A review on the significance of the medicinal plant Acorus calamus
Bigyan Sen Oli, Amrita Rauniyar, Dristee Chad

Abstract
The medicinal plants remained as a heritage for mankind throughout the world. Nepal is rich in medicinal plants diversity. Out of many daily used medicinal plants, the Acorus calamus (sweet flag) is one well-known plant among the Nepalese communities. The aim of this study is to document the medicinal significance of the Acorus calamus. For this, data was assembled by reviewing more than 48 articles collected from online portals. Collected data was analyzed and presented in descriptive and tabular form. The result shows that Acorus calamus (Bojo) of the family Acoraceae is renowned and one of the most consumed herbs used by almost all ethnic groups in Nepal. This plant is used both in Ayurvedic and allopathic medicine. In Nepal, this plant is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions and mainly its rhizome is to cure many health disorders like throat inflammation, common cold, chest pain, bronchitis, whooping cough and to open the respiratory passages. Commercial cultivation of this species can be helpful to uplift the economic status of rural farmers. Hence, emphasis should be given to the proper documentation and transferring the traditional knowledge to the new generation.

Keywords: Ayurvedic, ethnomedicine, phytochemistry, sweet flag, traditional medicine