Phytochemical and Biological Aspects of Zephyranthes citrina Baker

Zephyranthes citrina Baker is a bulbous herb, commonly known as yellow rain lily, and belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae. It is a native of tropical and subtropical America but nowadays it is cultivated as a popular ornamental herb in several parts of the world including India. This herb represents one of the richest sources of phytochemicals, especially alkaloids, and possesses great potential for pharmaceutical applications. It shows remarkable antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, anti-Alzheimer, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and other activities. This review is an effort to give a detailed study of the literature on the biological activities of Zephyranthes citrina. This review concludes that Zephyranthes citrina has great potential to treat various diseases and could be used as a source for novel health care products in the near future which requires further experimentation.