The decoction of P. hysterophorus has been used in traditional medicine to treat fever, diarrhoea, neurologic disorders, urinary tract infections, dysentery, malaria and as emmenagogue (Surib-Fakim et al. 1996). Ethnobotanically, it is used by some tribes as remedy for inflammation, eczema, skin rashes, herpes, rheumatic pain, cold, heart trouble and gynaecological ailments. Parthenium hysterophorus has been found to be pharmacologically active as analgesic in muscular rheumatism, therapeutic for neuralgia and as vermifuge (Maishi et al. 1998). This weed is also reported as promising remedy against hepatic amoebiasis. Parthenin, the major constituent of the plant, exhibits significant medicinal attributes including anticancer property (Venkataiah et al. 2003). The methanol extract of the flowers showed significant antitumour activity and parthenin exhibited cytotoxic properties against T cell leukaemia, HL-60 and Hela cancer cell lines (Das et al. 2007). Previously, Ramos et al. (2002) had established the antitumour potential of P. hysterophorus extracts in vitro and in vivo with positive results in terms of tumour size reduction and overall survival of cell lines. Aqueous extract of P. hysterophorus has hypoglycaemic activity against alloxan-induced diabetic rats (Patel et al. 2008). So, flower extract of this weed can be used for developing drug for diabetes mellitus.
Parashar et al. (2009) reported the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by reducing silver ions present in the aqueous solution of silver nitrate complex using the extract of P. hysterophorus. This discovery can promote this noxious plant into a valuable weed for nanotechnology-based industries in future. Applications of such eco-friendly nanoparticles in bactericidal, wound healing and other medical and electronic applications makes this method potentially exciting for the large-scale synthesis of other nanomaterials.
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