Ethnopharmacological significance, phytochemical and pharmacological activities of Heliceter isora: A comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE, PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF HELICETER ISORA: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW 

Prachi D. Nahar, Anshika Vatsh , Bharat Arora, Abhay Dhakar, Rajat Singh Samant

Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Abstract

Helicteres isora L. (Avartani or Indian screw tree), a small tree or shrub of the family Malvaceae, is widely used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and tribal/folk medicine across India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Thailand for the management of gastrointestinal, metabolic, infectious, and gynaecological disorders. Ethnopharmacological surveys document the use of its fruits, roots, bark, and seeds in decoctions, powders, and pastes to treat diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal colic, intestinal parasites, cough, postpartum weakness, and snakebite, reflecting its multi‑system ethnomedical significance. Phytochemical analyses reveal a rich profile of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, steroids, and diosgenin‑related compounds across various plant parts, which underlie reported antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, and antiviral‑like activities in preclinical models. Acute and subacute toxicity studies in rodents indicate a relatively wide safety margin, with no mortality at 2000 mg/kg p.o., although chronic and mechanistic safety data remain limited. Despite robust traditional and preclinical evidence, no human clinical trials have been reported, underscoring key research gaps in clinical validation, pharmacokinetics, quality‑standardized formulations, and long‑term safety. These findings highlight the need for well‑designed clinical studies and standardized product development to translate H. isora into evidence‑based phyto‑therapeutics for metabolic, infectious, and inflammatory conditions.

Keywords: Helicteres isora, Avartani, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, clinical evidence gap

Corresponding Author

Prachi D. Nahar 

Received: 7/04/2026

Revised: 15/05/2026 

Accepted: 25/04/2026

DOI: http://doi.org/10.66204/GJPSR-770-2026-2-5-5

Copyright Information 

© 2026 The Authors. This article is published by Global Journal of Pharmaceutical and Scientific Research 

How to Cite

Nahar PD, Vatsh A, Arora B, Dhakar A, Samant RS. Ethnopharmacological significance, phytochemical and pharmacological activities of Helicteres isora: a comprehensive review. Global Journal of Pharmaceutical and Scientific Research. 2026, ISSN: 3108-0103. 2026;2(5):770–787. ISSN: 3108-0103. http://doi.org/10.66204/GJPSR-770-2026-2-5-5

1. INTRODUCTION

Nearly 80% of people worldwide still rely on herbal remedies, which are made from plants and have been used for centuries to treat a variety of illnesses (Ask Ayurveda, 2025). The World Health Organization (2019) states that herbal remedies are appealing alternatives to allopathic medications due to their generally lower cost (Caring Sunshine, 2024). On the other hand, 100,000 deaths and 8% of hospital admissions in the US are caused by the side effects of synthetic drugs each year (Kaur et al., 2024). Although herbal remedies are often considered safe and side-effect-free, improper use can lead to adverse reactions or ineffectiveness (Caring Sunshine, 2024). However, they contain a variety of complex bioactive compounds that contribute to their therapeutic potential, and their antioxidant qualities can help lessen drug toxicity (Kaur et al., 2024).

2. Botanical description of Helictere isora 

Helicteres isora L. (commonly known as Indian screw tree) is a shrub belonging to the family Malvaceae, though it was historically placed in the Sterculiaceae. It is widely distributed across the seasonally dry tropical regions of South and Southeast Asia (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024; Kew Science, 2024). The plant typically grows 5–8 m tall, with a greyish bark and young shoots densely covered by stellate (star-shaped) hairs, and is commonly found in moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests as well as disturbed, open habitats (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024; Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, 2024).

