Gmelina arborea- an indigenous timber species of India with high medicinal value: A review on its pharmacology, pharmacognosy and phytochemistry.

Gmelina arborea Roxb.ex Smith, a fast-growing deciduous tree belongs to the family Lamiaceae, and is an important plantation species in many tropical areas around the world. The species is naturally distributed in semi-deciduous forests in tropical/subtropical regions of South East Asia. The tree is also an important medicinal plant in the Indian Systems of Medicine. The whole plant is used in medicine. It is astringent, bitter, digestive, cardiotonic, diuretic, laxative and pulmonary and nervine tonic. It improves digestion, memory, helps overcome giddiness and is useful in burning sensation, fever, thirst, emaciation, heart diseases, nervous disorders and piles. The roots are acrid, bitter-sweet in taste, stomachic, tonic, laxative, galactagogue and antihelmintic. The flowers are sweet, refrigerant, bitter, astringent and acrid, and are used in treating leprosy and skin diseases. The fruits are acrid, sour, sweet, refrigerant, bitter, astringent, aphrodisiac, trichogenous, alterant and tonic. Fruits are edible and also used for promoting hair growth and in treating anaemia, leprosy, ulcers, constipation, leucorrhoea and colitis. The leaves are a good fodder also. The major bioactive compounds extracted from different parts of G. arborea are arboreal, verbascoside, tyrosol, iridoids, phenylpropanoid glycoside, premnazole, martynoside, iridoid glycosides, balanophonin, gmelinol, isoarboreol apigenin, umbelliferone etc. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review provides an insight into the medicinal aspects of G. arborea. It provides the latest information on phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and traditional uses of G.arborea. Information on G. arborea was gathered from various sources like textbooks, literature, databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Taylor and Francis, Scopus, Inflibnet, Sci-Finder and Google Scholar. Sixty-nine phytochemicals which include lignans, acylated iridoid glycosides, acylated rhamnopyranoses, flavonoids, flavones, flavone glycosides have been isolated. Many of them have been characterized for their pharmacological activity. Several researchers have identified bioactive phytochemicals like luteolin, iridoid alkaloids from the leaves, hentriacontanol and lignans such as arboreol, isoarboreol, arborone, gmelanone, gummadiol from the heartwood, flavon glycosides in roots. The extracts are reported to have wound-healing and antidiarrheal properties. Various studies demonstrated that G.arborea and its constituents possess several pharmacological activities like anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, analgesic, anti-nociceptive, anticancer and wound healing activities. G. arborea is a valuable medicinal plant used traditionally in the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM - Ayurveda and Unani) to treat a wide variety of ailments. These phytochemicals are highly bioactive and exhibit various pharmacological activities. However, pharmacological activities of many compounds which have been identified, are yet to be understood.

Warrier RR ，Priya SM ，Kalaiselvi R 《-》

The genus Nepeta: Traditional uses, phytochemicals and pharmacological properties.

