RESUMO
Aconitum species were used as the major component in the Chinese and Bhutanese herbal medicines. The species posses many phytochemical compounds which possess many of the pharmacological activities. Diterpene alkaloids were the main compound with the pharmacological activities such as analgesic and against inflammation. This alkaloid possesses certain toxic hydrolyzed bases which could be detoxified by the intervention of recent technologies. Apart from this, the plant possess many alkaloids, amide alkaloids, flavonoids, flavonol glycosides, diterpenoid and norditerpenoid compounds which possess medicinal values. The above mentioned compounds of potent importance were isolated and characterized by the chromatographic separation techniques and their structures were usually elucidated by the spectroscopic studies especially with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance techniques. These compounds were the central target of the medicinal chemist as they possess both medicinal and toxic nature. The measures to be taken in such a way that the medicinal compounds of the plant should be isolated and formulated without the toxic nature. This review encompasses the total phytochemical compounds that have been isolated from various species of the plant genus Aconitum.