IJRPC 2014, 4(3), 496-500 Ahmad H Arbab et al. ISSN: 22312781
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PHARMACY AND CHEMISTRY
Available online at www.ijrpc.com Review Article
REVIEW ON ANOGEISSUS LEIOCARPUS A POTENT AFRICAN TRADITIONAL DRUG Ahmad H. Arbab Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
ABSTRACT Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC.) is belong to the family combretaceae ,Many secondary metabolites including flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, and triterpenes etc. have been isolated from this plant. it is used in several traditional medicines in Africa to cure various diseases. A. leiocarpus possess antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antiplasmodial, trypanocidal,Leishmanicidal, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity. The presented review summarizes the information concerning the botany, constituents,traditional uses, biological activity and toxicity of the plant.
Keywords: Anogeissus leiocarpus, constituents, traditional uses, pharmacological studies.
INTRODUCTION Plant taxonomy Herbal preparations represent one of the Binomial name: - Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC.) important traditionalmedicine therapies and it Gill & Peer is still the mainstay of about 80% of the Synonyms:-AnogeissusschimperiHochest. Ex worldpopulations, mainly in the developing Hutch.& Dalz. countries for primary health care1. It has been ConcarpusleiocarpusDC. estimated that 25% of the modernmedicines Family: - Combretaceae are made from plants first used traditionally. English name: African birch, The reasons for this are complicated, Vernacular names: - Fung dialect: Al-Selak. probablystem from the ability of the plant to Arabic: EL-Sahab4 produce structurally diversemolecules, these molecules are made from renewable resource Botanical description of raw by eco-friendly process1. Among Anogeissus leiocarpus is a deciduous tree several factors contributing towards the species that cangrow up to 15–18 m of height potential use of phytomedicine are safety, lack and measure up to 1 m diameter. Bark of adverse reactions and side effectswhich greyish, scaly. Branchesoften drooping and have been mostly found to particularly slender, leaves alternate, ovate –lanceolate in influence the use of suchmedicines in shape,2-8 cm long and 1.3-5 cm across. The developed countries2. In rural areas there leaves are acute at the apex andattenuate at areadditional cultural factors that encourage the base, pubescent beneath. Inflorescence the use of herbalpreparations, people believe globose heads, 2cm across, yellow; the that where an area give rise to a flowers are bisexual, petals absent. Fruits particulardisease it will also support plants that areglobose cone like heads; each fruit is can be used to cure it, also hundredof primary broadly winged, dark grey, 3cmacross. It health care centers which are intended to canreproduce by seeds as well as vegetative serve rural areaswhich lack staff, diagnostic propagation4,5. facilities and adequate supplies of medicines3.
496 IJRPC 2014, 4(3), 496-500 Ahmad H Arbab et al. ISSN: 22312781
Distribution and habitat using agar diffusion assay againstbacteria Anogeissus leiocarpus is typical element of responsible for infections caused by multi-drug woodlands and savannas of the Sudanian resistantPseudomonas aeruginosaand regional centreof endemism.It has large methacillin resistant ecological distribution rangingfrom the Staphylococcusaureuswere carried out, and boarders of Sahara up to the out layer humid the results showed that most of theactivities tropical forests.InWest Africa, from Senegal to were associated with the methanolic and Cameroon and extends to Ethiopia andEast aqueous extract, withsome activities being Africa. It grows in dry forests and gallery associated also with ether and chloroform forests 5,6. fractions17.The aqueous andmethanol extract of the Bark, Fruit, and leaves showed high Traditional Uses activity against standardStaphylococcus Many traditional uses have been reported for aureus , Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas the plant. In Sudanese traditional medicine the aeruginosaandBacillus subtilisand