Review on Ethnomedical Uses, Pharmacological Activity and Phytochemical Constituents of Samanea Saman(jacq.) Merr. Rain Tree

Medicinal plants have been used as therapeutic drug throughout the world. But, a very few of them have been scientifically validated. Samanea Saman belongs to the Leguminosae family commonly known as rain tree and is native to tropical America. S.saman tree has different parts like a leaf, fruits, pods, seeds, and wood. S.saman is currently studied for the production of biogas which is easily obtained in the urban and rural areas. S.saman has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy for the treatment of different diseases. The phytochemical screening of the plant revealed the presence of alkaloids–C₈H₁₇ON and C₁₇H₃₆ON₃ pithecolobine and saponin (samarin). Natural products are mainly derived from medicinal plants, which are tested in vitro and in vivo models and used to investigate the mechanism of action of drugs with potential biological properties. Additionally, S.saman were recommended as the suitable tree for planting in the urban environment as this species can reduce the outdoor temperature for all types of ground covers. This review is mainly focused on antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-diabetic potential, insecticidal, antifungal, analgesic, anti-ulcer and cytotoxic activities. However, this study helps to develop new strategies for the designing of novel drugs to treat various diseases related to human race.