Glycyrrhiza glabra is native to Eurasia, in central and south-western Asia and the Mediterranean region.¹

The licorice root contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sucrose.¹

Liquorice is one of the most commonly used herbs in Western herbal medicine and has a very long history of use, both as a medicine and also as a flavouring agent.¹

Licorice is deemed emollient, expectorant, laxative, moderately pectoral and tonic. Licorice root extracts have been used in traditional Chinese, Tibetan and Indian medicine for the treatment of pulmonary diseases and inflammatory processes. It can be used in the folk medicine at different parts of the world to treat many diseases including bacterial infection, cough suppression, gastric ulcer treatment, and as a laxative.¹

Ocimum sanctum L. (also known as Ocimum tenuiflorum, Tulsi) has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda for its diverse healing properties.⁴

The sacred basil, Tulsi, is renowned for its religious and spiritual sanctity, as well as for its important role in the traditional Ayurvedic and Unani system of holistic health and herbal medicine of the East.⁴

In Ayurveda, Tulsi is known as “The Incomparable One,” “Mother Medicine of Nature,” “The Queen of Herbs,” “Elixir of Life” due to its medicinal properties.^4,5

Among the plants known for medicinal value, the plants of genus Ocimum belonging to family Labiate are very important for their therapeutic potentials.^4,5 The stem and leaves of holy basil contain a variety of constituents that may have biological activity, including saponins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and tannins.^4,5

Tulsi extracts are used in Ayurvedic remedies for common colds, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning and malaria.⁴

Tulsi is perhaps one of the best examples of Ayurveda’s holistic lifestyle approach to health. Daily consumption of tulsi is said to prevent disease, promote general health, wellbeing and longevity and assist in dealing with the stresses of daily life. Tulsi is also credited with giving luster to the complexion, sweetness to the voice and fostering beauty, intelligence, stamina and a calm emotional disposition.⁵

In addition to these health-promoting properties, tulsi is recommended as a treatment for a range of conditions including anxiety, cough, asthma, diarrhea, fever, dysentery, arthritis, eye diseases, indigestion, hiccups, vomiting, gastric, cardiac and genitourinary disorders etc.⁵

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) is widely used around the world in foods as a spice. Native to tropical Asia, ginger is a perennial cultivated in the tropical climates of Australia, Brazil, China, India, Jamaica, West Africa, and parts of the United States.⁷

The primary pungent agents (phenylalkylketones or vanillyl ketones) of ginger are gingerol, with other gingerol analogues such as the shogoals, paradol and zingerone also found in high levels in rhizome extracts. The major pharmacological activity of ginger appears to be due to gingerol and shogaol.⁷

Ginger is a medicinal plant that has been widely used in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Tibb-Unani herbal medicines all over the world and has a long history of use in traditional systems of medicine.⁷

The primary pungent agents are due to the presence of phenylalkylketones or vanillyl ketones. Gingerol and shogaol are two most active constituents of ginger based preparations. They are reported to demonstrate antiemetic, antipyretic, analgesic, antiarthritic, and anti inflammatory activities.⁷

Ginger (Z. officinale rhizome) is widely used in Ayurveda to alleviate many illnesses including indigestion, nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions, cough, common colds, fever, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, respiratory troubles, pain, headache, backache, painful tooth and swelled gum.²

Turmeric is a spice that has received much interest from both the medical/scientific worlds as well as from the culinary world. Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant (Curcuma longa) of the ginger family.⁹

The medicinal properties of turmeric, the source of curcumin, have been known for thousands of years. Curcumin (1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione), also called diferuloylmethane, is the main natural polyphenol found in the rhizome of Curcuma longa (turmeric) and in others Curcuma spp.⁹

Curcuma longa has been traditionally used in Asian countries as a medical herb due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties.⁹

Curcumin, a polyphenol, has been shown to target multiple signaling molecules while also demonstrating activity at the cellular level, which has helped to support its multiple health benefits It has been shown to benefit inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, pain and to help in the management of inflammatory and degenerative eye conditions.⁹

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L) is a perennial, glabrous and strongly scented herb belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It is cultivated in a temperate region of Europe, Asia, United States, India and Mediterranean countries due to their commercial value and distinct aroma.⁸

A wide spectrum of bioactive phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolics lignans and stilbenes and essential oils are expected to be responsible for the aroma effects.⁸

In addition to traditional food flavouring uses, Mentha is well recognized for their traditional use to treat fever, cold, digestive, anti-viral, anti-fungal and oral mucosa and throat inflammation.⁸

Aloe vera (family Xanthorrhoeaceae) is a perennial green herb with bright yellow tubular flowers that is extensively distributed in hot and dry areas of North Africa, the Middle East of Asia, the Southern Mediterranean, and the Canary Islands.¹⁷

Aloe vera derives from “Allaeh” (Arabic word that means “shining bitter substances”) and “Vera” (Latin word that means “true”).¹⁷

