
Cadinene		Sesquiterpene	Leaves	5.2	78
Cyclomahanimbine		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves	1.233	10
Curryanine		Indole Alkaloid	Stems	1.003	10
Δ-Cadinene		Sesquiterpene	Leaves	2.30-5.20	48
Cis-Caryophyllene		Sesquiterpense	Leaves	11.74	18
CarvoMenthone		Ketone	Leaves	2.3	73
Cubenol		Sesquiterpenes	Leaves, Stems	0.57	38
4-Diene		Diolefin	Leaves, Stems	0.50	71
Dipentene		Monoterpene	Leaves	11.3-15.9	15
6,7-Dimethoxy 1-Hydroxy Carbazole		Carbazole Alkaloids	Leaves, Stems, Roots	0.0004	76
Dehydro Aromadendrene		Sesquiterpense	Leaves, Stems, Roots	2.75	51
Euchrestine		Protein	Leaves	0.09	36
Eustifoline-D		Indole Alkaloid	Roots	0.0005	51
Formlycarbozole		Indole Alkaloid	Roots	0.00072	43
Frnesol s		Alcohols	Leaves	1.56	37
Girinimbine		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems, Roots, Fruits, Seeds	0.015-0.1622	51
Glycozoline		Carbazole Alkaloids	Stems	0.034	21
Gurjunene		Carbotricyclic Sesquiterpene	Leaves	0.002	34
Girinimbilol		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems, Roots	0.15	48
Heraclenin		Coumarin	Leaves	0.454	38
1-Hydroxy-3-Methyl Carbazole		Indole Alkaloid	Stems	0.0022	76
Isomahanine		Pyranocarbazole Alkaloids	Leaves	1.23	46
Isomurrayazoline		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	2.34	39
Isomurrayazolinine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	3.22	40
Iso Caryophyllene		Sesquiterpense	Leaves, Stems	6.72	16
Isogirinimbine		Carbazole Alkaloids	Leaves, Stems	2.004	32
Imperatorin		Furocoumarin	Leaves	3.433	55
Iso Menthone		Ketone	Leaves, Stems, Roots	0.6	54
Isomahanimbine (+)		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves, Fruit	1.9903	46
Juniper Camphor		Terpenoid	Leaves	1.57	20
Junipene		Sesquiterpense	Leaves	4.90	23
Koenimbine		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves, Fruits	02.33	17
Koenoline		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Seeds	20.34	78
Kurryam		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves	7.89	38
Koenimbidine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	13.5	22
Koenigicine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	3.89	19
Koenigine		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves	3.893	21
Koenine		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves	2.44	21
Linalool		Terpene Alcohol	Leaves, Stems, Roots	0.56	27
Lutein		Xanthophyll	Leaves	0.25-0.59	4
Linalyl Acetate		Acetate Ester	Leaves, Stems	0.93	13
Limonene		Cyclic Terpene	Leaves, Stems	5.374	19
Lavandulyl Acetate		Acetate Ester	Leaves, Stems	1.67	37
Mahanimbinine		Terpenoid Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	5.5464	73
Murrayamine-J		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	2.45-2.90	46
Marmesin-1'-O-Beta-D Galactopyranoside		Coumarin Galactoside	Stems	1.114	50
Murrayamine-M		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	1.34-1.99	46
Murrayamine-G		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	1.32-2.09	38
Murrayazolidine		Pentacyclic Carbazole Alkaloid.	Leaves, Stems	0.43-1.89	40
Murrayacine		Pyrano-Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	1.00-1.90	3
Murrayacinine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	1.32-2.43	79
Mahanimboline		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	1.32-2.98	43
Mukoeic Acid		Carbazole Carboxylic Acid	Leaves, Stems	1.02-1.98	80
Mukonine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems, Roots	1.23-2.78	81
3-Methyl Carbazole		Carbazole Alkaloids	Leaves, Stems, Roots	0.23-2.34	76
Mahanimbicine		Alkaloids	Leaves, Stems	0.23-2.34	23
Mukonidine		Carbazole Alkaloids	Leaves, Stems	0.29-2.89	40
Murrayakoeninol		Alkaloids	Leaves	1.45-2.89	19
Mahanimbine		Indole Alkaloid	Roots, Leaves	0.0113	22
Mukoline		carbazole alkaloid	Roots	1.89-2.99	67
Murrayanol		Alkaloids	Roots, Leaves, Stems	0.23-2.87	46
Murrayazolinine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Seeds	0.89-1.29	62
Murrafoline-I		Biscarbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems, Seeds	0.34-2.43	65
Mukonicine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Fruits, Seeds, Leaves	2.98-3.09	23
Murrayacinine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	1.32-2.43	79
Mukoenine A		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves, Roots	0.0015	74
2-Methoxy-3-Methyl		Indole Alkaloid	Leaves, Stems	0.0022	3
O-Methyl Murrayanine		Carbazole Alkaloids	Roots, Leaves, Stems	2.45-2.99	37
Mukolidine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves	0.23-1.98	18
Mukonal		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves	0.54-2.09	25
Murrayazolinol		Carbazole Alkaloid	Leaves	1.78-2.099	45
Murrayazoline		Carbozole Alkaloid	Leaves	2.90-3.58	39
Mahanimbinol		Indole Alkaloid	Stems, Leaves, Roots	0.29-2.86	39
Mahanine		Indole Alkaloid	Stems, Leaves, Roots	0.00116	21
Murrayanine		Carbazole Alkaloid	Stems, Leaves	0.05-1.78	72
Menthol		Alcohols	Leaves	2.83	32
Nicotinic Acid		Carboxylic Acid	Stems, Leaves, Roots	2.3	46
2-Naphthalenemethanol		Naphthalenes	Stems, Leaves	0.66	39
Steary Alcohol		Alcohols	Stems, Leaves, Roots	1.01	39
Stearaldehyde		Aldehyde	Stems	1.53	56
Sabinene		Terpenes	Stems, Leaves	0.10	48
Tocopherol		Alcohol	Leaves	2.788	45
α-Terpinene		Terpenoids	Leaves, Stems	1.438	69