Nepeta is a multiregional genus of the "Lamiaceae" (Labiatae or Mint) family. Species of Nepeta are a valuable part of traditional medicine and used extensively, particularly in the Himalayan region of India (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh), Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwaand Pakistani Kashmir), Nepal (Baglund district), also in China and hilly regions of Turkey and Iran. Nepeta species are extensively used as a remedy against a variety of ailments and conditions like chicken pox, tuberculosis, malaria, pneumonia, influenza, measles, stomach disorders, eye complaints, respiratory disorders, asthma, colds, coughs etc. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The main aim of this review is to present a comprehensive and detailed study on traditional uses, pharmacology, phytochemistry, toxicology of Nepeta species and suggest future direction on the design and conduct of various preparations, either alone or in blends with prevailing conventional remedies. The review also emphasizes encouraging researchers towards the wide range of pharmaceutical applications of the various species of Nepeta for their better use and exploration in the future. All the relevant data and information on different species of Nepeta were assembled using different databases, such as Science Direct, Springer, PubMed, Taylor and Francis imprints, Chemspider, Google scholar, review and research articles from peer-reviewed journals and unpublished data. Some select 'grey literature' sources viz. ethnobotanical books, chapters, Wikipedia and webpages were also studied. A variety of bioactive secondary metabolites and nutraceuticals has been isolated from various species of Nepeta. These bioactive compounds belong to different classes of secondary metabolites, such as phenolic acids and their glycosides (rosmarinic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid), flavonoids and their glycosides (cirsimaritin, salvigenin, luteolin, apigenin), iridoids (nepetalactones and their derivatives), terpenoids (1,8-cineole, linalool, β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, parnapimaro, β-amyrin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid), steroids (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol), lignans, amino acids, carbohydrates, volatile oils, etc. The species of the genus Nepeta possess a variety of pharmacological activities namely anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, anti-alzheimer, anticancer and cytotoxic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, insecticidal and along with other biological activities. The species of the genus Nepeta contains a rich source of various bioactive compounds, which are well tolerated as traditional medicines. In fact, different species of Nepeta are widely used in a variety of traditional medicinal systems all around the world. Owing to the variety of pharmacological properties of Nepeta species, more comprehensive and inclusive clinical trials are necessary for the utilization of different Nepeta species against the treatment of a wide range of ailments. There are also various other uses such as food, cosmetic and agriculture that can be investigated or explored in future. Some of the major domains that can be explored within this genus are the investigation of different species for their unexplored biological potential, isolation and characterization of new bioactive constituents and finally, investigation of new applications and possible commercialization of these bioactive leads. No doubt, there are various viable research domains outside those discussed above, but presently for the purposes of this review we will only emphasize the activities herein.

Sharma A ，Cooper R ，Bhardwaj G ，Cannoo DS ... -  《-》

Phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and uses of traditional medicinal plant Kaempferia galanga L. - An overview.

Kaempferia galanga L. is a stemless, rhizomatous, aromatic, perennial and indigenous herb. It is native to India and distributed in China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Sudan, Nigeria and South Africa. It is an important Indian medicinal herb that has a long history of use in the treatment of several kinds of human ailments including vata ailments like cough and cold, fever, headache, pains disorders, skin diseases, rheumatic diseases, arthritis, joint fractures, vertigo, wounds, gastritis, antidote for snake venoms, inflammation, blood vomiting, mouth sores and tongue blisters in infants. Moreover, the rhizomes of this plant are highly aromatic and have been used widely as spices, in food flavoring, pickles, cosmetics and in perfumery products. This paper aimed to provide a critical review of current scenario on K. galanga. This review provides a current data on diversity, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and traditional uses of K. galanga. The information and data on K. galanga were collated from various resources like ethnobotanical textbooks and literature databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Tailor and Francis, Scopus, Inflibnet, Google and Google Scholar. The forty-nine phytochemicals including esters, terpenoids, flavonoids, thiourea derivatives, polysaccharides, diarylheptanoids, phenolic acids, phenolic glycoside and cyclic lipodepsipeptide have been hitherto isolated and characterized. The major bioactive compounds extracted from the rhizome of K. galanga were ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, kaempferol, kaempferide, kaempsulfonic acids, kaemgalangol A, xylose, cystargamide B and 3-caren-5-one. Various studies demonstrated that the K. galanga and its constituents possess several pharmacological activities like antimicrobial, antioxidant, amebicidal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tuberculosis, anti-dengue, anti-nociceptive, anti-angiogenic, anticancer, hyperlipidemic, hypopigmentary, osteolysis, larvicidal, insecticidal and mosquito repellent, nematocidal, sedative, sniffing, vasorelaxant and wound healing. Kaempferia galanga L. is a valuable medicinal plant which is used traditionally in India to treat a wide variety of ailments. A number of bioactive phytochemicals like esters, terpenoids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, diarylheptanoids, cyclic lipodepsipeptide, phenolic acids and glucoside have been isolated from the rhizomes of K. galanga by several researchers. These phytochemicals are highly bioactive and exhibit various pharmacological activities.

Kumar A 《-》

Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Neolamarckia cadamba: A review.

