Introduction: Herb, Zanthoxylum armatum DC., commonly called Indian prickly ash, and Nepal pepper (family Rutaceae), is widely utilized in the traditional medicinal system.

Objective: The current review provides requisite data for collecting descriptive information on the organoleptic, microscopical, ethnobotanical use, and phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of Z. armatum; therefore, it may help in forming a bridge between research gaps and the upcoming future findings for most of the researches.

Materials and Methods: The systematic literature survey was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. The collective information was gathered from books, renowned journals, and electronic databases including Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed from 1966 to 2020.

Results: Most of the bioactive metabolites are isolated and characterized till date, such as monoterpenes in essential oil and lignan components are reported to be present in the herbs. Several in vitro and in vivo pharmacological bioassays revealed the potential of Z. armatum having as possessing antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and hepatoprotective effects and so on.

Conclusion: Therefore, the current review summarizes the organoleptic, microscopy, phytochemistry and biological activities of Z. armatum, providing more emphasis on in vitro as well as in-vivo studies along with clinical research, helpful in exploring the potential efficacy of the plant.

简介：药草、花椒，俗称印度花椒，和尼泊尔胡椒（芸香科），在传统药用系统中得到广泛应用。

目的：当前的审查为收集有关虎杖的感官、显微镜、民族植物学用途以及植物化学物质和药理特性的描述性信息提供了必要的数据；因此，它可能有助于在大多数研究的研究差距和即将到来的未来发现之间架起一座桥梁。

材料和方法：系统的文献调查是使用 PRISMA 方法进行的。这些集体信息是从 1966 年至 2020 年的书籍、知名期刊和电子数据库中收集的，包括 Science Direct、Web of Science、Scopus 和 PubMed。

结果：迄今为止，大多数生物活性代谢物都被分离和表征，例如精油中的单萜和草药中存在的木脂素成分。一些体外和体内药理生物测定揭示了Z. armatum 具有抗菌、抗真菌、抗菌和保肝等作用的潜力。

结论：因此，本综述总结了苦参的感官、显微学、植物化学和生物学活性，更加重视体外和体内研究以及临床研究，有助于探索该植物的潜在功效。