Vegetatively, Helicteres isora bears simple, alternate, distichously arranged leaves that are ovate to oblong-ovate or obovate, often slightly cordate or obliquely cordate, with a short acuminate apex and serrate to crenate-serrate margins (Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, 2024; India Biodiversity Portal, 2024). The leaf surfaces are rough and scabrous above, soft-hairy or pubescent beneath, and both sides are dotted with stellate hairs; the petioles are short and pubescent, with small subulate stipules (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024; eFlora of India, 2024). Anatomically, the upper epidermal cells are squarish with broad adaxial epidermis and some multi-angled, dilated cells, while calcium oxalate druses are abundant in the midrib, lamina, and petiole, and the lateral veins form uniformly thick, squarish or rectangular vein-islets (Sharma et al., 2024; India Biodiversity Portal, 2024).

The reproductive morphology of H. isora is characterized by axillary, solitary, or sparsely cymose flowers borne on short pedicels (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024; Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, 2024). The calyx is tubular and persistent, splitting into five irregular lobes and covered externally with dense stellate hairs, while the corolla comprises five unequal, obovate, claw-based petals that are crimson, brick-red, or orange-red when young and fade to pale blue or violet-blue with age (eFlora of India, 2024; India Biodiversity Portal, 2024). The androecium consists of about 10 stamens and 5 staminodes united around a staminal column approximately 3–3.5 cm long, and the gynoecium has a conical, 2–2.5 mm long, 5-lobed, 5-celled ovary borne on a curved gynophore, with 5 styles and subulate stigmas (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024; Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, 2024). Flowering generally occurs from September to December in many parts of India (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024).

The fruit of H. isora is a distinctive beaked, spirally twisted follicle or capsule, which is greenish when young and turns brownish or greyish when dry, densely covered with stellate-tomentose hairs (eFlora of India, 2024; India Biodiversity Portal, 2024). The cylindrical fruit twists either to the right or left, giving rise to the common names “Indian screw tree” and “Maror-phali,” and it ripens over a prolonged period, typically from October to June, with peak maturity around December to March (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024; Sharma et al., 2024). Numerous small, wrinkled, truncate-based seeds are contained within the capsule, contributing to the plant’s reproductive strategy in tropical and subtropical dry-forest habitats (India Biodiversity Portal, 2024).

3. Ethnopharmacological application and ethnomedical use 

Helicteres isora L. (Avartani or Indian screw tree) is an important component of several traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and diverse tribal/folk medical practices across India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Thailand, where it is used to manage gastrointestinal, metabolic, infectious, and gynaecological disorders (Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Sharma et al., 2022; Ask‑Ayurveda, 2025). In Ayurveda, the fruits and roots are especially valued for their astringent, anthelmintic, and Vata–Kapha‑balancing properties, while Siddha and tribal healers employ bark and whole‑plant preparations in decoctions, powders, and pastes for diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal colic, postpartum weakness, and snakebite, highlighting its multi‑system ethnomedical relevance (Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Kumar et al., 2015; Caring Sunshine, 2024). Modern pharmacological studies have reported rich polyphenols, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and saponins, along with demonstrable antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant activities, providing a mechanistic basis for its traditional uses across these systems of medicine (Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Kaur et al., 2024; Kumar et al., 2015).

Figure 1: Use of Helicteres isora according  to traditional uses

Table 1: Ethnopharmacological and ethnomedical uses

4. Phytography

Helicteres isora L. (Avartani) contains a diverse array of secondary metabolites that underlie its ethnopharmacological uses and reported biological activities. Phytochemical screening across different plant parts (leaves, fruits, roots, bark, and extracts) has consistently revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, and cardiac glycosides, as well as carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, and anthraquinones (Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Sharma et al., 2022; Kumar et al., 2015; Mehta et al., 2023). Leaf and root extracts in particular show high levels of polyphenols, flavonoids (such as quercetin, kaempferol, and several flavone methyl ethers), and triterpenoids (e.g., betulinic acid‑type compounds), which are associated with antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial effects (Mahajan & Kaur, 2020; Ramesh et al., 2015; Mehta et al., 2023). In addition, essential‑oil and volatile‑fraction analyses have identified compounds such as 6,10,14‑trimethylpentadecan‑2‑one, n‑hexadecanoic acid, phytol, and isomenthol, which contribute to the plant’s antimicrobial and pharmacokinetic properties (Journal‑type report, 2023; Mahajan & Kaur, 2020). Together, these phytochemical traits rationalize H. isora’s role as a rich source of lead molecules for natural‑product‑based drug development.