Aloe vera contains more than 75 different compounds, including vitamins (vitamin A, C, E, and B12), enzymes (i.e., amylase, catalase, and peroxidase), minerals (i.e., zinc, copper, selenium, and calcium), sugars (monosaccharides such as mannose-6-phosphate and polysaccharides such as glucomannans), anthraquinones (aloin and emodin), fatty acids (i.e., lupeol and campesterol), hormones (auxins and gibberellins), and others (i.e., salicylic acid, lignin, and saponins).¹⁷

Aloe vera has been traditionally used to treat skin injuries (burns, cuts, insect bites, and eczemas) and digestive problems because of its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound healing properties.¹⁷

Piper cubeba is a native plant of Java and Borneo where the appellation of this plant is the Java pepper. It is one of the plants of the folk pepiraceae species that is used as a spice. The plant is cultivated for its berries, which are rich in essential oil.¹³

These biological activities are due to its chemical composition, especially, phenolic acids and flavonoids, that have been detected in P. cubeba extracts. The plant is also a rich source of lignans particularly cubebin, a bioactive compound with a wide range of biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer.¹³

In addition, due to the presence of high amounts of polyphenols, P. cubeba extracts/compounds exhibited substantial antioxidant/scavenging and antiinflammatory activities.¹³
According to current investigations, lignans are the main active constituents of the plant, in which cubebin is the most abundant. This lignan is known to possess several activities like anti-inflammatory, anticancer, analgesic, and antimicrobial.¹³

Trikatu is a very well known ‘Rasayana’ in Ayurveda and taken as a polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation in India.

It consists of three well known plants, viz., Piper longum, Piper nigrum and Zingiber officinale in equal ratio. Trikatu has been prescribed to subside coughs, colds, fevers, asthma, respiratory problems and for improvement of the digestive disorders.²

The Inula racemosa Hook. f. (Pushkarmula; family: Asteraceae), is a high-altitude perennial herb having its natural habitat in the cold, arid western alpine region of the Himalayas. According to Indian ayurvedic scripture, I. racemosa is among the most important ornamental, aromatic, and pharmaceutically important plant species of the genus Inula.¹⁵

The roots of Inula racemosa shows the presence of several phytopharmaceutical constituents, such as flavanol glycosides, sesquiterpenoids, and sesquiterpenes lactones (SLs: sesquiterpenes with lactone ring) & this metabolites shows various actions like antimalarial and anti-inflammatory activities.¹⁵

In Ayurveda, I. racemosa is widely used for various disorders; it is mostly used in heart and respiratory disorders. Recent clinical studies also show that Pushkarmula (I. racemosa) is a potent coronary vasodialator agent and also has anti-inflammatory, anti-anginal, and anti-ischaemic properties. It also acts as anti-microbial agent. Preliminary studies with the ethanolic extract of roots of I. racemosa exhibited anti-allergic and anti-asthmatic properties, the later being more pronounced.¹⁶

Solanum indicum is distributed all over India and all of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.¹⁴

Many herbal medicines due to its various phytoconstituents present in the plant act on different targets by various mechanisms and are responsible for producing therapeutic actions.¹⁴

The different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves and fruits were used traditionally in the treatment of cough, asthma and rhinitis.¹⁴

The different parts (fruits, leaves, roots) of the plant were used traditionally for the treatment of rhinitis, cough, asthma, sore throat, hiccup, sexual disorders, abdominal pain, worm infestation, fever, inflammation, insomnia, urinary complications, cardiac weakness and blood disorders, etc.¹⁴

Adhatoda vasica Nees belonging to family Acanthaceae, commonly known as Adosa, is a small, evergreen shrub found many regions of India and throughout the world, with a multitude of uses in traditional Ayurveda.¹²

Vasica shows an antispasmodic and expectorant effect, and has been used for centuries with much success to treat asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory conditions.¹²

Adhatoda has been used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory disorders. Both vasicine and vasicinone the primary alkaloid constituents of Adhatoda are well established as therapeutical respiratory agents.¹²

Vasica is most well-known for its effectiveness in treating respiratory conditions. The leaves of Vasica are shows stimulant effect on the respiratory system.¹²

Extracts of Adhatoda’s leaves and roots are useful in treating bronchitis, and other lung and bronchiole disorders, as well as common coughs and colds.¹²

Terminalia Bellerica fruits are laxative, astringent, anthelmintic and antipyretic; useful in hepatitis, bronchitis, asthma, dyspepsia, piles, diarrhoea, coughs, hoarseness of voice, eye diseases and scorpion-sting; used as a hair tonic.¹¹

Decoction of the green fruit is used for cough. Pulp of the fruit is useful in dysenteric-diarrhoea, dropsy, piles and leprosy. Half ripe fruit is used as purgative. Kernel of the fruit is narcotic. Fruits are used in menstrual disorder in Khagrachari.¹¹

The triterpenoid present in the fruits possess significant antimicrobial activity.¹¹

A plant with active medicinal constituents are used to treat diseases in the traditional systems like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani.¹¹

In Asia, the use of medicinal plants are well established and are well documented.¹¹
Terminalia Bellerica fruits useful in hepatitis, bronchitis, asthma, dyspepsia, piles, diarrhoea, coughs, hoarseness of voice, etc.¹¹