Erythrina Variegata - an Overall Review

Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 9(1): January- March, 2017

ISSN 0975-2331 (Print) Available online at 0975-4385 (Online) www.anvpublication.org DOI: 10.5958/0975-4385.2017.00006.1 Research Journal of Vol. 09| Issue-01| January -March 2017 Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry Home page www.rjpponline.org

REVIEW ARTICLE

Erythrina variegata - An Overall Review

Shalini Karunanithi*, Vijaya Bharathi Rajkishore, Radha Ramalingam Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Madras Medical College, Chennai, India. *Corresponding Author E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT: The plant Erythrina variegata belongs to the Fabaceae family, is a tree with prickly stems. It is a wild growing forest plant in India. The common English names for Erythrina variegata include Indian coral tree, Moochy wood tree. The genus includes 110 species, many of which are cultivated as ornamentals. This is the most cultivated member of the genus. Erythrina variegata also called as Erythrina indica is a thorny deciduous tree growing upto 60 feet tall. Its young stems and other parts are finely hairy, its leaves are mostly ovate and sometimes variegated with yellow. Flowering and fruiting is done in the February - may. It is popular in indigenous system of medicine like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy. A wide range of chemical compounds have been isolated from this plant mainly alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids and lectin. Different parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine as a nervinesedative, collyrium in opthalmia, anti- asthmatic, antiepileptic, antiseptic, astringent, toothache, emmenagogue and galactagogue. Erythrina variegata is an adulterant to the ayurvedic drug Rohitaka. The younger the leaves are the better is their food value, and is an unsurpassed stuff for mixing with rice-straw. The present article summarize review on the plant, its phytochemistry and pharmacological activities.

KEYWORDS: Erythrina variegata, Phytochemitry, Pharmacological activity, Emmenagogue, Galactagogue.

INTRODUCTION: Stamens are slightly protruding from the flower4. Seeds Erythrina variegata is cultivated throughout the tropics, are kidney shaped, dark purple to red and 1-1.5 cm in particularly as an ornamental tree and as a shade and soil length1. There are 1-8 smooth, oblong, dark red to almost improvement tree ( it fixes nitrogen ) for other tree crops black seeds per pod. Erythrina comes from the greek such as coffee and cocao1. Coral tree is indigenous to the word ‘eruthros’ meaning red, shows red flowers of the old world tropics, possibly originally from india to Erythrina species3. The plant has rich source of Malaysia, but is native or of ancient introduction west alkaloids. Total alkaloids found in the plant shows ward to Zanzibar and eastward to eastern Polynesia2. muscle relaxant activity and increase the sedative effects They can grow upto 60 feet in height 2-3. Leaves are of hexabarbital. The alkaloids extracted from the leaves trifoliate, alternate, rachis is mostly 10-20 cm long. are reported to have anti-inflammatory activity14. Flowers are bright red to scarlet, erect, terminal racemes 15-20 cm long.

37 Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 9(1): January- March, 2017

