**Abstract**

Medicinal plants are very significant as they not only maintain the health and vitality but most importantly also cure the various ailments in humans and animals without causing any toxic side effects. These are readily available and cost effective therapeutic agents. Uraria picta was first proposed by Desvaux, (1813), is highly medicinal and critically endangered plant species found throughout India and other parts of the world like Africa, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Nigeria etc. This herb is full of antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-emetic, aphrodisiac, analgesic, cardiovascular and expectorant properties. Due to its high therapeutic use and growing need, the plant is becoming rare and endangered, therefore it is necessary to create awareness of this plant to support its propagation in large numbers. This herb also shows properties of anti-cancer and anti-cholinergic properties hence can manage depressions, anxiety, sleeping problems. Analgesic property helps in reducing body pain.

**Keywords:** Medicinal plants, health, cost effective, therapeutic, endangered, awareness

## **1. Introduction**

Medicinal plants are very significant as they not only maintain the health and vitality but most importantly also cure the various ailments in humans and animals without causing any toxic side effects. These are readily available and cost effective therapeutic agents. India is known as the "Botanical Garden of the World" as it produces largest medicinal plant wealth. Over the past few decades, herbal medicines from the medicinal plants have been accepted universally. Therefore the efforts are being taken all over the globe in exploring and documenting the ethnomedicinal and pharmacological scientific research data on plants [1].

*Uraria picta* was first proposed by Desvaux, (1813), is highly medicinal and critically endangered plant species found throughout India and other parts of the world like Africa, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Nigeria etc. [2, 3]. The plant has been extensively used in Ayurvedic system to treat various ailments. All the plant parts are packed with therapeutic properties from flowers, leaves to the fruits and seeds. This herb is full of antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-emetic, aphrodisiac, analgesic, cardiovascular and expectorant properties [3]. This herb is a major ingredient of well-established Ayurvedic medicine called Dashamoola which is formulation of 10 herbs. The description of the plant can also be seen in classical ancient books of Ayurveda Medicines like Charak Samhita, Sushrut Samhita and Vaghabhatta. There are other formulations in Ayurveda where

**Figure 1.** *U. picta whole plant.*

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Figure 2.
U. picta plant roots.
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Prishnaparni is used like Abana, Amrutharishtha, Angamarda prashamana kashaya churna, Vyaghri taila, Madhyama Narayana taila, Dasamularishtha.

*U. picta* is found to be an erect [4, 5], branched, perennial herb [6, 7]
