Therapeutic and biological activities of Calotropis procera (Ait.) R. Br.

Medicinal plants have been used to treat various ailments of the poor population around the world; hence the interest among researchers to know the active ingredients of certain plants has being increased. The Calotropis procera (C. procera) is a plant original from Africa, commonly found in northeastern Brazil. It is well known for their pharmacological properties, since it produces large amounts of latex. The important role that medicinal plants play in folk medicine has led us to develop this article in order to review the major pharmacological activities of C. procera.