R. MANIKANTAN, P. RASAPPAN AND S. SHILA
Abstract
Abutilon indicum are ethnomedicinal plants of Malvaceae, commonly used in Indian traditional system of medicines. Traditionally these plants were used in the form of extracts/powder/paste by tribal populations of India for treating common ailments like cough and cold, fever, stomach, kidney and liver disorders, pains, inflammations, wounds, etc. The extraction of β- sitosterol especially isolated from Abutilon indicum is a novel scientific hypothesis made and evidenced in this current paper with many in vitro studies proving its pharmacognostical nature as antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer and non genotoxic property. The in vitro testing proved β- sitosterol to be potent bioactive constituent.