Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014; 4(Suppl 1): S22-S26 S22

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine

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Document heading doi:10.12980/APJTB.4.2014C872 2014 by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. All rights reserved. 襃 profile, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Avartani ( isora Linn.): A review * Nirmal Kumar , Anil Kumar Singh Department of Dravyaguna, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005,

PEER REVIEW ABSTRACT Peer reviewer are used as medicine since ancient time, in organized (Ayurveda, Unani & Siddha) and Prof. K.N.Dwivedi, Department of ( ) unorganized folk, native & tribal form.Helicteres In these isora systems, drugs are described either in Sanskrit Dravyaguna, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute ( ) or vernacular languages. Avartani Linn. is a medicinal plant etc.which is used in of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu several diseases. It is commonly known as Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani due to screw University, Varanasi-221005, India. like appearance of its fruit. Avartani is used as a folk medicine to treat snake bite, diarrhoea Tel: 91-8765550189 and constipation of new born baby. In the research, , hypolipidaemic, antibacterial E-mail: kndbhu@ gmail.com and antiplasmid activities, cardiac antioxidant, antiperoxidative potency, brain-antioxidation Comments potency, anticancer activity, antinociceptive activity, hepatoprotective activity, anti-diarrheal H. isora activity and wormicidal activity in this plant were reviewed. This is a good review done on which supports its wide range of therapeutic applications. This is further supported by planned research works carried out by different research workers of its antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, cardio protective, anti peroxidative, antibacterial, anti cancer, anti etc KEYWORDS nociceptive, hepatoprotective . Details on Page S25 Avartani, Ayurveda, Linn., Marodphali, Anti-diarrheal

1. Introduction Nighantu. This plant maybe comes from outside so that it is neglected by Ayurvedic authors. In the description Helicteres The definition of is a large of tropical of the Ayurvedic plant Murva, Avartani is also confused trees and shrubs (family ) with axillary with Murva, but later it is confirmed with a separate plant Marsdenia tenacissima flowers and fruits consisting of five twisted carpels. rather than Murva ( W. & A.). The Helicteres heliktēr Grewia The origin of is NL, fr. Gk es, pl. of leaf of Avartani shows similarity with Parushaka ( heliktēr helik helix asiatica anything twisted, fr. -, spiral. Isora is a Linn.). Japanese name for boys meaning God of the seashore[1]. Helicteres isora H. isora Avartani [ Linn. ( )] is a medicinal 2. Avartani (H. isora) plant which is used in several diseases. It is commonly etc. known as Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani due to H. isora screw like appearance of its fruit. It is not described The botanical name of Avartani is , which i.e. broadly in old text of Ayurveda, Samhitas and belongs to the family Sterculiaceae. It is commonly *Corresponding author: Dr. Nirmal Kumar (Junior resident), Department of Article history: Dravyaguna, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu Received 20 Jan 2014 University, Varanasi-221005, India. Received in revised form 3 Feb, 2nd revised form 8 Feb, 3rd revised form 13 Feb 2014 Tel: +91-9935466464 Accepted 2 Mar 2014 E-mail: [email protected] Available online 5 Apr 2014 Foundation Project: Supported by the Department of Dravyaguna, Banaras Hindu University with the code number- 0164. Nirmal Kumar and Anil Kumar Singh/Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014; 4(Suppl 1): S22-S26 S23 known as Murva, Avartani, Avartaphala in Sanskrit, A B Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani, Gomathi in Hindi, etc Kewad, Muradsheng in Marathi, (Table 1). The scientific H. isora classification of Avartani ( ) is shown in Table 2.

Table 1 Name of Avartani in different languages. Languages Names C D Sanskrit Murva, Avartani, Avartaphala Hindi Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani, Gomathi Marathi Kewad, Muradsheng Bengal Antmora Gujarat Maradashingh, Maradashinghi Tamil Balampari Telugu Guvadarra E F Kannada Pedamuri Malayalam Ishwarmuri Oriya Murmuriya English East India screw tree, Indian screw tree

