The document summarizes information about 6 medicinal plants found in Bangladesh: Garlic, Neem, Kalmegh, Nayantara, Aloe Vera, and Basak. For each plant, it provides the common name, scientific name, taxonomic classification, description, chemical constituents, medicinal uses, and other key details. The document is an assignment on pharmacognosy submitted by 5 students that analyzes the medicinal plants of Bangladesh and their pharmacological uses.

1. Assignment on
Pharmacognosy
Assignment Topic:
Medicinal plants of Bangladesh and Their Pharmacological
Uses
Submitted by:
Kamal Uddin, Noshin Labiba, Sadia Afrin Eva, Nafisa Rahman,
Tahsin Mehjabin Oishy.

2. Index
SL No. Topic Name Page No.
01 Garlic (Allium Sativum) 01-02
02 Neem (Azadirachta indica) 03-04
03 Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) 05-07
04 Nayantara (Catharnthus roseus) 08-09
05 Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) 10-11
06 Basak (Justicia adhatoda) 12-13

3. Garlic(Allium Sativum)
English name: Garlic
Chemical Class: Flavonoids, Glycosides, Alkaloids
Part Use: Bulb
Taxonomical Classification:
Description about Garlic:
Garlic is an herb that is grown around the world. Its native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran, and
has long been a common seasoning worldwide that thousand years of human consumption and use
Garlic is used for many conditions related to the heart and blood system include high blood pressure,
low blood pressure, high cholesterol, inherited high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack,
reduced blood flow due to narrowed arteries, and "hardening of the arteries"(atherosclerosis).
Some people use garlic to prevent colon cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, prostate
cancer, multiple myeloma, and lung cancer. It is also used to treat prostate cancer and bladder cancer.
Some people apply garlic oil to their skin or nails to treat fungal infections, warts, and corns. It is also
applied to the skin for hair loss and thrush.Garlic is used in the vagina for yeast infections.Garlic is
injected into the body for chest pain.
In foods and beverages, fresh garlic, garlic powder, and garlic oil are used to add flavor.
Uses intreatment purpose:
 Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
 Diabetes
 High cholesterol.
 High blood pressure. .
 Prostate cancer.
 Tick bites.
 Ringworm.
 Jock itch.
Domain Eukarya Class Lilopsida
Kingdom Plantae Order Liliales
Sub Kingdom Tracheobionta Family Liliaceae
Division Magnoliophyta Genus Allium
Super Division Spermatophyta Species Allium Sativum

4.  Athlete's foot.
 Breast cancer.
 Lung cancer
 Chest pain (angina).
 Common cold
 Stomach inflammation (gastritis).
 Osteoarthritis
 Expectorant
 Stimulator and
 Skin treatment
Chemical Constituents:
Allicine (yellowish Liquid), Aliin, Mucilage, Albumin, Alpha-glutamyl peptides, volatile oils,
amino acid as methionine lucinesysteine and vitamin C
Chemical compounds:
Found in the garlic bulb. Generally garlic bulb contains approximately 65% water, 28%
carbohydrates (mainly fructans), 2.3% organosulfur compounds, 2% protein, 1.2% free amino
acids, and 1.5% fiber.
Dosage:
BP Extract 600-1200mg, 3.5-29mg weekly for prevention for fungal infection 0.4%
Toxicology:
 Weight loss
 Increase Liver spleen ration
 Skin burn
 Internal bleeding
Route of Administration: Oral and Topical
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5. Neem (Azadirachta indica)
Local Name: Neem
English Name: 'Margosa tree' or 'Indian lilac'
Scientific Name: Azadirachta indica
Part Used: Almost all parts of the neem tree- leaves,
flowers, seeds, fruits, roots and barks have been used
traditionally .
Taxonomical classification:
Kingdom : Plantae Sub order : Rutinae
Division : Magnoliophyta Family : Meliaceae
Class : Magnoliopsida Genus : Azadirachta
Order : Rutales Species : Azadirachta indica
Biological source: Neem consists of the fresh or dried leaves and seed oil of Azadirachta
indica.
Origin: It grows mostly in the tropical and semi tropical regions as a wild plant. It is generally
found below 3500m altitude. The tree is native to India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, also
found in Malaysia and China.
Description:Neem is a fast growing tree that can reach a height of 15-20m,rarely to 35-40m. It is
evergreen but in severe drought it may shed most or nearly all of its leaves.The branches are
wide spread.It blossoms in spring with the small white flowers. It has a straight trunk.The color
of the bark is brown grayish. The leaves are alternate and consist of several leaflets with serrated
edges.Its flowers are small and white in color.The olive like edible fruit is oval, round and thin
skinned.
Chemical constituents:
Various part of plant is used for various therapeutic and commercial purposes due to presence of
different types of chemicals in different parts of this plant.Some of them being:
Leafs: quercetin, nimbosterol, nimbin
Flowers: nimbosterol, kaempferol, melicitrin
Bark: nimbin, nimbidin, nombosterol, margosine
Seed: azadirachtine, azadiradione, nimbin, vepinin, vilasinin, fraxinellone
Properties:
1. Anti inflammatory, analgesics and antipyretic activities
2. Immunostimulent activity

