Vol. 9, Special Issue 10, Part O (2025)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, largely driven by hypercholesterolemia and associated metabolic disorders. In the search for sustainable alternatives to synthetic lipid-lowering agents, natural products and plant-derived bioactive compounds have emerged as a promising frontier due to their multifaceted pharmacological properties and reduced side effects. Justicia wynaadensis (locally known as "Karimkurinji"), a perennial shrub endemic to the Western Ghats of India, has drawn increasing scientific attention for its profound ethnopharmacological importance, nutritional value, and therapeutic potential. Traditionally consumed by tribal communities, particularly the Kodavas, during the monsoon season, the plant is valued for its rejuvenating, hepatoprotective, and detoxifying properties. Recent investigations highlight the plant’s rich phytochemical profile, including flavonoids, phenolics, phytosterols, carotenoids, and natural pigments, which confer diverse pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, wound-healing, chemoprotective, and anticancer effects. Seminal studies on J. wynaadensis have identified key compounds such as 3,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone and demonstrated significant bioactivity in both in vitro and in vivo models, although its direct impact on cholesterol metabolism remains comparatively underexplored. Given the confirmed presence of phytosterols and flavonoids, the plant exhibits strong potential as a natural hypocholesterolemic agent. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and molecular mechanisms of J. wynaadensis, with a particular emphasis on its relevance to hypercholesterolemia. We highlight existing research gaps, propose mechanistic insights into lipid regulation based on its known constituents, and identify future directions, including omics-based approaches, molecular docking studies, and food-pharma applications. By consolidating traditional wisdom and modern pharmacological evidence, this work underscores the immense potential of J. wynaadensis as a functional food and a therapeutic candidate for managing cholesterol and associated metabolic disorders.