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Swertia is a diverse genus of herbs belonging to the family Gentianaceae and comprising roughly 170 species distributed throughout the world, but is most diverse in temperate and subtropical regions and in montane tropics. In Bhutan, China, India, Japan, and Nepal, some Swertia species are recognized for their anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, activity, finding use in traditional medicine to treat malaria fever, liver diseases, gastric trouble, jaundice, diabetes, hepatitis, and other ailments. The aim of the present review is to provide updated and comprehensive information on the genus Swertia , for promotin the development and uses of such ethnomedical resources. Swertia species have been used in Indian traditional medical systems, the traditional Chinese system, and traditional Tibetan folk medicine for treating various ailments. In China, it has also been used as medicinal herbs for treating hepatitis, cholecystitis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, dysentery, and scabies. Broad spectrums of phytochemicals such as xanthonoids, iridoids/secoiridoids, flavonoid, alkaloids, and terpenoids have been identified from Swertia spp. The crude extracts and isolated metabolites from Swertia spp. exhibited a wide range of in vitro and in vivo biological and pharmacological activities, including anticancer, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-hepatitis, anthelmintic, anti-leishmanial, neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, hepatoprotective, gastric emptying and gastrointestinal motility, inhibitors of 5α-reductase, β-glucuronidase inhibitory, anti-Benign prostatic hyperplasia and anti-mutagenic activities. The extensive literature survey reveals that Swertia species have been used for medicinal purpose in various parts of the world and there is significant traditional evidence of their uses. Additional research is required targeting individual ingredients responsible for the pharmacological effects, elucidating its mechanisms of action as well as safety and toxicological assessment. • The genus Swertia has been well-known for its botanical diversity and pharmaceutical uses in traditional and folk medicine. • Review consist ethnobotanical and pharmacological significance of different Swertia species. • Swertia spp. has been studied with respective to taxonomy, ethnobotany, pharmacological activities and toxicology. • Comprehensive descriptions of biological activities of Swertia spp. have been demonstrating multi affirmative characters of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]