clinical decoction of the barks isused against cough4. isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Rural populations of Nigeria use sticks for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas orodental hygiene, the end of the sticks are aerugenosaand Proteus vulgaris.Chloroform chewedinto fibrous brush which is rubbed extract exhibited practically no activity against against teeth and gum7. Ivory Coast traditional all standardorganisms11.Theethanol extract of practitioners use the plant for parasiticdisease stem bark ofAnogeissus leiocarpus inhibited such as Malaria, Trypansomiasis, the growth of standard strains Helminthasis and dysenteric syndrome8 In ofStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Togolese traditional medicine itused against Pseudomonas aeruginosaandCandida fungal infections such as dermatitis and albicans18. 3,3,4-Tri-o-methylflavellagic acid Mycosis, also thedecoction of leaves is used glucoside isolated from bark possesses against stomach infections9. The plant is also antimicrobialeffect on Staphylococcus aureus, used for the treatment ofdiabetic ulcersgeneral Escherichia coli, Pseudomonasaeruginosa body pain, blood clots, asthma,coughing and and Candida albicans19. A studyconducted in tuberculosis10. Togo to investigate Antifungal activity of Anogeissusleiocarpus against 20 pathogenic Chemical Constituents fungi demonstrated that hydroethanolicextract Preliminary phytochemical screening of the possesses in vitro antifungal properties, their Anogeissusleiocarpusstem bark for the major MIC were in arange of 0.25-4mg/ml9. secondary constituents showed that,the plant was rich in tannins and having appreciable Anthelmintic activity quantities offlavonoids, terpenes and A research in conducted to investigate in vitro saponins, however it was devoid of Anthelminticpotential of crude ethanolic leaf alkaloidsand anthraquinones11,12. Polyphenolic extracts of Anogeissus leiocarpusrelative to compoundssuch as 3,3,4-tri-Omethylflavellagic that of the commercial Anthelmintic acid, 3,3,4-tri-O-methylflavellagic acid-4--D- febendazole against eggsand infective larvae glucoside, gentisic, protocatechuic, gallica of Haemonchuscontrotus indicated significant cids, chebulagic acid, chebulinic acid and dose dependant inhibition of egg hatch and ellagic acidwere isolated.Flavogallonicacid larval motility. The potency of theplant extract bislactone, castalagin and ellagic acid were was comparable to that of febendazole, the isolated from the bark13-15. Eight flavonoids, finding suggeststhat this plant could yield namely, 4H-1-Benzopyran-4-one, 7-[(6-deoxy- natural alternative treatment for α-Lmannopyranosyl)oxy]-5-hydroxy-2-(4- Haemonchuscontrotus20. Studyconductedin hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl),cathecin, quercetin, sheep naturally infected with gastrointestinal isoquercetin , rutin, vitexin, kaempferol , and nematodiasis has found that aqueous leaf procyanidin B2 were isolated from the leaves extract of the plant produceddose dependant of the plant Five triterpens and triterpene reduction in the feacal egg count in the treated glycosides were isolated, namelysericoside, its groupswhen compared to the untreated related aglyconesericic acid, rachelosperoside; controls. The results revealed that therewas itsrelated aglyconerachelosperogenin, and reduction in the number of worms recovered arjungenin16. from gastrointestinal tract of sheep treated with 400mg/kg of the extract for three days Pharmacological Studies than the untreated control21. In a recent study, Antimicrobial activity administrationof ethanolic extract of the roots A study of in vitro antibacterial activity of induced a moderate fecal egg reduction (81 Anogeissusleiocarpus was done in Nigeria %) and adult worm-burden reduction (87 %)