. Fig.1 – Erythrina variegata Fig.5 - Flower

Fig.2 - leaves Fig.6 - Seeds

HISTORY: E. variegata belongs to the family Fabaceae commonly known as the ‘Indian coral tree’ in Asia or ‘tropical coral’ in the Pacificis an important multipurpose tree species and thrives well in arid and semiarid region. . E. variegata is found in many tropical and subtropical regions10. Erythrina variegata is typically found on sandy soil in littoral forest, and sometimes in coastal forest up to 250m (800 ft) in elevation. The coral tree is cultivated particularly as an ornamental tree and as a shade and soil improvement tree ( it fixes nitrogen ) for Fig.3 – Bark other tree crops such as coffee and cacao. The most attractive type, var. variegata is grown for its variegatated leaves, as well as its seasonal showy red flowers. This fast growing, 50-60 feet tall and wide deciduous tree with green and yellow-variegated, 6-inch- long leaves create a broad canopy a broad but has spiny branches. In spring, before the leaves appear coral tree is decorated with showy red blossoms, each flower 2.5 inches long and arranged in dense, six-inch-long racemes. These blossoms are followed by 12-inch-long, red/brown seedpods which contain poisonous seeds2. Different parts of this plant have used in traditional medicine as nervine sedative, febrifuge, anti asthmatic and antiepileptic. The bark and leaves are used in many traditional medicines, including paribhadra, an Indian preparation said to destroy pathogenic parasites and Fig.4 – Stem 38 Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 9(1): January- March, 2017 relieve joint pain. Juice from the leaves is mixed with hydroxy pentadecyl)-coumarins, alyssinone, stigmodins honey and ingested to kill tapeworm, roundworm and A, B and C. Osajin , erythrabyssin I, Phaseollin, besides threadworm. It is also useful in opthalmia and skin isoquinoline and isococcolinine alkaloids5, 11-18. diseases. The leaves are used in fever, inflammation and joint pain. The juice of the leaves is used to relieve USES OF ERYTHRINA VARIEGATA AND ITS earache and toothache13. It has the reputation to stimulate PHARMACOLOGY : lactation and menstruation and is used as laxative, Different parts of the plant have been used in the diuretic and expectorant5-18. traditional system of medicine as a nervine sedative, collyrium in opthalmia, anti-asthmatic, antiepileptic, TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION: antiseptic and as an astringent5-18. Botanical name : Erythrina variegata Family : Fabaceae The leaves are laxative, diuretic, anthelnmintic, Sub family : Papilionaceae galactagogue, emmenagogue13,17. They are applied Kingdom : Plantae externally for depressing veneral buboes and for Divisions : Mangoliophyta relieving pain in joints,14. The fresh juice of the leaves is Classs : Mangnolipsida – Dicotyledons used for the relief of ear ache and as anodyne in tooth- Genus : Erythrina L- coral tree ache. The juice is also used for killing worms in sores. Species : Erythrina variegta L2-4. The paste of the leaf is applied externally to relieve pain in hernia and hydrocele. The paste of leaf is applied for MORPHOLOGY: ulcers12. Leaf juice said to cured long - standing Plant height : 50-60 feet dysmenorrhoea and also removed sterility in fatty Plant type : Thorny tree women by gradually reducing fat and produce natural Stem type : Soft, smooth, prickly stem. menstrual flow, if the medicine is being continued for Leaf type : Trifoliate ( 6 inches ) two or three months15,16. Leaf colour : Green Leaf surface : Smooth, shiny Bark is boiled for preparation of tears and baths for skin Flower : Dark red ( 2.5 inches ) diseases and impetigo16. Cooked rice soaked in steam Odour : Pungent bark extract for a day and then made into paste is given Bark : Brownish grey internally in menorrhagia. A decoction of the bark Seeds : kidney – shaped, dark purple to red scrapings with lemon juice for the treatment of Pollinators : Birds infertility11. The juice of the bark and that of moringa Propagation / collection : By seeds oleifera lam mixed with common salt is given internally Plant utilities : Medicinal, Industrial, Commercial in acute conditions of stomachache. Haemagglutinating plant3. activity has been reported in seed extract which specifically inhibits galactose and lactose11. VERNACULAR NAMES English name : Indian coral tree, Moochy wood tree. The seed trypsin inhibitors inhibit plasmin involved in Sanskrit : Mimbataru, Manalia. the blood coagulation and fibrinolytic system11. Bengali : Palita-madar, Palidhar. Hindi : Ferrud, Mandar, Pangra. The root extracts exhibits antimicrobial activity in vitro Telugu : Barijiamu , Modugo, Badchipa-chettu. against Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium Gujarati : Panarawas, Pararoo. megmatis14. Malayalam : Mooloomogrikah. Tamil : Murukku5, 11-18. MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF ERYTHRINA VARIEGATA : PLANT CHEMICALS: ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY: Erythrina variegata consists of the following Anti-inflammatory activity was observed in water, constituents identified from the aerial parts, it contains ethanol and ethylacetate extracts of Erythrina variegata alkaloids, proteins, a-erythroidine, hypaphorine, leaves on carrageenan - induced paw oedema in rats. isococcoline and erythritol. The plant is a rich source of Among the above three extracts, 400 mg/kg of Erthrina alkaloids. The bark also contains a number of alkaloids. variegata leaves extracts shown higher activity of about It also contains the isoflavones, erythrinins A, B and 80.55% than that of the standard Diclofenac19. osajin and alpinum isoflavone in addition to the styrene oxy resveratrol and the dihydrostilbene, dihydroxy resveratrol. Linear pyranoisoflavones, robustone and 4- omethylalpinium isoflavone are also isolated from the plant. The flowers contains erythritol, 7-methoxy 8-(15- 39 Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 9(1): January- March, 2017