5. Introduction to phytochemicals of Helicteres isora

Helicteres isora L. (Avartani) is a rich source of diverse secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, and steroids, many of which have been isolated or tentatively identified through chromatographic and spectrometric methods (Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Kumar et al., 2015; Ramesh et al., 2015). These phytochemicals are distributed across the leaves, fruits, roots, bark, and seeds, and they contribute to the plant’s broad pharmacological profile, which includes antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti‑inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and anticancer‑like activities (Mahajan & Kaur, 2020; Sharma et al., 2022; Sharma & Kumar, 2024). Analytical tools such as thin‑layer chromatography (TLC), high‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV‑visible spectrophotometry, and Fourier‑transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy have been used to characterize and quantify these compounds, linking specific constituents such as quercetin‑type flavonoids, betulinic/oleanolic‑type triterpenoids, and cucurbitacin‑B derivatives to defined mechanisms like radical‑scavenging, α‑glucosidase inhibition, and membrane‑stabilizing or enzyme‑inhibitory effects (Ramesh et al., 2015; Mahajan & Kaur, 2020; Mehta et al., 2023; Sharma & Kumar, 2024).

Figure 2: Pharmacological activity of Helicteres isora

Table 2: Phytochemical profile of Helicteres isora along with pharmacological role 

6. Evidence from preclinical studies on Helicteres isora

A growing body of preclinical evidence supports the pharmacological actions of Helicteres isora L. (Avartani), validating many of its traditional ethnopharmacological uses across metabolic, inflammatory, gastrointestinal, and infectious‑disease domains (Thapa, 2024; Chakrabarti et al., 2002; Sharma & Kumar, 2024). In rodent and in‑vitro models, extracts from the bark, fruit, and root have demonstrated antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects, with significant reductions in plasma glucose, triglycerides, and insulin resistance, as well as protective effects on the liver and improvements in lipid profiles (Chakrabarti et al., 2002; Thapa, 2024). Additional studies report notable antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antispasmodic, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, antiviral (including diosgenin‑mediated anti‑HIV‑1 activity), and even neuroprotective‑like effects, suggesting that the plant’s polyphenols, triterpenoids, and saponins mediate these actions through mechanisms such as free‑radical scavenging, α‑glucosidase and enzyme inhibition, membrane stabilization, and modulation of inflammatory and metabolic signaling pathways (Thapa, 2024; Rakshit et al., 2024; Ramesh et al., 2015; Sharma & Kumar, 2024).

Table 3: Preclinical pharmacological effects of Helicteres isora

7. Evidence on toxicity: acute and subacute studies

In acute oral toxicity studies, the aqueous extract of H. isora bark administered at the OECD limit dose of 2000 mg/kg p.o. in rats showed no mortality, with a tentative LD₅₀ > 2000 mg/kg b.w., indicating a wide safety margin and low acute oral toxicity (G. Kumar et al., 2007; Verma et al., 2024). Observations in these studies noted transient signs such as irritability, restlessness, tachypnea, anorexia, eyelid constriction, and abnormal posturing, but no lethal effect up to the 2000 mg/kg dose (Verma et al., 2024; G. Kumar et al., 2007). In a 4‑week subacute/repeated‑dose study, oral administration of H. isora extract statistically reduced weight gain in rats compared with control, yet it did not significantly alter hematological parameters, major liver‑enzyme levels, or organ weights, suggesting the absence of overt organ toxicity despite metabolic effects on growth (Verma et al., 2024; Thapa, 2024).

Table 4: Toxicity Data for Heliceter isora

8. Research Gap 

Several important research gaps remain in the study of Helicteres isora, despite its well‑documented ethnopharmacology, rich phytochemistry, and robust preclinical effects. These gaps limit the transition of Avartani from traditional and animal‑based evidence into standardized, clinically validated phyto‑therapeutics (Kumar et al., 2015; Ramesh et al., 2015; Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Thapa, 2024).

