American Journal of Phytomedicine and Clinical Therapeutics www.ajpct.org Review Article Chemical and Pharmacological Aspects of Limnophila aromatica (Scrophulariaceae): An Overview Dilip Gorai* 1 , Shyamal K. Jash 2 , Raj K. Singh 3 and Arindam Gangopadhyay 4 1 Department of Chemistry, Kulti College, Kulti, Burdwan-713 343, West Bengal, India 2 Department of Chemistry, Saldiha College, Saldiha, Bankura-722 173, West Bengal, India 3 Department of Botany, Jhargram Raj College, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur-721507, West Bengal, India 4 Department of Chemistry, Kalna College, Burdwan-713409, West Bengal, India ABSTRACT The present work offers a review addressing the chemistry and pharmacology of Limnophila aromatica (Lamk.) Merr. (Belonging to Scrophulariaceae family) regarded as one of the most significant plant species in traditional system of medicine and is established as a source of flavonoids, terpenoids etc. The isolated phytochemicals as well as different extracts exhibited significant biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, vascular protective activities. Exhaustive research regarding isolation of more phytochemicals and pharmacology study on this medicinal plant is still necessary so as to explore the plant regarding its medicinal importance. Therefore, the aim of this review is to boost up present day researchers in this direction to undertake further investigation of this plant for searching new drugs. The present review covers literature up to January 2014 and enlists 24 references. Keywords: Limnophila aromatica, Scrophulariaceae, Chemical constituents, Biological activity. INTRODUCTION Limnophila aromatica (synonym: Limnophila chinensis var. aromatica; Limnophila gratissima Blume; known as kutna in Hindi and manganari in Malayalam; also called rice paddy herb) is a tropical and stout aromatic herb with 30-50 cm high found in South Bihar. Orissa, Sundarbans, Ala hills (Assam), Deccan and Western parts of South India, up to 600m in damp places, margins of ponds and backwaters belonging to the family of Scrophulariaceae. It is a much branched decumbent aromatic herb (odour of turpentine), copiously rooting at the lower nodes, leaves sessile, opposite, hear oblong or lanceolate, sharply serrate, flowers purplish in axillary and terminal racemes, pedicels long slender and Address for Correspondence Kulti College, Kulti, Burdwan-713 343, West Bengal, India E-mail: Dgorai2005 @yahoo.co.in