Introduction: Boerhaavia diffusa, a perennial creeping weed found in tropics and sub-tropics is a well known ethno-medicinal plant. The whole plant as well as its different parts (leaves, roots and stems) and plant extracts have been widely used in various traditional and folklore systems of medicine for treatment of various ailments. A number of phytochemicals e.g. flavonoids (C-methylflavone, 5,7-dihydroxy-3’,4’-dimethoxy- 6,8- dimethylflavone, 3,5,4′- dihydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone, 6’, 5’-dimethoxy-5, 7, 3-trihydroxyflavone, borhavone, 3,3’,5-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone, 4’,7-dihydroxy-3’-methylflavone), alkaloids (punarnavine), glycosides (punarnavoside, eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1’’’2’’)-O-β-D-galactopyranoside, 3,4- dimethoxyphenyl-1-O-β-D apiofuranosyl-(1’’3’)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside), rotenoids (boeravinone A-H), steroids, triterpenoids, lipids, lignans, carbohydrates, proteins, and glycoproteins etc have been reported from the herb. Several researchers have confirmed biological, pharmacological and clinical activities of the plant and its phyto-constituents. Some of the promising effects of this plant include diuretic, hepatoprotective, antiinflammatory, anti-fibrinolytic, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, immuno-modulatory, immuno-suppressive, antilymphoproliferative, analgesic properties and used in treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Besides some less promising effects exhibited by this plant includes non-teratogenic, antioxidant, anti-viral activity against plant viruses, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, adaptogenic, antiamoebic, lipotropic and anticonvulsant activity. An overview of chemical constituent of the plant, their pharmacological actions and clinical studies are summarized in the present paper.