The Pharmacological and Therapeutic Importance of Agrimonia Eupatoria- a Review
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Vol 5|Issue 2| 2015 |112-117. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Science & Technology e-ISSN: 2248 – 9185 www.ajpst.com Print ISSN: 2248 – 9177 THE PHARMACOLOGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC IMPORTANCE OF AGRIMONIA EUPATORIA- A REVIEW Ali Esmail Al-Snafi Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Thi qar University, Nasiriyah, Iraq. ABSTRACT The phytochemical analysis of Agrimonia eupatoria revealed the presence of carbohydrates, glycosides, tannins, terpenoids, phenolic compounds (flavonoids), agrimony, agrimony lactone, oils and many other bioactive chemical groups. It exerted antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, analgesic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, gastrointestinal, hepatoprotective, wound healing and many other pharmacological effects. This paper will highlight the chemichal constituents and the therapeutic potential of Agrimonia eupatoria. Key words: Agrimonia eupatoria, Constituents, Pharmacology. INTRODUCTION sulcata Dulac, Agrimonia vulgaris Gray, Eupatorium The phytochemical analysis of Agrimonia dioscoridis Bubani [1]. eupatoria revealed the presence of carbohydrates, glycosides, tannins, terpenoids, phenolic compounds Taxonomic classification (flavonoids), agrimony, agrimony lactone, oils and many Kingdom: Plantae; Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae; other bioactive chemical groups. It exerted antibacterial, Infrakingdom: Streptophyta; Division: Tracheophyta; antiviral, antitumor, analgesic, antioxidant, Subdivision: Spermatophytina; Infradivision: immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, gastrointestinal, Angiospermae; Class: Magnoliopsida; Superorder: Rosanae; hepatoprotective, wound healing and many other Order: Rosales; Family: Rosaceae; Genus: Agrimonia; pharmacological effects. Species: Agrimonia eupatoria [2]. Synonyms Common names Agrimonia adhaerens Gilib., Grimonia Arabic: Ghafith, Ghafith Gowlani, Agramon, Fatron, adscendens Andrz., Agrimonia alba hort. ex Gizycki, Hasheesha Shulghafiz, Shajrat-el-baraghis, Shaukat-el- Grimonia bracteosa E.Mey., muntined; English: Agrimony, Stickle wrote, Cockleburr, Agrimonia canescens Dumort., Agrimonia elata Salisb., Stickwort; French: Agrimoine, Aigremoine, Eupatoire des Agrimonia eupatoria subsp. eupatoria, Grecs, Eupatoire des anciens; German: Ackermennich, Agrimonia eupatoria var. fallax Fiek, Agrimonia Adermennich, Beerkratu; Greek : Ipatorian Indochina: Chi eupatoria var. humilis (Wallr.) Asch. & Graebn., hao, Long gia, Long nha thao; Hindi: Ghaafis Guajarati: Agrimonia eupatoria var. longifolia Wallr., Agrimonia Tiryamau; Italian: Agrimonia, Eupatorio de Greci; Persian: eupatoria var. major Mutel, Agrimonia Ghafat; Roumanian: Turice, Turilamure; Russian: eupatoria var. major K.Koch, Agrimonia eupatoria Reneinik,Reniashok; Sanskrirt: Tiryatika, Loadev, var. minor (Mill.) Sol., Agrimonia eupatoria Balbhadra; Unani: Ghaafis; Urdu: Ghaafis [3-4]. var. ochroleuca Ostenf., Agrimonia eupatoria subsp. officinalis (Lam.) Gams, Agrimonia eupatoria Description var. rotundifolia Wallr., Agrimonia eupatoria var. The plant: is slim, erect leafy perennial herb. The stem is sepium Br‚b., Agrimonia eupatoria var. sylvatica Čelak., about 60-90 cm long, scarcely branched. The herbs deep Agrimonia humilis Wallr., Agrimonia minor Mill., green, covered with soft silky hairs and when slightly Agrimonia odorata auct.,p.p.408, Agrimonia officinalis bruised exhaling a peculiar, but pleasant aromatic odour. Gaterau, Agrimonia officinarum Lam., Agrimonia The whole plant yields a dye. Leaves: Leaves are pinnately Corresponding Author: Ali Esmail Al-Snafi E-mail: [email protected] 112 | P a g e Vol 5|Issue 2| 2015 |112-117. compound. Lower leaves 10-18cm; leaflets 6-21 in number The phytochemical analysis of the aerial parts of coarsely toothed, hairy on both surface very unequal, large the plant revealed the presence of carbohydrates, tannins, ones 5-9 elliptic, ovate or obovate rarely orbicular or terpenoids, phenolic compounds (flavonoids), agrimony, minute. 1.3-3.8cm intermixed with a number of much agrimony lactone, glycosides and oils [14-16]. Aerial parts smaller ones. Upper leaves gradually smaller and with few werealso contained 3% to 21% condensed tannins, leaflets. Stipules adnate to the base of leafstalk. Flowers: polysaccharides, triterpenoid ( α-amyrin, ursolic acid, Flowers very numerous 6.0mm in diameter, yellow in euscapic acid), silicic acid, salicylic acid, traces of essential colour and terminal spike-like racemes. Each flower in the oil, flavonoids, organic acids, ascorbic acid, nicotinamide axial of a small, 3-cleft bract and with two smaller, 3- complex (about 100-300 pg/g leaf), thiamine (about 2µg/g tootched bracteoles at the tops it stalk. Calyx-tube top- leaf) and vitamin K. The fresh herb contained shaped, grooved, bearing outside its mouth a ring of small, agrimoniolide, palmitic and stearic acids, ceryl alcohol, hooked bristles; limb 5-lobed. Petal 5, oblong. Stamen 15, phytosterols and volatile oil 0.2%. Seeds contained oil Carpels 2, free, enclosed within the calyx tube; styles thread consisted of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids [17-19]. like protruding; stigmas terminal, dilated; ovule solitary. The volatile constituents in the root and leaf of Achenes 1 or 2, in closed in the hardened bristly calyx Agrimonia eupatoria were included (% of the total): 훼- crowned with a ring of hooked bristles. Fruits and Seed: Pinene 8.31, Hexanal 0.05, 훽-Pinene 1.27, Camphene Fruits pendulous, of 1 or 2 achences in closed in the 3.21, 3-Octanol 0.27, Cymene 0.18 , D-Limonene 1.29, hardened spinous calyx. Calyx of fruits encircled with a Eucalyptol 3.26, 훼-trans-Ocimene 0.51, Linalool 5.72, thick whorl of hooked prickles, which attach themselves to 훼-Campholenal 0.72, L-Camphor 2.11, Borneol 0.07, 4- anything that comes in their way. Flowers appear in about Terpineol 1.47, 훼-Terpineol 4.21, p-Menth-1-en-4-ol July and August, soon after the seeds become mature. Each 0.06, Pulegone 0.17, 3,4-Dimethylbenzaldehyde 0.41, flower contains two seeds. It is astringent and bitter in taste 2,4-Dimethylbenzaldehyde 0.72, 2-Cyclopropylidene- (3,5-8). 1,7,7-trimethyl-bicyolo [2,2,1] heptane 0.52, 1-(2-Furyl)- 1-hexanone 4.87, Bergamot oil 1.42, Nonanoic acid Distribution: The plant is indigenous to middle and 0.06, 2-Methyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone 0.10, Thymol northern Europe, temperate Asia and north America [9]. 0.82, Carvacrol 0.44, Anethole 0.07, Bornyl acetate 3.72, Neryl acetate 0.47, Geraniol acetate 0.61, Furan,2,5- Traditional uses dibutyl 0.04, Decanoic acid 0.06, Eugenol methyl ether The name Agrimonia may have its origin in the 0.52, 훼-Cedrene 2.87, 훼-Longipinene 1.42, Greek (agremone), which refers to plants which supposedly Caryophyllene 0.81, 훽-Cedrene 0.14, Geranyl acetone healed cataracts of the eye. The species name eupatoria 0.84, Copaene 0.05, Longofolene 0.11, Aromadendrene relates to Mithradates Eupator, King of Pontus, who is 0.42, Curcumene 0.72, 훽-Selinene 0.92, 훼-Selinene credited with introducing many herbal remedies. Its ancient 0.47, 훿-Guaiene 0.61, 훼-Himachalene 0.13, 훼- uses include treatment for catarrh (mucous membrane Bisabolene 0.42, Acoradiene 0.23, 휏-Cadinene 0.43, inflammation with discharge), bleeding, tuberculosis and Cuparene 0.37, Myristicin 0.45, 훼-Guaiene 0.09, trans- skin diseases. It has been reported to be useful in Nerolidol 0.22, e-Cadinene 0.92, Caryophyllene oxide gallbladder disorders. Numerous other reported uses include 0.58, 훿-Cadinene 1.53, Cedrol 14.37, epi-Cedrol 1.15, a dye, flavoring, gargle for performers and speakers, Muurolol 0.46, 훼-Cadinol 1.43, Patchoulol 2.17, antitumor agent, astringent, cardiotonic, coagulant, diuretic, Epiglobulol 0.08, Cubenol 0.72, Cedryl acetate 0.76, sedative, antiasthmatic and for corns or warts [10-11]. It Torreyol 0.38, Farnesyl acetate 1.73, 훼-Eudesmol 0.06 was also used as anti-inflammatory, cholagogue, mild and 14-Trimethyl-2-pentadecanone 1.24 [20]. haemostatic, antibacterial, for irritations and infections of Kurkina found that the flavonoid content of the intestinal tract, gallbladder diseases, hyperacidity, colic, common Agrimony herb ranged from 1.22% to 1.40% [21]. urinary disorders (bedwetting, incontinence), sluggish liver, The flavonoids extracted from the plant were differ mucus membrane inflammations and externally for according to the source of the plant, Lee et al., isolated ten ulcerations [11]. flavonoids including kaempferol 3-O- -D-(200 - O- acetyl)glucopyranoside, tiliroside, astragalin, apigenin 7-O- Part used: All the parts of the herb were used medicinally -D-glucuronide, rutin, iso- quercitrin, quercitrin, luteolin 7- [9,11-12] O- -D-glucur- onide, and luteolin 7-O- -D-glucopyranoside [22]. However, the phenols isolated by Zhang et al., were Physicochemical properties included: apigenin-7-O-3-D-glucopyranoside, catechin, Total Ash: not more than 10%, acid insoluble ash: quercetin, rutin, kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside, not more than 2% and water soluble extractive: not less than Kampferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, lutcolin-7-O-beta- 12% [13]. D-glucopyranoside, 19alpha, 24-dihydroxy ursolic acid, 3,3'-di-O-mcthyl ellagic acid4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside Chemical constituents [23]. While, Correıa et al., isolated flavan-3-ols (catechin 113 | P a g e Vol 5|Issue 2| 2015 |112-117. and procyanidins B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, C1, C2 and respectively, while, the untreated wound needed more than epicatechin-epicatechin-catechin), quercetin 3-O-glucoside, 16 days for healing completion [14]. quercetin 3-O-galactoside, kaempferol 3-O-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-(6''-O-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside,