Nothapodytes nimmoniana: Untapped Potential

The tree species Nothapodytes nimmoniana or Nothapodytes foetida or Mappia foetida of family Icacinaceae commonly known as Ghanera or narakya is of research interest among plant scientist as it contains third most demanding anticancer compound camptothecin and 9-Methoxy camptothecin mainly used for treatment of cervical, breast cancer and few lymphomas. Due to extensive overharvesting to meet market demand of camptothecin, it is now red-listed as per IUCN. More than a 20% decline is reported in N. nimmoniana population in the last decade alone. Conservation efforts are underway, including metabolic engineering of plant cells to boost camptothecin production, aiming to reduce pressure on wild populations. This article provides an overview of pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, pharmacology and biotechnology aspects of Nothapodytes nimmoniana J. Graham.