A Review of Lagerstroemia Speciosa: Pride of India

Research Publisher: Manuscript central

Available Online at www.ijcrr.info International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review ISSN 0976 – 4852 https://doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr.v9i10.789 October, 2018|Volume 09|Issue 10| Section: Pharmacy A Review of Lagerstroemia speciosa: Pride of India

A.M.Deshpande*1 Mrunal K.Shirsat 1, G Jeyabalan1

1Sunrise University, Alwar Pharmacy College, Alwar. Rajasthan ,India

*Corresponding Author: A.M.Deshpande

Received: 2018-09-30; Accepted 2018-10-28,

Abstract:

Lagerstroemia speciosa (Lythraceae) has several common names, which reflect its attractive and colourful pink or purple flowers. Native to South and Southeast Asia, L. speciosa is a common ornamental tree planted along roadsides, and in gardens and parks. The species has been traditionally used in folk medicine as remedy for illnesses and ailments, particularly for lowering blood sugar level, reducing body weight, and as a remedy for diabetes. Lagerstroemia speciosa is commonly known as crape myrtle belonging to the Lythraceae family. Lagerstroemia speciosa or Banaba is a medicinal tree traditionally used to lower blood sugar in the body.The flower extracts of the species has some pharmacological properties like antioxidant and anit-microbial activities.whereas fruit extracts reported anti-nociceptive,anti-diabetic and xanthine oxidase inhibition,diuretic,decongestant activities and roots are applied for treating mouth ulcers. In addition to that bark is used to relieve the abdominal pains.The species also has essential metals like sodium, potassium,iron,zinc and magnesium which were clinically proved.Thus these reviews will emphasis on the phyto-constituents and biological activities of the plant which will heal and cure mankind for healthy living.

Keywords: Banaba, ellagitannins, corosolic acid, anti-diabetic

1. Introduction: Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. (Lythraceae) has a semi-deciduous small- to medium-sized tree with common names such as queen’s flower, queen of fluted bole, small buttress and slightly flaky bark. flowers, crepe myrtle and pride of India [1], which Leaves are obovate, simple and opposite. Borne on reflect its attractive and colourful flowers. large, axillary or terminal panicles, the attractive Synonyms are L. reginae, L. flos-reginae and L. pink or purple flowers are clawed with wrinkled loudoni. The species is locally known as arjuna in petals and yellow stamens (Figure 1). Fruits are India, bungur in Malaysia and Indonesia, ta-bak in large woody capsules with a persistent calyx and Thailand and banaba in the Philippines. seeds have an apical wing. L. speciosa is a common Native to South and Southeast Asia, L. speciosa is ornamental tree planted along roadsides, and in gardens and parks.

Fig 1: Lagerstroemia speciosa with pink (left) and purple (right) flowers. Traditionally, leaves, roots and bark of L. speciosa ellagitannins, ellagic acid, ellagic acid sulphate and have been used in folk medicine as remedy for four methyl ellagic acid derivatives, including various illnesses and ailments [2]. Leaves serve as a corosolic acid, gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, diuretic and decongestant, and have been used to 3- O-methyl protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, p- treat diabetes mellitus. Roots are applied for coumaric acid, kaempferol, quercetin and treating mouth ulcers. The bark is used as a isoquercitrin [10]. stimulant, febrifuge, and for relief of abdominal Ellagitannins are polyphenols that are abundant in pains. some fruits, nuts and seeds such as pomegranates, In the Philippines, L. speciosa leaves are consumed raspberries, strawberries, walnuts and almonds [11]. as herbal tea for lowering blood sugar level and They are derivatives of ellagic acid with biological reducing body weight, while in India, they are used properties such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti- as a remedy for diabetes [3]. The edible flowers are atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, anti- used for garnishing dishes or as ingredients in hepatotoxic, antibacterial and anti-HIV replication [4] salads, soups, desserts and drinks . Corosolic acid has been reported to decrease blood In recent years, herbal products such as Banabamin sugar levels within 60 min in human subjects [5]. and Glucosol TM have been developed from L. The compound also exhibits antihyperlipidemic, speciosa for use as anti-diabetic drugs, with antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antifungal, preliminary clinical trials conducted [5]. In general, antiviral, antineoplastic and osteoblastic activities. herbal products need to be standardised, be of The content of corosolic acid in L. speciosa leaves consistent quality and have their chemical in Thailand ranged widely from 0.01−0.75% w/w, constituents well defined, before reliable clinical depending on the sampling location and season [12]. trials can be conducted to derive consistent and Corosolic acid content in L. speciosa indicated that maximum beneficial therapeutic effects the red leaves contained more corosolic acid than [6] the green leaves and other plant parts such as petals, roots and seeds [13]. The leaf redness was due 2. Phytochemistry: to cyanidin 3-O- glucoside, identified in the species From the aqueous acetone leaf extract of L. for the first time. There was a strong correlation speciosa, six new monomeric and dimeric between the contents of corosolic acid and cyanidin ellagitannins (flosin A and B, and reginin A, B, C 3-O-glucoside. and D), and three new ellagitannins (lagerstannins From leaves of L. speciosa, a new triterpenoid [7-9] A, B and C) were isolated and identified . was isolated along with four known compounds of Further extraction of L. speciosa leaves with virgatic acid, corosolic acid, ursolic acid and β- aqueous acetone led to the isolation of seven sitosterol glucoside [14]. Both triterpenoids share