Table 2

Scientific classification of Avartani. G Kingdom Plantae Class Angiosperms Sub-class Order Family Subfamily Helicteres Genus H. isora Figure 1. H. isora Species Different parts of Avartani ( ). A: A plant of Avartani; B: Flowering twig; C: Stem bark; D: Immature pod; E: A mature flower; F: A leaf; G: Mature pod of Avartani. 2.1. Occurrence and distribution 2.3. Ayurvedic guna (properties) and Ayurvedic karma Avartani is found distributed in dry forests throughout (action) Central and Western India, from Bihar as far West as Jammu and Western Peninsula. The Ayurvedic guna (properties) are given in Table 3. Ayurvedic karma are atisaraghna (anti-diarrheal), sula- 2.2. Description prashmana (analgesic), krimighna (wormicidal), rakta- shodhaka (blood purifier), Mutra-sangrahniya (urine [3] It is sub-deciduous small tree or shrub of about 1.5-3.0 conservative) . m height. Young branches are rough with scattered stellate Table 3 T hairs. he leaves are serrate, obliquely cordate or ovate, Ayurvedic guna (properties). shortly acuminate and rough above and pubescent beneath. Guna Laghu, Ruksha The flowers are solitary or in sparse clusters with red reflexed Rasa Kasaya petals, become pale-blue when old. The fruits are 5.0 cm long, Vipaka Katu greenish-brown, beaked and cylindrical with 5 spirally twisted Virya Sita carpels. The seeds are tubercled. 2.4. Folklore Fruits, seeds, bark and roots of the plant are used. The H. isora flowering time of is from April to December, and the fruiting time is from October to June[2] (Figure 1). In Konkan, the fruits are used as a remedy for snake bite. The fruits are used in diarrhoea as well as constipation of new born baby[4]. In the aqueous extract of its root, one Nirmal Kumar and Anil Kumar Singh/Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014; 4(Suppl 1): S22-S26 S24 teaspoonful tid is given for 3-7 d for the treatment of dog- from its root[11]. bite in Utter Pradesh[5]. Tribals of Singbhum district of Bihar use the fruits as an amulet in neck to treat disease of 4. Pharmacological activity malnutrition, which is locally known as Dubli disease among 4.1. Antioxidant activity children[6].

et al. Kumar reported the antioxidant and anticancer 3. Phytoconstituents activity using various solvent extracts (hexane, IPA and acetone) and crude protein[12]. Dot plot assay confirmed the 3.1. Fruit H. presence of antioxidant activity. Acetone fruit extract of isora showed 96.44% strong antioxidant activity compared et al. Satake isolated three new compounds which are 49- to hexane, and IPA. Acetone extract exhibited better O-b -D-glucopyranosyl rosmarinic acid (2), 4,49-O-di-b cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cells (NCI-H460); -D-glucopyranosyl rosmarinic acid (3) and 2R-O-(49-O-b whereas acetone and crude protein extracts showed activity -D-glucopyranosyl caffeoyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl), lactic against reactive oxygen species. The investigation revealed H. isora acid named as 49-O-b -Dglucopyranosyl isorinic acid (4) the antioxidant and anticancer activity of dried fruit were isolated together with rosmarinic acid (1) from the fruit extracts[12]. H. isora of (Sterculiaceae), an Indonesian medicinal plant[7]. 4.2. Hypolipidaemic activity The structures of these compounds, including the absolute stereochemistry of (4), were elucidated by spectroscopic et al analysis and chemical means. Compound (3) had greater Kumar . reported that the continuous treatment with H. isora scavenging activity against superoxide anion produced with the bark extract of brought down the above lipid xanthine and xanthine oxidase than rosmarinic acid (1)[7]. parameters in the diabetic rats to almost normal levels[13]. H. isora The effect of bark extracts of on serum high density 3.2. Leaves lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, very low-density H. isora lipoprotein has been studied. The treatment with et al. Ramesh resulted in the isolation and characterization bark extract carried down these lipoproteins in the diabetic 1 of a new methyl ether, 7,4 di-o-methyle rats to nearly normal levels. Cholesterol and phospholipids i.e. 1 P (5,8-dihydroxy-7,4 flavones) along with levels were significantly lowered ( <0.05) in streptozocin H. isora kaempferol-3-o-galactoside () and herbacetin-8-o- induced diabetic rats. But the treatment of bark H. glucoronide (hibifolin) from the leaves of isora[8]. extract significantly increased these erythrocyte cholesterol and phospholipids levels in the diabetic rats, which were 3.3. Stem bark normalized after 21 d of treatment. The ratio of cholesterol P and phospholipids was significantly higher ( <0.05) in Saraswatiibhai led to the identification of choloplast, streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The treatment of bark pigments, phytosterols, hydroxyl carboxylic acid, orange- extract reversed the increased levels of these lipid ratios and et al. yellow colouring matter, saponins, phlobotannis, sugar ang normalized soon after[13]. Boopathy Raja studied that H. isora lignins[9]. the fruit of has the active principle to counteract the hyperlipidemic condition occurring in streptozotocin 3.4. Seed induced diabetic rats[14].