There are more than 3000 officially documented plants in the Indian subcontinent that hold great medicinal potential. One such under-explored plant is an evergreen tropical tree Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser (Rubiaceae). It is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and has therapeutic potential against many diseases such as diabetes, anaemia, stomatitis, leprosy, cancer and infectious diseases. Neolamarckia cadamba has historical existence in India and it is mentioned in mythical stories. There are several reports on medicinal values of root, bark and leaves of N. cadamba; but the literature on its fruits is scanty. Therefore, the present review aims to provide updated comprehensive information on the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of different parts of N. cadamba tree with special reference to its fruit, in order to open new perspectives for future food and pharmacological research. A literature search was performed on N. cadamba using ethnobotanical textbooks, published articles in peer-reviewed journals, unpublished materials, government survey reports and scientific databases such as Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar and other web search engines (Google, Yahoo). The Plant List, International Plant Name Index and Kew Botanical Garden Plant name databases were used to validate the scientific names. Neolamarckia cadamba is one of the economically important trees, which is being exploited for paper, pulp and wood industry. In folk medicine, various parts of N. cadamba are used in the treatment of various ailments such as fever, uterine complaints, blood diseases, skin diseases, tumour, anaemia, eye inflammation and diarrhoea. Other reported uses of N. cadamba include antihepatotoxic, antimalarial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, diuretic and laxative. Various phytochemicals such as cadambine and its derivatives (dihydrocadambine and isodihydrocadambine) and indole alkaloids (Neolamarckines) were isolated from the leaves; whereas the presence of quinovic acid derivatives have been reported in the bark of N. cadamba. The present review compiles information on an ethnopharmacologically useful plant N. cadamba. Bioactive compounds responsible for its various medicinal properties and their effects at the molecular level need to be investigated in more detail. Furthermore, the detailed study of toxicity and pharmacological properties of extracts as well as molecules in N. cadamba is required to confirm the ethnomedicinal claims of N. cadamba for food and pharmaceutical applications.

Pandey A ，Negi PS 《-》

Plumeria rubra L.- A review on its ethnopharmacological, morphological, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies.

Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae) is a deciduous, commonly ornamental, tropical plant grown in home premises, parks, gardens, graveyards, because of its beautiful and attractive flowers of various colours and size. The different parts of the plant are used traditionally to treat various diseases and conditions like leprosy, inflammation, diabetic mellitus, ulcers, wounds, itching, acne, toothache, earache, tongue cleaning, pain, asthma, constipation and antifertility. The main aim of this review is to provide an overview and critically analyze the reported ethnomedical uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and toxicological studies of P. rubra and to identify the remaining gaps and thus supply a basis for further investigations. The review also focuses towards drawing attention of people and researchers about the wide spread pharmaceutical properties of the plant for its better utilization in the coming future. All the relevant data and information on P. rubra was gathered using various databases such as PubMed, Springer, Taylor and Francis imprints, NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information), Science direct, Google scholar, Chemspider, SciFinder, research and review articles from peer-reviewed journals and unpublished data such as Phd thesis, etc. Some other 'grey literature' sources such as webpages, ethnobotanical books, chapters, wikipedia were also studied. More than 110 chemical constituents have been isolated from P. rubra including iridoids, terpenoids, flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides, alkaloids, glycosides, fatty acid esters, carbohydrates, animo acids, lignan, coumarin, volatile oils, etc. The important chemical constituents responsible for pharmacological activities of the plant are fulvoplumierin, plumieride, rubrinol, lupeol, oleanolic acid, stigmasterol, taraxasteryl acetate, plumieride-p-E-coumarate, rubranonoside, rubrajalellol, plumericin, isoplumericin, etc. The plant possess a wide range of pharmacological activities present namely antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, anticancer, anthelmintic, antifertility and many other activities. P. rubra is a valuable medicinal source and further study in this topic can validate the traditional and ethnobotanical use of the plant. However, many aspects of the plant have not been studied yet. The pharmacological activity of active chemical constituent isolated from the plant is proven only for a couple of activities hence, lack of bio-guided isolation strategies is observed. Further studies on bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action and structural activity relationship studies of isolated pure compounds will contribute more in understanding their pharmacological effects. Higher doses of plant extracts are administered to experimental animals, therefore their toxicity and side effects in humans are needed to be thoroughly studied, although no side effect or toxicity is seen or observed in experimental animals. Studies are also essential to investigate the long term in vivo toxicity and clinical efficacy of the plant.

Bihani T 《-》