6. 3. Hypoglycaemic activity
4. Antiulcer effect
5. Antifertility effect
6. Antimalarial activity
7. Antifungal activity
8. Antibacterial activity
9. Antiviral activity
10.Anticarcinogenic activity
11. Hepatoprotective activity
12. Antioxidant activity
Formulation& Dosage:
Powder formulation: Powder of dried leaf of neem
Dosage- 1 to 2 tsf at a time ,or divided dose
Aquous formulation: Decoction of dried leaf
Dosage: 2 to 3 tsf at a time,or divided dose
Oil formulation: Crude extraction of oils from neem seeds
Dosage: 4 to 5 drops ,or as per requirement
Toxicology:
During pregnancy and menstruation, or any sensitivity to neem. Neem oil can cause some forms
of toxic ophthalmopathy if consumed in large quantities.
Route of administration: Oral, topical
Uses:
Parts Medicinal uses
Leaf Leprosy, eye problems, epistaxis, intestinal worms, Anorexia,
biliousness
Bark Analgesic, fever
Flower Bile suppression, elimination of intestinal worms, phlegm
Fruit Piles, intestinal worm, epistaxis, urinary disorder, phlegm ,eye
problems, diabetes, wound and leprosy
Twig Cough, asthma, piles, intestinal worms, diabetes
Gum Scabies, wound, ulcer, diabetes, skin diseases
Seed Leprosy, intestinal worm
Oil Leprosy, intestinal worm and skin disease
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7. Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata)
Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh) has been
used since centuries for the treatment of various
diseases. Kalmegh is a very important medicinal
plant of traditional medicine system. It is used in
Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy to treat
broad variety of diseases. It is found growing wild
throughout the plains and hills of tropical India,
Bangladesh, Pakistan and all South East Asian
countries. All part of the plant are extremely bitter
due to which plant is known as king of bitter.
Common Name: Kalmegh
Sanskrit Name: Bhunimbh
English Name: Kalmegh
Latin Name: Andrographis paniculata
Taxonomical Classification:
Kingdom Plants Subclass Asteridae
Sub kingdom Tracheobionta Order Scrophulariales
Super division Spermatophyta Family Acanthaceae
Division Magnoliophyta Genus Andrographis
Class Magnoliopsida Species Andrographis paniculata
Botany:
Andrographis paniculata is an erect annual herb native to India, China, Bangladesh and
Southeast Asia and widely cultivated in Asia. The plant grows 30 to 110 cm in height. The
square stem has wings on the angles of new growth and is enlarged at the nodes. The seeds are
yellowish-brown, and small white flowers.The best way to identify this amazing herb is by it’s
unique flowers and fruit capsules. All plant parts have an extremely bitter taste. The aerial
portion of the plant is harvested in the fall.
Chemical Components:
Bitter diterpenoid lactones espdeoxyandrographaloid; andrographaloid and ncoandrographaloids
have been isolated from the plant leaves. Diterpene dimmers and flavonoids are present in the
roots. The main active compound is considered to be andrographaloid and Andrographis extract.

8. Medicinal Properties:
 Antibacterial, antifungal
 Antiviral, antipyretic, adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory
 Improves immunity, Liver protecting
 Carminative, diuretic, gastric and the liver tonic
 Choleretic, hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic
Medicinal Uses:
1. Anti-Microbial Properties:
It’s have powerful anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties making it a wonderful home remedy for
treating many skin diseases.
2. Respiratory Tract Diseases:
It has been traditionally used for treating cough, cold and sore throat and this use has been
proven through research.
3. Anti Inflammatory Properties:
Kalmegh has anti-inflammatory properties and treats all the inflammations really well both
when consumed internally and applied externally. Since it has analgesic properties, it relieves
both pain and inflammation.
5. Anti Diabetic Properties:
It has anti-diabetic properties and greatly helps reduce blood sugar levels. Andrographolide
and 14-deoxy- 11,12-didehydroandrographolide are the two main compounds responsible for the
reducing blood sugar levels. Both water extract and freeze dried material showed significant anti-
diabetic properties.
6. Insecticidal & Anthelmintic Properties:
It has wonderful insecticidal properties, it is not only used to treat dengue fever, it also kills the
mosquitoes that causes dengue fever. It also kills and helps dispel intestinal worms.
7. Anti-Cancer Properties:
Andrographolide has been clinically proven to have potent cytotoxic properties against various
cancer cells arrest the proliferation of cancer cells effective against breast cancer, lung cancer
leukemia and melanoma cells. It also effectively arrests tumor growth.
8. Hepato & Reno Protective Effect:
Its protective effect on our liver and kidney. Used in Ayruveda both as a hepato protective and
hepato stimulant. It’s used in many formulations for protective effect on the liver including ones

