Botanical Name - Lawsonia inermis Category - Cosmetic/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Leaves General Information - Lawsonia inermisLinn (Lythraceae) is a perennial plant commonly called as Henna, having different vernacular names in India viz., Mehndi in Hindi, Mendika, Rakigarbha in Sanskrit, Mailanchi in Malayalam, Muruthani in Tamil, Benjati in Oriya, Mayilanchi in Kannada and Mehedi in Bengali. In several countries it is cultivated on a large scale toobtain leaves to dye hands and hair. It is a glabrousbranched shrub with greyish brown bark. Its leavesare elliptic, acute and often mucronulate with smallwhite or rose-colored fragrant flowers. The seeds areapproximately pea size with numerous pyramidal andsmooth shapes. Traditionally, a paste of leaves isused to prevent skin inflammation, cure ulcersand wounds. Its leaves have also been used as anexpectorant, constipating, haematinic, febrifuge,cough, burning sensation, hemicranias, cephalagia,diarrhoea, dysentery, leucoderma, leprosy, boils,scabies, hepatopathy, anemia, hemoptysis, fever andopthalmia. Phytochemicals - The plant has wide range of phytochemicals including lawsone, isoplumbagin lawsoniaside, lalioside, lawsoniaside B, syringinoside, daphneside, daphnorin, agrimonolide 6-O-�²-D-glucopyranoside, (+)-syringaresinol O-�²-D-glucopyranoside, (+)-pinoresinol di-O-�²-D-glucopyranoside, syringaresinol di-O-�²-D-glucopyranoside, isoscutellarin3�², hennadiol, (20S)-3�², 30-dihydroxylupane, lawnermis acid, 3-methyl-nonacosan-1-ol, laxanthones I, II, III and lacoumarin etc. The various studies of L. inermis reported the plant to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, tuberculostatic, anti-inflammatory, antifertility and wound healing properties. This review discusses on the botany, traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacological data of the plant. Lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), also known as hennotannic acid, is a red-orange dye present in the leaves of the henna plant (Lawsonia inermis) as well as in the flower of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Humans have used henna extracts containing lawsone as hair and skin dyes for more than 5000 years. Lawsone reacts chemically with the protein keratin in skin and hair, in a process known as Michael addition, resulting in a strong permanent stain that lasts until the skin or hair is shed.