Table 3 Chemical Constituent of Murraya koenigii.

Many methods are available for the preparation of the extract in which some methods are as follow:^59,60

1. Murraya koenigii powder was extracted with 100ml of Ethanol and kept on rotary shaker at 190-220 rpm for 24 hours. The extract was collected and solvent was evaporated to make the final volume and stored at 40⁰C in air tight bottles.⁶¹
2. The essential oil was extracted by hydro-distillation method using Clevenger apparatus. The distilled oil was separated from water by a separating funnel and stored in refrigerator.⁶²
3. Extractions and separations on the isolates of hexane, chloroform and methanol of the plant samples (stem bark and roots) have led to the isolation and characterizations of carbazole alkaloids. Stem barks and roots of Murraya koenigii extracts was concentrated to yield a brown yellowish viscous syrup for crude hexane extract (22.5g and 33.0g) and dark brown viscous syrup for crude chloroform extract (14.0g and 24.0g). Each crude extracts was subjected to column vacuum chromatography over silica gel and eluted with mixture of hexane, hexane/ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate/ methanol and methanol to give a total about 75 fractions each.⁶³
4. The crude powder of Murraya koenigii leaves was defatted with petroleum ether for about 24h. After defattation, the extraction was carried out using a Soxhlet apparatus in hydro-methanolic solution in the ratio 30:70.⁶⁴

Uses

Biological activity of Murraya koenigii are reported which included the following these activities are studied on the following the crude extracts which are as follow in the Murraya koenigii has been mentioned in the traditional medicinal system in Ayurveda different studies were performed on the Bark, root, leaves, fruit and fruit pulp of Murraya koenigii⁶⁵ (Table 4).

Other uses

1. Essential oil Murraya koenigii is used as sun protection and erythema agent in formulation.²⁰
2. Curry leaf oil in your regular skin care cream or lotion helps by applying it on affected area to cure skin problem such as pimples, athlete’s foot, ringworm, itches, acne, boils and septic of wounds and burns.⁶⁶
3. Study evaluated essential oils of Murraya koenigii for toxicity and repellent activity against Callosobruchus maculatus due to have active constituent α-pinene and caryophyllene.⁶⁷
4. Studies for structure function of Murraya koenigii show trypsin inhibitor by a compact structure of helical content at increasing temperature as a inhibitory function of the protein.⁶⁸
5. The effects of column extract of Murraya koenigii show a protective effect in Dalton's Ascitic Lymphoma.⁴⁴
6. The possibility of incorporating dried curry leaf powder in common dishes increases the sources of micronutrients.⁶⁹
7. The aqueous extract of Murraya koenigii show Larvicidal, pupicidal repellent and anti-vector activity against the larvae and pupae is seen.⁷⁰
8. Richness of vitamin A and calcium in Curry leaf oil is used for strengthening the bone, osteoporosis, calcium deficiency, and radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments of cancer.⁷¹
9. Orofacial dyskinesia (OD) is treated by Murrya koenigii for the prevention or treatment of neuroleptic-induced.^72,73
10. The activity of carbazole alkaloids isolated from Murrya koenigii extract and their derivatives against Trichomonas gallinae.⁷⁴
11. Curry leaves and its essential oil is used in both internally and externally for healthy, long, strong, lustrous hair by balancing diet in equal proportion of vitamins, minerals, iron and other nutrients is required to maintain a healthy hair.^75,40
12. Curry leaf oil helps in contracting the muscles and tissues.^76,43
13. Curry leaf extract help in pigmentation and reduces the white patches all over the body.³
14. Fresh leaves, dried leaf powder and essential oil of curry leaf is widely used as flavouring soups, curries, fish, meat dishes, eggs dishes, traditional curry powder blends, seasoning and ready to use other food preparations.^13,77
15. The essential oil of Murraya koenigii is utilized in soap and cosmetic industry for aromatherapy.^78,79
16. The Murraya koenigii is beneficial in bruises, eruption and to treat bites of poisonous animals.^80–94

Murraya koenigii is a leafy medicinal as well as green leafy plant that belongs to family Rutaceae. The various pharmacological activities of the plant has been seen such as such as activity on Anti diabetic, cholesterol reducing property, antimicrobial activity, antiulcer activity, Antioxidative property, cytotoxic activity, anti-diarrhoea activity, anti-cancer activity with many other phagocytic activity. The chemical composition of the Murraya koenigii consists of essential oil alkaloids and terpenoid. Thus Curry leaves merits further phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical investigations for development of an effective natural plant.

None.

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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