9. that are effective in preventing hepatitis B. It also has a protective effect on our kidneys and will
greatly prevent renal failure if consumed in the proper dosage.
9. Anti Pyretic Properties:
Kalmegh is a very popular traditional remedy for various fevers as it has wonderful anti pyretic
properties. It has been used as a remedy for malaria, dengue and chikungunya from
ancient times.
10. Anti Diarrhoeal Properties:
It also is very effective for treating diarrhoea. Andrographolide present in nilavembu is very
effective against treating all infections that cause diarrhoea. Kalmegh extract has been proven to
be 88 % effective in all bacillary diarrhea and more than 91 % effective in treating diarrhea
caused due to gastroenteritis.
11. Anti HIV Properties:
Kalmegh surprisingly is wonderful for HIV patients too. One of the big problems HIV patients
face is the increasing number of drug resistant HIV strains. So research is going on to find new
herbs and drugs that are effective in treating HIV. Andrographolide present in Kalmegh has been
proven to be very effective in preventing infections in HIV patients and it also improved the
lymphocyte count.
Toxicology:
Kalmegh is contraindicated in the following conditions:
 Bleeding disorders,
 hypotension,
 Male and female sterility.
 It has shown anti-fertility effect in laboratory animals.
 Duodenal ulcers, hyperacidity and oesophageal reflux.
 Pregnancy

10. Nayantara (Catharnthus roseus)
Catharnthus roseus is an evergreen subshrub or plant
growing 1m (39) in tall. The leaves are oval to oblong. It’s
an endangered plant.The main cause of decline is habitat
destruction by slash and burn agriculture. It is also
however widely cultivated and is naturalised in
subtropical and tropical areas of the world. It also known
as in Bengali Nayantara.
Common name: Nayantara
English name: Madagascar periwinkle
Scientific name: Catharanthus roseus
Taxonomical classification:
Chemical Constituent:
Rosinidin, vinorelbine, catharanthine, and vindoilne ,vinica alkaloid leurosine is present.
Chemical Compounds:
The pink flower C. roseus has its leaf oil consisting mainly of linolenic acid ethyl ester (43.9%),
stearic acid (10.6%), phytol (7.3%) and hexadecanoic acid (6.8%). The main constituents of the
white flower C. roseus were lemonene (23.2%), dodecyl alcohol (9.8%), geraniol (7.3%) and
citral (7.0%) from the leaf, with limonene (37.2%) and dotriacontane ( 16.2%) being the main
compounds of the flower.
Name: Nayantara Genus: Catharanthus
Kingdom: Plantae Species: Catharanthus roseus
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Gentianales
Family: Lamiaceae

11. Medicinal Uses:
The species has long been cultivated for herbal medicine and as an ornamental plant. In
Ayurveda the extracts of its roots and shoots, though poisonous, are used against several
diseases. It’s used against numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria and Hodgkin's
lymphoma. Many of the vinca alkaloids were first isolated from C. roseus, including vinblastine
and vincristine used in the treatment of leukemia. The plant has been widely used for ocular
inflammation, hemorrhage to treating insect stings and cancers.
Uses:
The pure alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine are used in cancer therapy at single weekly IV
doses of 0.05 to 0.15 mg/ kg and 0.1 to 0.2 mg / kg respectively.
Contraindications:
Contraindications have not yet been identified. Information regarding safety and efficacy in
pregnancy and lactation is lacking. Avoid use.
Toxicology:
Potentially toxic and has been known to cause acute dyspnea.
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12. Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis)
Common name: Aloe vera
English name:Aloe vera
Scientific name: Aloe barbadensis
Taxonomical Classification:
Kingdom : Plantae Sub class : Liliidae
Division : Magnoliophyta Family : Aloceae
Class : Liliopsida Genus : Aloaceae
Order : Liliales Species : Aloe barbadensis
Aloe Vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. An evergreen perennial, it originates
from the Arabian Peninsula but grows wild in tropical climates around the world and is
cultivated for agricultural and medicinal uses. The species is also used for decorative purposes
and grows successfully indoors as a potted plant
It is found in many consumer products including beverages, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments
for minor burns and sunburns. There is little clinical evidence for the effectiveness or safety
of Aloe vera extract as a cosmetic or medicine
Chemical compounds:
Aloe vera contains 75 potentially active constituents: vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin,
saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids. Vitamins: It contains vitamins A (beta-carotene), C
and E, which are antioxidants. It also contains vitamin B12, folic acid, and choline.
Uses:
 Accelerates the healing of burns
 Antioxidant and antibacterial properties
 Reduces dental plaque.
 Helps treat canker sores.
 Reduces constipation.

