Knowledge of herbs has been handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. The revival of interest in natural drugs started in last decade mainly because of the wide spread belief that green medicine is healthier than synthetic products. In the recent past, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of plant-based health products in developing as well as developed countries resulting in an exponential growth of herbal products globally. According to WHO, about 80% of the population in the world relay on the traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. [1] However, due to over population, urbanization, and continuous exploitation of these herbal reserves, the natural resources along with their related traditional knowledge are depleting day by day. [2]
In the present era of drug development and discovery of newer drug molecules, many plant products are evaluated on the basis of their traditional uses. In this regard, one of the many plants which are being evaluated for their therapeutic efficacies is Ipomoea aquatica (I. aquatica) (Convolvulaceae) which is a perennial herb found throughout India, Ceylon, Tropical Asia, Africa, and Australia. [3] I. aquatica used as carminative agent and lessens inflammation, and is useful in fever, jaundice, biliousness, bronchitis, and liver complaints in Unani system of medicine. [4] I. aquatica is a commonly grown green leafy vegetable which is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fibers, carotenes, and flavanoids with many health benefits. [5] The aim of this review is to highlight the traditional uses, pharmacognostical, phytochemical, and pharmacological investigation carried out on the plant so that more pharmacological studies could be conducted to investigate the unexploited potential.