For many decades, medicinal plants have been playing a significant role in the preparation of traditional medicines by different indigenous communities in and around the world as a form of primary healthcare. Canarium strictum Roxb. commonly known as black dammar or Yunnan tree is a large deciduous tree used generally for the extraction of aromatic resin. This extreme extraction leads to the exploitation and decline of the species in their natural habitats and increases commercial value in the market. Canarium strictum Roxb. is well known for its therapeutic properties and hence abundantly used in the preparation of traditional medicines from different parts of the plant viz. bark, stem, leaf, fruit and resin. Several studies have also shown the presence of anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the resin, hence further research could help in the discovery of new drugs having lesser side effects in treating different ailments of humankind.

Keywords: Burseraceae; Canarium; Endangered; Ethno botany