A Review on Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Significance of Terminalia Sericea Burch
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Review Article A review on ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, and pharmacological significance of Terminalia sericea Burch. Ex DC. Anuja A. Nair, Nishat Anjum, Y. C. Tripathi* ABSTRACT Terminalia sericea is an eminent medicinal plant endemic to Africa distributed across the Northern, Northwest, and Southern parts of the continent. As a multipurpose species, uses of T. sericea range from land improvements to medicine. The plant has been ascribed for its varied medicinal applications and holds a rich history in African traditional medicine. This article aims to provide an updated and comprehensive review on the ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, and pharmacological aspects of T. sericea. A thorough bibliographic investigation was carried out by analyzing worldwide accepted scientific database (PubMed, SciFinder, Scopus, Google, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) and accessible literature including thesis, books, and journals. The present review covers the literature available up to 2017. A critical review of the literature showed that T. sericea has been phytochemically investigated for its chemical constituents, and a diverse group of phytochemicals, namely, pentacyclic triterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, steroids, and alkaloids has been reported from different parts of the plant. Pharmacological studies of the plants revealed a wide variety of pharmacological properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-neurodegenerative, anticancer, antioxidant, and other biological activities. Based on the investigative report, it is concluded that T. sericea can a promising candidate in pharmaceutical biology for the development of new drugs and future clinical uses. Its usefulness as a medicinal plant with current widespread traditional use warrants further research, clinical trials, and product development to fully exploit its medicinal value. The review summarizing comprehensive information on T. sericea and possible scope for future research might be helpful for researchers for further research to find new chemical entities responsible for its claimed traditional uses and discover further therapeutic efficacies. KEY WORDS: Ethnomedicine, pharmacology, phytochemistry, Terminalia sericea, traditional uses INTRODUCTION plant species gave a new impetus to ethnomedicines, and during the past three decades, considerable works For centuries, the diversity of the plant kingdom has have been done on folk medicines. Although a number provided humanity with life-sustaining food and of medicinal plants are being used to bring about medicine. The use of medicinal plants in the treatment traditional cure of various diseases, many of them of both human and animal diseases is as ancient as are yet to be properly investigated and scientifically human civilization. A significant number of indigenous validated.[2] Terminalia is a genus flowering plant populations in many developing countries still rely under family Combretaceae comprising around 200 on medicinal plants to meet their health-care needs. species of trees and shrubs distributed throughout [3] During the past decade, traditional medical practices tropical region of the world. The generic name of have become a topic of global relevance and there has the genus is derived from the Latin Terminus meaning “boundary” referring to the fact that the leaves appear been renewed interest in the investigation of botanicals at the very tip of the shoots. The specific name sericea as sources of new drugs, building on traditional [1] comes from the Latin “Sericatus” that means “clothed knowledge about plant-based medicines. The recent in silken hair” and describes the downy foliage.[4] It is discovery of remarkable medicinal properties of several the second largest genus of the family Combretaceae.[5] Members of the genus Terminalia are widely used in Access this article online traditional medicine in several conditions across the world for the treatment of numerous disease including Website: jprsolutions.info ISSN: 0974-6943 abdominal disorders, bacterial infection, colds, sore Chemistry Division, Forest Research Institute, P. O. New Forest, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India *Corresponding author: Y. C. Tripathi, Chemistry Division, Forest Research Institute, P. O. New Forest, Dehradun - 248 006, Uttarakhand, India. E-mail: [email protected] Received on: 21-12-2017; Revised on: 23-01-2018; Accepted on: 12-03-2018 420 Journal of Pharmacy Research | Vol 12 • Issue 3 • 2018 Anuja A. Nair, et al. throats, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, fever, gastric ulcer, different parts of South Africa, the tree is known by hypertension, and skin disease.