e-ISSN:2581-6063 (online), ISSN:0972-5210 Plant Archives Volume 21, No 1, 2021 pp. 411-419 DOI Url: https://doi.org/10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2021.v21.no1.058 Plant Archives Journal home page: www.plantarchives.org CURRENT UPDATES ON SISYMBRIUM IRIO LINN: A TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANT Madhurima Tiwari 1 and Prachi Bhargava 2 1 Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow. U.P. India 2 Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Village Hadauri, Post- Tindola, Lucknow-Deva Road, Barabanki (U.P), India ABSTRACT Sisymbrium irio Linn belonging to family ‘Cruciferae’ is one of the well-known plant used in Unani Thearpy. Several studies done throughout the world on ‘Sisymbrium irio L’, also known as ‘London Rocket’ or ‘Khakshi’ has established that this annual herb is of tremendous medicinal benefts. This plant exhibits potential pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti- infammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anticancer, detoxify spleen and liver, also used as febrifuge, expectorant, diuretic and used in the treatment of rheumatoid, voice disorders, boils, pimples, cough, and has bronchoprotective and hepatoprotective role. Various phytochemicals have been isolated scientifcally from the diferent parts of the plants such as favonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, terpinoids, carbohydrates, phenolics compounds, fatty acids, steroids, amino acids and proteins which were found to be of ‘Chemotherapeutic Interest’. This review paper summarizes the botanical description, ethnomedical, phytochemical and therapeutical role of the plant and highlighted the need of future research on this plant as a source of novel drug. Keywords: Sisymbrium irio L, London Rocket, Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemicals, Therapeutical role (Date of Receiving-05-11-2020; Date of Acceptance-17-01-2021) INTRODUCTION Plants have shown a vital role in curing the human diseases all throughout the world. Growing identifcation of natural compounds or phytochemicals from medicinal plants has increased their demand for the treatment of diseases world-wide.Modern and traditional medicines utilize medicinal herbs as their integral part (Kirtikarand Basu 1994). There is a long history of ‘Plant based therapies’ in treating various ailments. Thesekind of therapies are comparatively harmless. Due to which modern researchers are all attracted towards natural products for the purpose of treating various challenging diseases. Some of these plant components of signifcance are phenolic compound, tannins, favonoids and alkaloids. There are several reports on plants use in traditional healing in tribal areas by indigenous communities (Threlfall 1998). Unani Medicine or ‘UnaniTibb’ is basically a form of traditional medicine practiced in South-Asian and Middle- East countries. Unani Therapy is among one of the authentic systems of traditional medicine in India, shown by the acronym AYUSH, i.e., Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (Weeks 2020). It refers to a tradition of Graeco-Arabic medicine, which is based on the teachings of Roman physician Galen and Greek physician Hippocrates and was further developed into a full feshed medical system in middle age era by Persian and Arabian physicians, it was introduced in India during the 11th-13th century in the Mughal period (Subbarayappa 2001). Along with Ayurveda it focuses on the direct use of natural plants and their by- products for the cure of ailing patients. In view of this, various researchers have found family ‘Cruciferae’ also known as Brassicaceae of many applications in both commercial as well as pharmaceutical aspects as it is the important sources of oil or food products (Rahman et al., 2004). It has also found its application in folk medicine (AL-Mazroa et al., 2015). One of the cruciferae members named sisymbrium isused in treatment of rheumatoid, voice disorder infammation etc. (AL-Jaber et al., 2011). Few members also showed anti-microbial, antioxidant, analgesic and antipyretic activities (Vahora et al., 1980). Researches done throughout the world revealed that this particular genus is characterized by presence of various metabolites such as, steroid, oil, anthraquinone, alkaloid and favonoid (Al-Jaber. 2011; Al-Qudah and Abu Zarga 2010; Vahora et al., 1980). Sisymbrium irio is one of the 90 species of the genus, which is found in various part of the world (Mabberly1997). Sisymbrium genus has four well known invasive species they are S.irio, S.ofcinale, S. orientale and S. altissimum.S.irio has been listed for ofcial medicinal plant use in both Ayurveda and Unani therapies. Seeds of S. irio are utilized as Febrifuge, expectorant and against voice disorders (Ghazanfar1994 and Meyer1982). It has been reported that S.irio is used in the treatment of rheumatism, infammation, antimicrobial, antipyretic, analgesic and antioxidant activity (Guil et al., 2003). S. irio is also used in some places for dietary purposes (Montasir and Hassib1956). In a study Sisymbrium irio seeds were subjected to instrumental neutron activation for their elemental analysis, as a result the seeds were found to contain high levels of Iron, Manganese and sodium (Fatima et al., 2012). Phytochemical analysis of the planthad shown to contain alkaloids, oils, favonoids and glycosides (Bolus et al., 1983). Diferent phytochemicals