| Summary: | Medicinal plants have played a vital role in the treatment of various human diseases and development of the society since the ancient times. Medicinal plants are the only safe sources for new drugs to treat curable and incurable diseases. About 25% of the prescription drugs available worldwide are derived from natural resources. Adenium obesum (AO) is one of the rare endemic medicinal plants in Oman and it belongs to family Apocynaceae. A biochemical investigation of the local AO species showed that the selected plant contained different groups of chemical compounds such as carbohydrate, cardiac glycoside, flavonoid, prenylated flavonoids, terpenoids, pregnanes etc. In addition, the pharmacological activities on the selected Omani species showed significant antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral and immune modulatory activities. Only a few scientific research has been performed on the indigenous AO plant species. For this reason, it is mandatory for human, mainly the young generation to be aware of the toxicity, biochemical and pharmacological activities of the selected AO plant species. This comprehensive review report of the selected medicinal plant includes taxonomy, biological activity, phytochemicals, and potential uses. The study concludes that the plant extracts or isolated phytochemicals might be used as safe novel medicine in the near future for therapy and prevention of different diseases in the near future. Keywords: Adenium obesum, Review, Desert rose, Apocynaceae, Biochemical study, Pharmacological activities
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