[6-9] different names viz, Kalunguti, Kalume-kakabesya, Mulila-nkonka, Namwinsyi in Bemba; Nakabesya, Terminalia sericea is an eminent medicinal plant Mugonono, Ngonono in Kunda;Gonondo, Mhalisi, endemic to Africa distributed across the Northern, Mpini, Mpulula, Nalins, Napini in Nyanja; Ngonono [10] Northwest, and Southern parts of the continent. in Tumbuka; Umangwe in Ndebele; Mangwe, As a multipurpose species, uses of T. sericea range Mukonono, Mususu, Mutabvu in Shona; Mususu in from land improvements to medicine. The plant has Venda and Amangwe in Zulu.[12] been ascribed for its varied medicinal applications and holds a rich history in African traditional medicine. BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION The plant has been phytochemically investigated for its chemical constituents, and a diverse group of T. sericea Burch. Ex DC. the silver cluster-leaf grows phytochemicals, namely, pentacyclic triterpenoids, to a height of about 9 m (30 ft) in woodland but isolated phenolic acids, flavonoids, steroids, and alkaloids trees can be up to 23 m (75 ft) tall. The bark is a grayish- has been reported from different parts of the plant. brown color and peels away in strips. The heartwood is Pharmacological studies of the plants revealed a dull yellow with brownish stripes, darkening with age. wide variety of pharmacological properties such It is clearly distinguished from the narrow sapwood.[13] as antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, anti- The grain is usually straight occasionally interlocked, inflammatory, anti-neurodegenerative, anticancer, texture moderately coarse, and uneven. The bluish- antioxidant, and other biological activities.[11] This green leaves, 5.5 × 1.5 cm but up to 12.5 × 4.5 cm, article aims to provide an updated and comprehensive simple, narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate-elliptic review on the ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, and arranged in spirals or clusters. They are ovate with pharmacological aspects of T. sericea. A thorough entire margins, and both the upper and lower surfaces bibliographic investigation was carried out by are clothed in silvery hair.[4,5] Petiole is 2–10 mm analyzing worldwide accepted scientific database and long while pale-yellow to creamy-white flowers are accessible literature. arranged in axillary spikes. Flowering takes place mostly in September–January. The fruits, a flattened TAXONOMY two-winged capsule, 3–4 × 1.7–2.5 cm, pinkish or purple brown in color are an oval nut surrounding by The detail taxonomic classification of the plant is as a flat wing.[4,5] They have an unpleasant smell and may follows: [3,4] be pollinated by flies. They may remain attached to the Kingdom: Plantae branch for a year and are dispersed by the wind. Fruits Unranked: Angiosperms sometimes become contorted and hairy as a result of Unranked: Eudicots the activities of parasitic insect larvae.[4] The tree is Unranked: Rosids a popular and effective traditional medicine, being Order: Myrtales commonly harvested from the wild for local use. It also Family: Combretaceae yields an edible gum, provides a range of commodities, Subfamily: Combretoideae and can be grown to improve and stabilize the soil. It Tribe: Combreteae Subtribes: Terminaliinae is an excellent pioneer species for restoring native Genus: Terminalia woodland. Species: Sericea Burch. Ex DC. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT SYNONYMS T. sericea is endemic to Africa from Tanzania and Terminalis angolensis O. Hoffm.; Terminalia fischerii the Democratic Republic of the Congo southward Engl.; Terminalia nyassensis Engl.; Terminalia to South Africa. The distribution of T. sericea brosigiana Engl. & Diels; Terminalia velutina Rolfe; spans across the North West Province, Northern Terminalia bubu De Wild.[3,4] Province, parts of Mpumalanga, Swaziland, and KwaZulu-Natal. Distribution within the rest of Africa COMMON NAMES includes Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania.[14] It The plant is commonly known as Cluster leaf, Yellow is usually found in the Sandy Savannah areas in the wood, Silver cluster-leaf, and Silver terminalia northern parts of South Africa.[12] In South Africa, in English. Further the plant is native to southern the plant species is abundantly available in the wild Africa, it is called as Vaalboom, Silwerboom, and distributed in Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, Bloubos, Bosvaal, Sandvolbos by Africans. In and North West Province.[15,16] It was among the top Journal of Pharmacy Research | Vol 12 • Issue 3 • 2018 421 Anuja A. Nair, et al. ten most traded medicinal and firewood plants in roots of T. sericea are used to treat bilharzia, colic, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.[17] It is also pneumonia, and diarrhea while leaves are used for distributed in Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, stomach disorders.[13] The tree has ecological value Namibia, and other African countries. as soil improver and for erosion control; it is locally