Phytochemical Properties and Pharmcological Activities of Nicotiana Tabacum: A Review

Since ancient times, plants have been an exemplary source of medicine. Tobacco is an agricultural productprocessed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana.In Indian agriculture, tobacco has a prominentplace. Tobacco could be developed as an important food crop in combination with its traditional use forsmoking and chewing. Tobacco plants are also used in plant bioengineering, and some of the more than 70species are grown as ornamentals. The chemistry of tobacco is unique with the presence of a widespectrum of chemical compounds of which nicotine, solanesol, malic and citric acid were identified aspotential chemicals which could be recovered and converted to value-added products. The alkaloid nicotineis popularly considered the most characteristic constituent of tobacco but nicotine is not highly addictive onits own. In consumption it most commonly appears in the forms of smoking, chewing, snuffing, or dippingtobacco. Because of the powerfully addictive properties of tobacco, tolerance and dependencedevelop.This situation necessitated to examine the green tobacco crop as a source for recovery ofphytochemicals alone. With the objective of maximizing bio-mass production for optimum recovery ofproteins, nicotine, solanesol and organic acids from green tobacco. Nicotine for treatment of Alzheimerdisease, Parkinson disease, depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), pain, and obesity.