4.3. Antibacterial and antiplasmid activities A preliminary study of phytoconstituents of seeds by Nair and Grampurohit showed the presence of phytosterols, fixed et al. H. isora oils and fats, phenolic compounds and tannins and amino Shriram reported organic extracts of as a acid and carbohydrates[10]. new and safe plasmid curing agent[15]. These finding resulted in the possibility of a new type of combination between 3.5. Root antibiotics and potential drugs effective against plasmid encoded multiple antibiotic resistance. The concentrations Cucurbitacin B and isocucurbitacin B have been isolated of the curing agents used in this study were sub inhibitory, Nirmal Kumar and Anil Kumar Singh/Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014; 4(Suppl 1): S22-S26 S25 H. isora since bacteria were already resistant to these concentrations demonstrated hepatoprotective activity against of compound. It can be assumed that bacteria are less likely carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in rats[20]. The to develop any mechanism to counter the plasmid curing parameters studied were serum total bilirubin, total protein, H. isora property of the acetone extract of [15]. alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase activities. Results of biochemical studies of 4.4. Cardiac antioxidant and antiperoxidative potency blood samples of CCl4 treated animals showed significant increase in the levels of serum markers and decrease in total et al. Kumar reported that the activities of cardiac protein level reflecting the liver injury caused by CCl4[20]. antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased in diabetic 4.9. Anti-diarrheal activity control rats[16]. They presented significant increases in the diabetic rats treated with hemagglutination inhibition (HI). Administration of HI to normal rats increased the antioxidant The fruits are demulcent and astringent and are useful in levels with no other significant differences. The effect the gripping of bowels and flatulence of children. The bark produced by HI was comparable with that of tolbutamide. is useful in dysentery and diarrhoea[21]. The results show that the antioxidant effect of aqueous p.o. 4.10. Wormicidal activity extract of HI (200 mg/kg, ) was significantly higher than that of in the tolbutamide treated rats[16]. The pods are fried and given to children to kill intestinal 4.5. Brain antioxidation potency worms[22].

et al. Kumar concluded that in diabetes, brain tissue was 5. Conclusion more vulnerable to oxidative stress and showed increased lipid peroxidation[17]. The above observation shows that H. isora the aqueous extract of bark of plant possesses Numerous studies have been conducted on different parts H. isora antioxidant activity, which could exert a beneficial action of Avartani ( ). A detailed and systematic study is against pathologic alterations caused by the presence of free required for identification, cataloguing and documentation of radicals in streptozocin diabetes[17]. plants, which may provide a meaningful way for promoting traditional knowledge of the medicinal herbal plant. 4.6. Anticancer activity

et al. Conflict of interest statement Varghese reported that the drug has a potent action against human breast cancer[18]. The cytotoxic activity of the drug is due to the presence of alkaloids and flavonoids. Our We declare that we have no conflict of interest. further plan is to isolate and evaluate these active principles and elucidate exact mechanism of action. Acknowledgements 4.7. Antinociceptive activity

The author is thankful with core of heart to Dr. Joshi et al. Venkatesh reported that the aq. ethanol, V.K., Dr. Diwedi K.N., Dr. Shivani Ghildiyal, Dr. Anjali petroleum ether and chloroform extract showed significant and Dr. Kanhaiya for valuable guidance. Supported by the antinociceptive activity. Phytochemical analysis of the Department of Dravyaguna, Banaras Hindu University with active extracts indicated that their major constituents are the code number- 0164. sterol, triterpenoids (petroleum ether extract), and their glycosides (chloroform and aqueous ethanol extracts) may be Comments responsible for observed pharmacological activity[19].

