Invitro propagation and Medicinal Properties of Tinospora cordifolia: A Review

Traditional medicine has remained as the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary healthcare system of resource poor communities in India. A huge interest always exists in exploring nutraceuticals from plant materials to replace synthetic drugs in order to overcome their adverse effects and also for economic reasons. Tinospora cordifolia (TC) is a large extensively spreading glabrous, perennial deciduous twiner with succulent stems and papery bark; leaves simple, alternate, cordate, entire, 7-9 nerved; flowers in clusters, female flowers usually solitary; fruits drupes, red when ripe.Tinospora cordifolia Is an important drug of Indian systems of medicine and used in medicines since times immemorial. The drug is well known Indian bitter and prescribed in fevers, diabetes, dyspepsia, jaundice, urinary problems, skin diseases and chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. It has been also indicated useful in the treatment of heart disease, leprosy and helmenthiasis. The starch obtained from the stem is highly nutritive and digestive and used in many diseases. The present review aims to summarize the information concerning the invitro propagation, isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds and medicinal aspects of the Tinospora cordifolia plant.