497 IJRPC 2014, 4(3), 496-500 Ahmad H Arbab et al. ISSN: 22312781 against Haemonchuscontortusand Trichostrongyluscolubriformis(82 %). Theplant Leishmanicidal activity exhibited high efficacy against adult The aqueous, butanol, ethyl acetatefractions Strongyloïdespapillosus(100 %), of the methanol extract of Anogeissus Gaigeriapachyscelis(90 %), leiocarpus were screened for in vitro Cooperiacurticei(100 %), and leishmancidal activity using four strains of Oesophagostomumcolumbianum(95 %)but promastigotes of leishmania, the best low efficacy against Trichostrongylusaxei(67 leishmanicidal activity was associated with the %) and Trichurisglobulosa(79%).22 aqueous and butanolic fractions; Castalagin Anogeisusleiocarpuscould find a potential isolated from these fractionsas compared to all application in the control of parasities. the isolated compounds displayed the best leishmanicidal activity followed by flavogallonic Antiplasmodial activity acid14. A study to evaluate antiplasmodial activity of plant traditionallyused for malaria in Ivory Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities Coast showed that the strongest in Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the vitroantiplasmodial activity was found in the plant were investigated for their1,1-diphenyl-2- dichloroethane extract ofAnogeissus picryl hydrazyl(DPPH) free radical scavenging leiocarpus leaves, comparable to activity activity and Ferric reducing antioxidant power reported inliterature for ethanolic extract of (FRAP). The results revealed thatplants Artemisia annua. The study showed exhibited scavenging ability and strong that biological efficacy of the plant extract is reducing ability26-28. Additionally the methanol not due to in vitro cytotoxicity23. In another extract of the stem bark of the plant was study against chloroquine resistant strain of reported to have strong in vivo antioxidant, Plasmodium falcipru mit was concludedthat hepatoprotective and ameliorative actvities on methanol extract of leaves and roots of the hepatocellular injury following pre-treatment or plant were stronglyactive against malaria in post-treatment with carbon tetrachloride this in vitro model8. Thebutanol, ethyl acetate (CCl4).Therefore it may have a protective and methanol extracts of Anogeissus effects on human carcinogenesis, diabetes, leiocarpus stem bark were screened for in vitro asthma, atherosclerosis, and other antiplasmodial activity; the better activity was degenerative diseases that are associated found in the butanol fraction of the plant13. The free radicals29. This activity can be attributed methanolic extract has high antimalarial to flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins. activities, and capable of boostingHDL level in malaria-infected organisms24. Toxicological studies The resultof the investigation of oral acute Trypanocidal activity toxicity of the aqueous leaf extract of the plant A research to evaluate in vitro trypanocidal in rats revealed no death with oral doses up to effect of Anogeissusleiocarpus root methanol 3200 mg/kg body weight; however the rats extract against Trypansomabrucei and showed signs of depressionand in appetence, Trypansomacongolenseat concentrations of while using intraperitoneal route rats showed 4mg/ml, 2mg/ml and0.4mg/ml was carried, dosedependant signs of toxicity ranging from caused cessation or reduction in motility of in appetence, depression, unsteady gait, theparasites in extract treated blood compared tremor and respiratory distress to death. No to that of parasite loadedcontrol blood without gross changes were observed in rats that died extract taken as a measure of trypanocidal followingextract administration. activity. It was found that there is only slight Histopathological changes were also not reduction in motility in T.congolenseand observedin all organs except the lung which drastically reduced motility in showed congestion, oedema and bronchitis. T.bruceicompared tocontrol25. Methanol These results suggest that the aqueous leaf extract of leaves, roots and stembarks of the extract of the plantcould be used with some plant showed interesting in vitro degree of safety especially by oral route30 trypanocidalactivity8. The aqueous, butanol Earlier study found that the extracts of the fractions of the methanol extract of plant were lethal tomice within five seconds Anogeissus leiocarpus were associated with after intravenous injection of 8mg/kg invitro trypanocidal activity against four strains bodyweight and within 60 seconds after of Trypanosomaspecies.; Castalagin isolated intraperitoneal injection of 20mg/kgbody from these fractions showed trypanocidal weight. Doses of 50mg/kg given orally activity on both, the human and domestic produced no detectabletoxicity, the post animal pathogens causing trypancomiasis13. mortem result of the dead mice showed no