International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 9, Issue. 10, Page no: 20181-20185 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr.v9i10.789 Page | 20181 A.M.Deshpande et al. A Review of Lagerstroemia speciosa: Pride of India similar skeleton structure aside for one hydroxyl flavones have been identified from the leaves of L. methyl group. Using bioassay-guided speciosa. Recent isolation work reported four fractionation, valoneic acid dilactone and ellagic triterpenes (ursolic acid, corosolic acid, asiatic acid acid was isolated from the aqueous L. speciosa leaf and alphitolic acid), eight ellagic acids, one extract [15]. Six pentacyclic triterpenes (oleanolic coumarin and one neolignan [17]. Of the 14 acid, arjunolic acid, asiatic acid, maslinic acid, compounds identified, four are new to the genus corosolic acid and 2, 3-hydroxyursolic acid) were and family, and one new to the species. Some isolated from L. speciosa leaves [16]. triterpenes and ellagic acids isolated from To date, more than 40 compounds including L. speciosa leaves are shown in Figure 2 triterpenes, tannins, ellagic acids, glycosides and

Fig 2: Some triterpenes and ellagic acids isolated from leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa.

3. Pharmacology: of Streptococcus mutans using the agar well diffusion method [25]. Results showed significant 3.1 Antibacterial activity: inhibitory activity against cariogenic isolates with The antibacterial activity of leaves of L. speciosa zones ranging from 0.0−0.9 cm, 0.8−2.1 cm and has been reported. L. speciosa leaf powder extracts 1.0−2.6 cm for extract concentrations of 10, 25 and were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, 50 mg/ml, respectively. Flowers of L. speciosa Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and have also been reported to possess antibacterial [24] Escherichia coli with ampicillin as standard . activity. Methanol extract of flower was tested Based on the zone of inhibition, the water extract against S. mutans and S. aureus using the agar well was more effective than the ethanol extract. The diffusion assay [4]. The flower extract at 100 µl per inhibitory efficacy of methanol extract of L. well and 20 mg/ml concentration inhibited the speciosa leaves was tested against 12 oral isolates

International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 9, Issue. 10, Page no: 20181-20185 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr.v9i10.789 Page | 20182 A.M.Deshpande et al. A Review of Lagerstroemia speciosa: Pride of India bacteria with zones of inhibition ranging from 3.6 Cytotoxic activity: 1.8−2.5 cm and 2.3−2.8 cm, respectively. Using the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) lethality 3.2 Antiviral activity: bioassay, the ethanol fruit extract of L. speciosa [27] When tested for anti-human rhinovirus (HRV) showed prominent cytotoxic activity . Lethal activity in HeLa cells, orobol 7-O-D-glucoside concentration (LC50) was 60 µg/ml and LC90 was 100 µg/ml. (O7G) isolated from L. speciosa leaves showed broad-spectrum anti-HRV activity towards HRV of 3.7 Xanthine oxidase inhibition: [26] groups A and B . The inhibitory concentration Valoneic acid dilactone isolated from aqueous leaf (IC50) of O7G ranged from 0.58−8.80 μg/ml and extract of the cytotoxic concentration (CC50) was more than 100 μg/ml. The compound has great potentials to L. speciosa was reported to have potent inhibitory be developed into a potent anti-human rhinovirus effect on xanthine oxidase (XOD), suggesting its agent. potential in preventing and treating hyperuricemia [15, 28]. The inhibitory effect was non-competitive 3.3 Anti-inflammatory activity: and stronger than that of allopurinol, a clinical The anti-inflammatory activity of ethyl acetate and drug. XOD is the key enzyme in hyperuricemia as ethanol leaf extracts of L. speciosa had been it catalyses the oxidation of hypoxanthine to examined using the carrageenan-induced acute xanthine and subsequently uric acid. inflammation and formalin-induced chronic paw 3.8 Anti-obesity activity: oedema assays [19]. For both the acute and chronic inflammatory models, the ethyl acetate extract Significant reduction of body weight and significantly reduced inflammation in a dose- parametrial adipose tissue weight was observed in Y dependent manner, which was not observed in the obese female KK-A mice when fed with a hot [29] ethanol extract. water L. speciosa leaf extract . Although blood glucose levels and serum lipids were comparable 3.4 Antinociceptive activity: between the control diet and test diet groups, the At doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, the triglyceride content in the liver was reduced, ethanol L. speciosa fruit extract produced 46% and confirming the anti-obesity activity of L. speciosa. 70% writhing inhibition in young Swiss-albino mice, respectively [27]. The antinociceptive activity of the extract was found to be comparable to the 3.9 Anti-fibrotic activity standard drug of diclofenac sodium, which had The effect of ethanol leaf extract of L. speciosa on 84% inhibition at 25 mg/kg body weight. male albino Wistar rats with liver fibrosis induced [30] 3.5 Anti-diarrhoeal activity: by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was studied . Liver fibrosis was induced twice weekly by The anti-diarrhoeal activity was tested on young administration of CCl4 at a dose of 1 ml/kg body Swiss-albino mice with castor oil-induced weight, mixed with an equal volume of corn oil. [27] diarrhoea . The ethanol fruit extract of L. The extent of liver fibrosis was assessed by speciosa at 500 mg/kg body weight delayed the hydroxyproline content in the liver, level of diarrhoea from one to two hours. The anti- aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, diarrhoeal activity was comparable to the standard alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin in the serum, drug of loperamide at 50 mg/kg of body weight and by histological studies. Oral administration of with latent period of two hours. At 500 mg/kg body the extract at 100 mg/kg body weight reduced the weight, the extract was also found to decrease the hydroxyproline content in the liver, serum enzyme frequency of defecation. levels and total bilirubin. The liver deranged by CCl4 showed improvement following

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International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 9, Issue. 10, Page no: 20181-20185 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr.v9i10.789 Page | 20185