Parthenium hysterophorus Being Boon and Bane for Human Beings: A Review

Abstract

Talking about the invasive species of plants there are many of them like Ageratum conyzoides, Cannabis sativa, Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara, Tribulus terrestris and many more. And one of these is Parthenium hysterophorus which we will be discussing in this paper. P. hysterophorus is native species to tropical America, Mexico and the southern USA. This invasive plant belongs to the Asteraceae family. This is said to be a poisonous annual herb that grows aggressively. It has certain harmful effects on agriculture, livestock and human life. This herb tends to cause skin problems, respiratory problems, fever and bronchitis-like problems in humans. Despite having many harmful elements this weed is also known to have health benefits examples as urinary tract infection, rheumatic pain and Diarrhoea. This herb is spreading all over India badly. Certain experiments and methods are being done on this plant to know the impactful parameters of the plant which can be used in a productive way. It has the potential to be used as bio-pesticides and for removing heavy metals and dyes. In this paper, we have discussed this noxious herb and its benefits. The goal of the review is to impart basic knowledge about, morphology, discovery, harmful and beneficial effects, active compounds and preventive measures about P. hysterophorus.