Key research gaps

1. Absence of human clinical trials
   • No published Phase I–III clinical trials have evaluated the safety or efficacy of any standardized H. isora extract in humans, even for its most common uses such as diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal colic, or metabolic disorders (Kumar et al., 2015; Sharma & Kumar, 2024).
   • There is, therefore, a clear gap between promising preclinical and ethnomedical data and evidence‑based recommendations for human use.
2. Incomplete pharmacokinetic and bioavailability data
   • Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies (e.g., absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and tissue concentrations) are still inadequate, making it difficult to rationalize dose regimens or treatment durations (Thapa, 2024; Sharma & Kumar, 2024).
   • The bioavailability of key bioactive compounds such as triterpenoids, saponins, and diosgenin‑related molecules remains poorly characterized in mammalian systems.
3. Limited mechanism‑of‑action studies at the cellular and molecular levels
   • Many reported activities (e.g., anticancer‑like, anti‑inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective) are based on in‑vivo or in‑vitro screens without detailed target‑based validation (Kumar et al., 2015; Sharma & Kumar, 2024).
   • Mechanistic work at receptor‑, enzyme‑, and signaling‑pathway levels (e.g., NF‑κB, PI3K/Akt, AMPK, tubulin, HIV‑related enzymes) is sparse and needs systematic follow‑up in relevant cell‑based models.
4. Lack of standardized, reproducible extracts and quality control
   • Variability in extraction methods, solvents, plant parts, and collection sites produces inconsistent phytochemical profiles, limiting reproducibility and regulatory acceptance (Thapa, 2024; Sharma & Kumar, 2024).
   • There is a shortage of validated analytical fingerprints (e.g., HPLC/UPLC markers, DNA barcoding) linked to bioactivity, which is essential for developing standardized herbal formulations.
5. Insufficient safety profiling for long‑term and higher‑dose use
   • Acute and subacute toxicity studies in rodents suggest a relatively wide safety margin, but chronic‑toxicity, genotoxicity, and reproductive‑toxicity data are largely unavailable (Verma et al., 2024; Thapa, 2024).
   • Drug‑herb and herb‑diet interactions, especially in individuals with diabetes, hepatic impairment, or HIV, are practically unexplored.
6. Limited exploration of specific therapeutic niches
   • The antiviral (e.g., anti‑HIV‑1) and possible neuroprotective/anticonvulsant potential of H. isora have been highlighted in preclinical work, yet these areas have not advanced to disease‑specific clinical‑trial designs or patient‑oriented outcome measures (Rakshit et al., 2024; Verma et al., 2024; Sharma & Kumar, 2024).
   • Wound‑healing, anticancer, and immune‑modulatory effects are also suggested in in‑vitro and animal models but require structured, hypothesis‑driven clinical evaluations.

9. Conclusion 

Helicteres isora L. (Avartani) emerges as a pharmacologically promising and ethnomedically significant plant, underpinned by a rich phytochemical profile (polyphenols, triterpenoids, saponins, alkaloids, and diosgenin‑related compounds), robust preclinical evidence for antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial activities, and a relatively wide safety margin in acute and subacute toxicity studies (Kumar et al., 2015; Ramesh et al., 2015; Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Thapa, 2024). However, critical research gaps remain, most notably the absence of human clinical trials, limited pharmacokinetic and mechanistic data, lack of standardized extracts with validated quality markers, and insufficient long‑term safety and interaction profiles, which collectively prevent the translation of traditional claims into evidence‑based, clinically recommended phyto‑therapies (Sharma & Kumar, 2024; Verma et al., 2024). Future work should prioritize well‑designed clinical studies, target‑based mechanistic investigations, and development of reproducible, quality‑controlled formulations to harness the full therapeutic potential of H. isora in metabolic, infectious, inflammatory, and other chronic‑disease settings.

10. Acknowledgement

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to their mentors and colleagues for their invaluable guidance and support during the preparation of this review.

11. Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this review.

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