Gul Hina Attar
Lawsonia inermis commonly known as Henna is a well-known plant used in the Indian medicine. Various parts of this plant have been used in traditional Indian medicine. The plant has wide range of phytochemicals including lawsone, isoplumbagin lawsoniaside, lalioside, lawsoniaside B, syringinoside, daphneside, daphnorin, agrimonolide 6-O--D-glucopyranoside,(+)-syringaresinol O-¸-D-glucopyranoside, (+)-pinoresinol di-O--D-glucopyranoside, syringaresinol di-O--D-glucopyranoside, isoscutellarin3, hennadiol, (20S)-3 30-dihydroxylupane, lawnermis acid, 3-methyl-nonacosan-1-ol, laxanthones I, II, III and lacoumarin etc.The various in-vitro and in-vivo studies of L. inermis reported the plant to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, tuberculostatic, anti-inflammatory, antifertility and wound healing properties. This review discusses on the botany, traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacological data of the plant.Detailed Henna applied to the skin, provides cooling and astringent action along with protection against many surface fungi and bacteria. Henna or Hina is a flowering plant, Lawsonia inermis, used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather.