Medicinal and Ecological Significance of Dysoxylum malabaricum Bedd. ex C.DC

Abstract

Medicinal properties are vital characteristics of tree species, supporting human healthcare through traditional and modern applications. Medicinal plants underpin primary healthcare for much of the global population, especially in developing countries, and drive drug discovery. India, a mega-biodiversity hotspot, hosts diverse medicinal flora, including endemic species from the Meliaceae family known for bioactive compounds like alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and limonoids with antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Dysoxylum malabaricum (Bedd.), an endemic evergreen to semi-evergreen tree of the Western Ghats, exemplifies this with its bark, leaves, and seeds used traditionally for inflammation, infections, and fever. Thriving in moist deciduous and evergreen forests, it bolsters biodiversity but faces decline from habitat loss, overexploitation, and poor regeneration exacerbated by heavy metal stress affecting secondary metabolite production. Integrated research is essential for its conservation and sustainable utilization.