Traditional uses and pharmacological properties of Alhagi maurorum: A review

ABSTRACTDesert plants contain important phytochemicals which are cheap source of medicine for local communities. These phytochemicals are much better than synthetic medicine due to their harmless effect. Alhagi maurorum, belonging to family Leguminosae, is an highly branched spiny shrub which reaches up to 1.5 to 4 feets in height. Roots may reach up to the depth of 15 meters. Alhagi maurorum is used in folk medicine, as a purgative, diaphoretic, expectorant and diuretic used to treat piles, migraine, warts and rheumatism. The reviewed information suggests that the plant has got enormous scope for phytochemical and pharmacological studies to substantiate its therapeutic potential.