The Pharmacological and Medicinal Importance of the Species of Lamiaceae Family, A Review Study

The plant of Lamiaceae family is a widely distributed medicinal plant throughout the world and has been used since ancient time. Some examples from this family include mints, thyme, tulsi, spearmint, lavender, sage and rosemary. It is widely cultivated for medicinal, perfumery, culinary and ornamental purposes. Members of this family have been used traditionally as antioxidant, anti cancer, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, smooth muscle relaxant, antitumor and for the treatment of wound healing, headache, pains, chronic rheumatism, sedative, gastrointestinal disorders. Phytochemical investigations of the Lamiaceae family have revealed that many components from this family are highly bioactive.The current paper reviews the medicinal properties alongside with bioactive compounds of various plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Different compositions like sterols, rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid, menthol, thymol and carvacrol which have been frequently reported from the Lamiaceae family. The current review gives an overview on pharmacological activity and bioactive compounds of different plants of Lamiaceae family, which may be useful for researchers to explore the hidden potential of Lamiaceae family plants and will also help in developing new drugs for the treatment of various diseases.