498 IJRPC 2014, 4(3), 496-500 Ahmad H Arbab et al. ISSN: 22312781 pathologicalchanges in the organs and 8. Okpekon T. Antiparasitic activities of viscera7. medicinal plants used in Ivory Coast. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004;90(1):91-7. CONCLUSIONS 9. Batawila K. Antifungal activities of five The present review emphasizes the Combretaceae used in Togolese knowledge on the plant Anogeissus traditional medicine. Fitoterapia. leiocarpus, its botany, habitat, constituents, 2005;76(2):264-8. traditional uses and biological activities. The 10. Victor YA. In-Vitro Assessment of leaves, roots and barks of the plant have many Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities bioactive phytoconstituents. Constituents of of Methanol Extracts of Six Wound the plant include flavonoids, tannins, phenolic Healing Medicinal Plants. Journal of acids, and, triterpenes,properties as shown in Natural Sciences Research. the different biological models. The biological 2013;3(1):74-82. research has supported the use of the plant in 11. Elegami AA. Antimicrobial activity of traditional medicines or revealed the new some species of the family activities. Reasonably it can be concluded that Combretaceae. Phytother Res. the plantseems to be potential in various 2002;16(6):555-61. activities, so it can be further explored to find 12. Salau AK, Yakubu MT and Oladiji AT. an application in the control of animal or Cytotoxic activity of aqueous extracts human disorder. of Anogeissus leiocarpus and Terminalia avicennioides root barks REFERENCES against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma 1. Kamboj VP. Herbal medicine. Current cells. Indian Journal of Pharmacology. Science. 2000;78(1):35-39. 2013;45(4):381-385. 2. Renckens CNM and Dorlo TPC. 13. Shuaibu MN. Trypanocidal activity of Please, let not Western quackery extracts and compounds from the replace traditional medicine in Africa. stem bark of Anogeissus leiocarpus Tropical Medicine and International and Terminalia avicennoides. Health. 2013;18(2):242-244. Parasitology Research. 2008;102(4): 3. Pal SK and Shukla Y. Herbal 697-703. medicine. current status and the 14. Shuaibu MN. Castalagin from future. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. Anogeissus leiocarpus mediates the 2003;4(4):281-8. killing of Leishmania in vitro. 4. El Ghazali GEB, Abdalla WE, Khalid Parasitology Research. HE, Khalafalla MM and Hamad AA. 2008;103(6):1333-1338. Medicinal Plants of the Sudan, part V, 15. Shuaibu MN. The use of “Medicinal Plants of Ingassana Area. microfluorometric method for activity- Sudan. National Centre for Research, guided isolation of antiplasmodial 2003. compound from plant extracts. 5. Ouedraogo A, Kakai RG and Parasitology Research. Thiombiano A. Population structure of 2008;102(6):1119-27. the widespread species, Anogeissus 16. Chaabi M. Triterpenes and leiocarpa (DC.) Guilt. & Perr. across polyphenols from Anogeissus the climatic gradient in West Africa leiocarpus (Combretaceae). semi-arid area. South African Journal Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. of Botany. 2013;88:286-295. 2008;36(1):59-62. 6. Hennenberg KJ. Size-class 17. Taiwo O, Xu HX and Lee SF. distribution of Anogeissus leiocarpus Antibacterial activities of extracts from (Combretaceae) along forest-savanna Nigerian chewing sticks. Phytother ecotones in northern Ivory Coast. Res. 1999;13(8):675-9. Journal of Tropical Ecology. 18. Kubmarawa D. Preliminary 2005;21:273-281. phytochemical and antimicrobial 7. Rotimi VO. Activities of Nigerian screening of 50 medicinal plants from chewing stick extracts against Nigeria. African Journal of Bacteroides gingivalis and Biotechnology. 2007;6(14):1690-1696. Bacteroides melaninogenicus. 19. Adigun JO, Amupitan JO and Kelly Antimicrob Agents Chemother. DR. Isolation and investigation of 1988;32(4):598-600. antimicrobial effect of 3,4,3 '-tri-O- methylflavellagic acid and its glucoside from Anogeissus leocarpus.
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