Traditional Unani (Greco-Arab) medicine is among the most ancient therapies founded by the father of Western medicine, the Hippocrates. Presently, most of the population worldwide depend on herbal medicines for some aspect of their primary health care needs. Treatment with medicinal plants is appraised very safely as there are no or minimal side effects. The promising fact is that herbal treatment can be used irrespective of any age group. Most of the pharmaceutical companies are currently conducting extensive research on plant materials assemble from the rain forests and other places for their potential medicinal value. Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Leguminosae/Fabaceae) is best known for its use in making licorice-flavored confectionery. In Unani medicine, it is commonly known as Aṣl al-Sūs. It is a plant of remote origin. Aṣl al-Sūs extracts and its principle element “glycyrrhizin” have widely been used in foods, tobacco and for medicinal purposes in herbal and traditional medicines as well. It possesses multiple pharmacological and medicinal activities such as anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and hepatoprotective actions. This review attempts to compile the data regarding its ethnobotanical actions and medicinal uses in Unani medicine along with its phyto-pharmacological descriptions. Keywords: Herbal medicine, Aṣl al-Sūs., Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

Buthūr Labaniyya (Acne vulgaris) is one of the oldest and commonest dermatological problem, which are known since antiquity and it has been called by different names in different parts of the world. It is a disorder of pilosebaceous unit which mainly affects the peripubertal population and clinically manifests as comedones (open/closed), papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts and heals with scars. As per Unani classics, Buthūr Labaniyya (Acne vulgaris) is termed as Muhāsā or Kīl characterised by small, white eruptions on the nose and cheeks, which resemble a condensed milk drop. Renowned Unani physicians Zakariyya Rāzī, Ibn Hubal, Ibn sīnā, Dā’ūd Antāki and Hakīm Akbar Arzānī have stated that, it is a dermatological disorder of adolescents that present as whitish eruptions over the face caused by M’ādda Sadīdiya (Suppurative material) or preponderance of Ghalīz (filthy) M’ādda Balghamiyya. Acne vulgaris affected 681.2 million people worldwide in 2016. This was a 10% rise from 612 million in 2006. Acne ranks eighth on the list of the world's most common diseases (9.4%) in 2010, with a worldwide prevalence of 645 million. In Unani Medicine, Buthūr Labaniyya (Acne vulgaris) is a well recognize disease entity and has been treated successfully since antiquity with various single and compound drugs having Jāli (Detergent), Muhalil (Resolvent) and Mujaffif (Desiccative), Musaffi-i Khūn advia properties. In this review, we tried to compile all the available information till date from both unani and other published scientific papers and textbooks which will fruitful for further research.

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