BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION, PHYTOCHEMISTRY, TRADITIONAL USES AND PHARMACOLOGY OF Cardiospermum halicacabum: AN UPDATED REVIEW

Cardiospermum halicacabum belongs to the family Sapindaceae is commonly known as Balloon vine in English. It is an annual or perennial herbaceous climber, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical forests of Asia and Africa. Balloon vine plant is enriched with various phytoconstituents like flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, proanthocyanidin, apigenin, phytosterols, triterpenes, sterols, reducing sugar, apigenin-7-O-glucuronide, 80 luteolin-7-O-glucuronide, β-Arachidonic acid, chrysoberyl-O-Glucuronide, β-D-glycoside, β-sitosterol, and Rutinis (rutinose and quercetin). This herb has various medicinal properties. Cardiospermum halicacabum is widely utilized by traditional practitioners for the treatment or prevention of numerous ailments such as snake bite, nervous disease, stiffness of limbs, and rheumatism. Stalks and leaves are used in the treatment of dysentery, headache, and diarrhoea. It also acts as an emetic, laxative, stomachic, diuretic, diaphoretic and sudorific. Cardiospermum halicacabum plant is reported to have antidiabetic, anticancer, antibacterial, anticonvulsant, antiulcer, mosquito repellent, antiarthritic, anxiolytic, ant-filarial, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective activity. The present review focuses on the Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Cardiospermum halicacabum.