13.  May improve skin and prevent wrinkles.
 Lowers blood sugar levels.
Toxicology:
Chemical analysis reveals that the Aloe plant contains various polysaccharides and phenolic
chemicals, notably. Ingestion of Aloe preparations is associated with hypokalemia,
pseudomelanosis coli, kidney failure, as well as phototoxicity and hypersensitive reactions.
--------------------------------------------

14. Basak (Justicia adhatoda)
Common name: Basak
English name :Malabar Nut
Scientific name: Justicia adhatoda
Part Used: Most of the Leaves and flower
Taxonomical Classification:
Description:
Vasaka is a very important medicinal herb where leaf, root, flower and whole plant is used for
many drug formulations. Vasaka is a tall, much-branched, dense, evergreen shrub, with large,
lance-shaped leaves. Flowers in dense, short spikes; stalks of the spikes shorter than leaves.
Leaf-like structures called bracts, present on the spikes; these are conspicuously veined. The
plant is native of India.
Medicinal Use:
The drug Vasaka comprises the fresh or dried leaves of the plant. Leaves contain an alkaloid
vasicine, and an essential oil. The chief use of Vasaka is as an expectorant; it is given in the form
of juice, syrup or decoction. It softens the thick sputum, facilitates it’s coming out and thus
brings about quick relief in bronchitis. The expectorant activity is due to stimulation of bronchial
glands.
Chemical Composition:
The leaves of Vasaka contain phyto-chemicals such as alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phenolics
and flavonoids. Leaves contain vasicine, a quinazoline alkaloid and an essential oil. It also have
other chemicals such as Luteolin, Tritriacontane, B- Sitosterol, Kaempferol, 3- Sophoroside,
Adhatodic acid, q- Hydroxyvasicinine, Vit –C, vasicol. Vasicinol, Vaicinolone, Adhatodine,
Adhavasinone, Anisotine, Carotene, Vasakin, Vasicinone, Vascicolone, Vasicolinone and many
more.
Kingdom : Plantae Family : Acanthaceae
Division : Angiosperms Genus : Justicia
Class : Asterids Species : Justicia adhatoda
Order : Lamiales

15. Health Benefits:
 Vasaka for respiratory problems
 AyurvedicVasaka for tuberculosis
 Vasaka for arthritis
 Vasaka to purify blood
 Vasaka for doshas balancing
 Vasaka for voice
 Vasaka for fever
 Malabar nut for skin health
 Malabar nut eases cramps
 Vasaka for dyspnea
Side effects:
 One should take precaution while eating Vasaka.
 Its medicinal formulations should be taken only after consultation of physician.
 Its over dosage may lead to many ill effects.
 Expecting mother shouldn’t take Vasaka as it heavily impacts the uterus.
 It lowers the blood sugar level; therefore diabetic patients should care of it.
 Children shouldn’t use it.
Basak Dose:
 Leaf Juice – 10-20 ml
 Root decoction 40-80 ml
 Flower juice- 10-20 ml
 Leaf dry powder – 1 – 3 grams
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16. References:
1. http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/gallant_kirk/Classification.htm
2. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-300/garlic
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325048.php
https://www.britannica.com/plant/neem-tree
4. https://www.dabur.com/in/en-us/about/science-of-ayurveda/herbal-medicinal-plants/kalmegh-
plant
5. https://www.bimbima.com/ayurveda/medicinal-use-of-kalmegh-andrographis-paniculata
6. https://www.wildturmeric.net/top-5-benefits-uses-side-effects-of-kalmegh-andrographis-
paniculata
7. https://www.bimbima.com/ayurveda/medicinal-use-of-kalmegh-andrographis-paniculata
8. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=medicinal+properties+of+plant+nayantara&hl=en&as_sdt=
0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart
9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319007421_A_brief_study_on_Catharanthus_Roseus_
A_review
10. https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/tropical-biodiversity/2014/03/catharanthus-roseus-cancer-fighting/
11. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera
12. https://www.gyanunlimited.com/health/vasaka-malabar-nut-medicinal-uses-benefits-and-
side-effects/11317/
13. https://www.ayurtimes.com/adhatoda-vasica-vasaka/