Aslam et al Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research August 2013; 12 (4): 651-659 ISSN: 1596-5996 (print); 1596-9827 (electronic) © Pharmacotherapy Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, 300001 Nigeria. All rights reserved. Available online at http://www.tjpr.org http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v12i4.31 Review Article Phytochemical and Ethno-Pharmacological Review of the Genus Araucaria – Review M Shahzad Aslam*, Bashir A Choudhary, M Uzair and A Subhan Ijaz Department of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. *For correspondence: Email:
[email protected] Received: 24 August 2012 Revised accepted: 1 June 2013 Abstract Distribution, traditional uses, isolated chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of some common species of the genus Araucaria are reviewed in this paper. Almost 19 species belong to the genus, Araucaria. It is indigenous to North America. Biflavanoid, diterpene, phenyl propanoid and lignans are abundant in the genus. The most common pharmacological activity of Araucaria in modern medicines is anti-inflammatory. It also possesses other pharmacological activities such as anti- ulcer, antiviral, neuro-protective, anti-depressant and anti-coagulant. The aim of the present paper is to present an extensive review of the plants in this genus including their traditional uses, chemical constituents and pharmacology. Keywords: Araucaria, Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Biflavanoids, Diterpene Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research is indexed by Science Citation Index (SciSearch), Scopus, International Pharmaceutical Abstract, Chemical Abstracts, Embase, Index Copernicus, EBSCO, African Index Medicus, JournalSeek, Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), African Journal Online, Bioline International, Open-J-Gate and Pharmacy Abstracts INTRODUCTION species, several of which are used for ornamental and timber purposes.