4.8. Hepatoprotective activity Background

This is a review article pertaining to well known medicinal et al H. isora, Chitra . reported that ethanolic root extracts of plant - used in Indian indigenous medicine for Nirmal Kumar and Anil Kumar Singh/Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014; 4(Suppl 1): S22-S26 S26 the treatment of abdominal colic, cough and other common [6] G irach RD, Aminuddin PA. Ehtenomedicinal uses of plants among Ethenobotany disorders. It is a need of present era to search remedies of the tribals of Singbhum district, Bihar, India. 1995; 7 common disorders by natural products. : 103-107. [7] S atake T, Kamiya K, Saiki Y, Hama T, Fujimoto Y, Kitanaka S, et Research frontiers Helicteres isora Chem al. Studies on the constituents of fruits of L. Pharm Bull 47 The present article makes acquainted with medicinal 1999; (10): 1444-1447. H. properties and useful therapeutic indications of the [8] R amesh P, Yuvarajan CR. A new flavones methyl ether from H. isora viz isora J Nat Prod 58 medicinal plant . - its use in snake bite, diarrhea, . 1995; (8): 1242-1243. etc H. constipation, malnutrition . It is better to encourage the [9] S araswatiibhai N. Chemical investigations of the stem bark of isora Bull Cent Res Inst Fukuoka Univ: Series E Interdisciplinary use of this naturally occurring plant and its parts in place of . Sciences synthetic drugs. 1954; 89-103. Helicteres [10] N air S, Grampurohit ND. Studies on an Ayurvedic drug Related reports isora ’ Linn[M]. India: SNDT Women s University; 1996. The treatise on Indian medicinal Several studies have been carried out regarding its use [11] C hatterjee A, Pakrashi SC. plants in varios disorders, and they are quoted by the authors in . Reprint. New Delhi: Publications and Information reference at the end of the article which support its rational Directorate; 1995. use in those disorders. [12] K umar TM, Christy AM, Ramya RC, Malaisamy M, Sivaraj C, Arjun Helicteres isora P, et al. Antioxidant and anticancer activity of Innovations and breakthroughs J Acad Indus Res 1 dried fruit solvent extracts. 2012; (3): 148-152. H. isora Helicteres commonly known as Avartani is used since many [13] K umar G, Murugesan AG. Hypolipidaemic activity of isora J centuries in India for treating various disorders such as L. bark extracts in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. etc. Ethnopharmacol 116 cough, abdominal colic, malnutrition Authors have 2008; (1): 161-166. ’ highlighted its therapeutic uses in today s context. [14] B oopathy Raja A, Elanchezhiyan C, Sethupathy S. Helicteres isora Antihyperlipidemicactivity of fruit extract on Applications Eur Rev Med streptozotocin induced diabetic male wistar rats. H. isora Pharmacol Sci 14 The review descirbed the use of and its different 2010; : 191-196. parts to be used in various disorders which is again proved [15] S hriram V, Jahagirdar S, Latha C, Kumar V, Dhakephalkar by many scientific studies quoted by the authors. P, Rojatkar S, et al. Antibacterial & antiplasmid activities of Helicteres isora Indian J Med Res 132 L. 2010; : 94-99. Peer review Helicteres isora [16] K umar G, Banu GS, Murugesan AG. Effect of bark H. isora This is a good review done on which supports extracts on heart antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in J Appl Biomed 6 its wide range of therapeutic applications. This is further streptozotocin diabetic rats. 2008; : 89-95. supported by planned research works carried out by different [17] K umar G, Banu GS, Murugesan AG, Pandian MR. Effect of Helicteres isora research workers of its antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, cardio bark extracts on brain antioxidant status and lipid Pharm Biol protective, anti peroxidative, antibacterial, anti cancer, anti peroxidation in streptozotocin diabetic rats. 2007; etc. 45 nociceptive, hepatoprotective (10): 753-759. [18] V arghese E, Narayanan SS, Gopal RV, Nair A, Chittethu AB, Helicteres Anson TA. Anticancer activity of chloroform extract of References isora Int J Pharm Technol 3 . 2011; (2): 2560-2564. [19] V enkatesh S, Laxmi KS, Reddy BM, Ramesh M. Antinociceptive Helicteres. Helicteres isora Fitoterapia 78 [1] M erriam Webster. USA: Merriam-Webster. [Online] activity of . 2007; (2): 146-148. Helicteres isora Available from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ [20] C hitra MS, Prema S. Hepatoprotective activity of Helicteres. Hamdard [Accessed on 31st July, 2013] Linn. against CCl4 induced hepatic damage in rats. Bhavaprakasha Nighantu Medicus 52 [2] C hunekar KC. . 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