Laxative Properties of Agarwood Leaves of Aquilaria Species: A Review

Abstract

Agarwood leaves have long been used as herbal medicine due to their diverse pharmacological qualities, one of which being laxative abilities to relieve constipation. Constipation is interpreted as a gastrointestinal ailment in which the stools are dry and firm with difficulty and infrequent evacuation. People generally suffer in silence and choose to take over-the-counter medications rather than addressing the problem. The main issue here is that currently available laxatives induce undesirable side effects such as cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and others. Previously conducted research discovered that Aquilaria species agarwood leaf extract has laxative qualities and has no adverse side effects on animal testing. Genkwanin 5-O-? primeveroside and mangiferin are shown as the major bioactive compounds in agarwood leaves extract that induce laxative effects. This review focuses on the laxative characteristics of agarwood leaves, bioactive compounds, and previous studies on in vivo testing.