HYPOGLYCEMIC AND HYPOLIPIDIMIC and the extract was found to be 4.0 and 204 minutes ACTIVITY : respectively. Like this, the onset and duration of sleep Hypoglycemic and hypolipidimic activity were observed was observed for each case. By the Student t-test in alcohol and aqueous root extracts of erythrina method, the sedative activity was found to be mild23. variegata Linn. in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced into Albino wistar rats by ANTI-CANCER ACTIVITY: intraperitoneal administration of alloxan. This study The methanolic extract of root bark of Erythrina indicated that both the extracts have potential to decrease variegata ( MEEV) against Dalton’s Ascitic Lymphoma blood glucose level as well as improves hypolipidemia (DAL) in swiss Albino mice. Two days after the animals and reduce the complications associated with the were treated with 250 and 500 mg/kg of MEEV for 8 experimental diabetes20. days. 5- fluorouracil (20 mg/kg) was used as reference drug. On day 11, cancer cell number, packed cell ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY : volume, decrease in tumor weight of the mice, increase Antimicrobial activity of methanolic, chloroform, in life span and haematological parameters were hexane and aqueous stem extracts of Erythrina variegata evaluated and compared with the same parameters in L. were analyzed against nine bacterial pathogens such control. A significant increase in life span and a decrease as Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas in the cancer cell number and tumor weight were noted aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiellasp., Proteus sp., in the tumor-induced mice after treatment with MEEV. Serratiamarcescens, Bacillus circulans, Staphylo The haematological parameters were also normalized by ccusaureusand five fungal pathogens viz. MEEV tumour induced mice. These observations are Aspergillusniger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Sclerotiumsp., suggestive of the protective effect MEEV against Rhizopoussp., Candida sp. Among all the strains, few Dalton’s Ascitic lymphoma24. strains like Serratiamarcescens, E.coli, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus circulanswas found to be more ESTROGENIC EFFECT: susceptible and among all the solvent extracts methanol The alcoholic extract of Erythrina variegata Linn. leaves showed promising antimicrobial activity. The results was evaluated by uterotrophic assay in 17 day old obtained in this study suggest that the stem extract of prepubertal female rats. The animals divided into 3 (n=6) Erythrina variegate L. has higher potential for use in the groups were treated for 7 days as follows Erythrina treatment of diseases caused by these micro-organisms21. variegata alcohol extract group 2. The extract treated group animals were sacrificed and the uterus and ovaries ANTI CONVULSANT ACTIVITY: examined for classical morphological and The Anticonvulsant activity for the ethanolic extract of histomorphometric changes induced by estrogen Erythrina variegata bark and leaf was evaluated on rats stimulation. Extract treatment increased the absolute and by using two anticonvulsant models such as MES normalized uterine weight, uterine diameter, endometrial induced convulsion in rat and PTZ induced convulsion in thickness, luminal epithelial cell height, diameter of mice. In Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and maximal ovary and the number of primary and secondary ovarian electroshock seizure (MTZ) models test parameters like follicles relative to vehicle control25. latency, onset of tonic convulsions, clonic convulsions and percent protection were observed in the different test SMOOTH MUSCLE RELAXANT: groups. In conclusion, the ethanolic extract of bark and Total alkaloidal fraction from bark caused smooth leaf of erythrina variegata has anticonvulsant effect in muscle relaxation of isolated rabbit ileum and inhibited both the models, suggesting their possible depressant spontaneous rhythmic contraction of isolated rat uterus action in the Central nervous system22. in concentraction of 0.5 – 2.0 mg/ml. Erythrina variegata behaves like a spasmolytic agent due to its SEDATIVE AND HYPNOTIC ACTIVITY: relaxing activity; therefore, it can play an important role The methanolic extract of the leaves was characterized in conditions like diarrhea or spasm or colic pain25. and indole alkaloids were found. The sedation was induced to the Albino rats by using the standard drug CONCLUSIONS: pentobarbital sodium injected intraperitoneally as well as Erythrina variegata is a multipurpose tree species the test drug and the righting reflex was observed. The widely used for food, non-food products and medicine. animals were divided into three groups numbered as 1, 2 Every part of the erythrina variegata tree is reported to and 3. The standard drug and the drug with the extract be useful. Erythrina variegata leaves, barks, roots, pulp was injected for the two groups 1 and 2 respectively and and seeds are used for various medicinal purposes in the third group is kept as control. The onset and duration many parts of world and it found to posses interesting of action was found to be 6.4 and 190.6 minutes for pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory, group 1 which was injected with drug alone. The onset hypoglycemic and hypolipidimic activity, antimicrobial and duration of action for the group injected with drug activity, anticancer activity, estrogenic activity and 40 Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 9(1): January- March, 2017 sedative hypnotic activity. 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