REVIEW / PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF PLATYCLADUS ORIEANTALIS

Abstract

Platycladus orientalis, also known as Chinese Arborvitae or Biota. It is native to northwestern China and widely naturalized elsewhere in Asia east to Korea and Japan, south to northern India, and west to northern Iran. It is a small, slow growing tree, to 15-20 m tall and 0.5 m trunk diameter (exceptionally to 30 m tall and 2 m diameter in very old trees). The different parts of the plant are traditionally used as a diuretic, anticancer, anticonvulsant, stomachic, antipyretic, analgesic and anthelmintic. However, not many pharmacological reports are available on this important plant product. This review gives a detailed account of the chemical constituents and also reports on the pharmacological activity activities of the oil and extracts of Platycladus orientalis.