Abstract

HENNA: ANCIENT REMEDY, MODERN MENACE

Tulika Mishra*

ABSTRACT

Henna, obtained from Lawsonia inermis L. (family Lythraceae), is one of the oldest cosmetic and dermatological dyes used by mankind, with a documented history exceeding five thousand years across Egypt, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.[1] The plant is a rich source of phytoconstituents, chief among them the naphthoquinone pigment lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), together with flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, xanthones, saponins, alkaloids and essential oil components, which collectively confer antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing and hepatoprotective activity.[2][3] Traditionally, henna leaf paste and oil have been applied to manage ringworm, eczema, boils, burns, fungal infections of the skin and nails, and as a coolant in febrile and inflammatory dermatoses, a body of knowledge sustained largely through oral, community-based ethnomedicine.[5] In contemporary commerce, however, ready-made "instant" or "black henna" cones are frequently adulterated with para-phenylenediamine (PPD), a synthetic coal-tar-derived aromatic amine added to intensify colour and hasten drying.[19] PPD is a potent contact sensitiser and, at the concentrations reported in unregulated cone and street preparations, behaves essentially as a poison, capable of producing severe allergic contact dermatitis, angioedema, rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and, in extreme cases, death.[21],[22] This review consolidates current knowledge on the botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, dermatological and traditional applications, commercial adulteration and associated toxicology, cross-cultural and festive significance, and the present cultivation and conservation status of Lawsonia inermis, with particular reference to India's Sojat (Rajasthan) belt, which supplies the bulk of the world's natural henna trade.[13],[14]

Keywords: Lawsonia inermis; Henna; Lawsone; Para-phenylenediamine; Skin diseases; Ethnobotany; Mehndi; Conservation.