Recent advances in applications of active constituents of selected medicinal plants of dhofar, sultanate of oman

Abstract

The Dhofar region of Oman is extremely opulent in plant biodiversity in comparison to other parts of the country. Most of the cultivated, medicinal and wild plants of the region are available in the mountainous side and hilly areas of Dhofar. The plants produce products from primary metabolism and others from secondary metabolism. On the basis of active constituents plants can be categorized into two groups: 1. Medicinal plants and 2. Aromatic plants. Over 250 complex chemicals have been recognized and extracted from herbal sources. In this review article, we discuss a selection of medicinal plants of the Dhofar region of Oman which are rich in active constituents and through recent reports discuss the application of the most active constituents. Among the medicinal plants of the Dhofar region, frankincense is also a well-known indicator of the region and has a unique position through its medicinal properties of its oil and gum resin.