Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical www.jmpas.com And Allied Sciences ISSN NO. 2320 - 7418

REVIEW ARTICLE Correspondence A REVIEW ON ETHNIC Pallab kalita Institute of pharmacy, down OF ASSAM (INDIA) town university, Guwahati AND THEIR Assam, India. ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITY. [email protected] Keywords Kalita Pallab1*, Deka Satyendra 1, Sharma Rama Kanta 2 Antioxidant, free-radical, reactive nitrogen species.

1. Institute of Pharmacy, Assam down town University, Received Assam, India. 01 November 2014 2. Department of RS & VK, Govt. Ayurvedic College, Assam, India. Reviewed 06 November 2014 Accepted 08 November 2014

ABSTRACT Antioxidants are free-radical scavengers that provide protection to living organisms from damage caused by reactive oxygen species. Although almost all organisms possess antioxidant defence and repair systems but these systems are insufficient to cope over entire damage. So, dietary antioxidant supplementation is a promising mean to strengthen the antioxidant defence and repair systems. The aim of this study is to review some of plants of Assam having antioxidant activity. Assam is rich in medicinal plants and the pharmacological activity of various plants is not yet studied scientifically. Such type of study will give proper information about those plants and that will be beneficial to the society.

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 20

INTRODUCTION including cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases and other Now a day, medicinal plants are getting disorders. Oxidative stress, pollution, popularity and great demand to prevent and smoking, easy life styles and many factors treat of the complex diseases like are working as a fuel in the generation of the atherosclerosis, stroke, diabetes, diseases. Oxygen is needful to survive a life. Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, antioxidant- But inhaled oxygen, after mixing with the based drugs are now tremendous demand in blood, it generates the energy and free the market. So, different companies are radical as a form of bi-products under cells. making formulations with the herbs, which Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive are showing the anti-oxidant activity (1). nitrogen species (RNS) are the by-products Medicinal plants are easily accessible, resulting from the cellular redox process. affordable and culturally appropriate sources Reactive species exert beneficial effects on of primary health care. Treatment of cellular redox signalling and immune diseases like cancer, diabetes etc. is not easy function at low or moderate levels, but at for the poor family due to high coast of the high concentrations, they produce oxidative treatment. Now a time, there is widespread stress, a harmful process that can damage interest to promote the traditional health care cell function and structures responsible for systems to meet primary health care needs. varieties of Major diseases (3). Anti Coast of modern synthetic medicines is very oxidants are the substances, which reduce high and governments find it increasingly the oxidative stress to damaging the free difficult to meet the cost of pharmaceutical- radicals. Diseases are occurring due to the based health care (2). As it is not possible to Oxidative stress. Primary sources of discuss all the plants which are used naturally occurring antioxidants are whole traditionally in Assam for Diabetic grains, fruits and vegetables. sourced treatment. Only ten plants are chosen in this antioxidants have been recognized as having paper. the potential to reduce disease risk. Most of Antioxidant compounds in food play an the antioxidant compounds in a typical diet important role as a health- protecting factor. are derived from plant sources and belong to Scientific research suggests that antioxidants various classes of compounds with a wide reduce the risk for chronic diseases variety of physical and chemical properties.

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 21

The main characteristic of an antioxidant is availability is more in rainy forest area of its ability to trap free radicals. From a wide Assam. This plant typically found in tropi- variety of sources highly reactive free cal regions and used for various purposes in radicals and oxygen species are formed in to traditional medicine in several countries. In the biological systems. Oxidiation occurs in India and West Africa for example, it is used nucleic acids, proteins, lipids or DNA by against snake bites. The main influence of free radical and can initiate phytoconstituent of the mucuna is levodopa. degenerative disease (4). Antioxidant Levodopa is a substance used as first-line compounds like phenolic acids, polyphenols treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). and flavonoids, scavenge free radicals such Nicotine, physostigmine, serotonin, as peroxide, hydro peroxide or lipid peroxyl bufotenine, choline, N, N - dimethyl - and thus inhibit the oxidative mechanisms. tryptamine and some indole compounds are The free radical scavenging activity of others components of mucunapruriens. It is antioxidants in different herbs has been also used as a uterine stimulant and substantially investigated and reported by aphrodisiac. Longhi et al. studied the the researchers. Now a time, government antioxidant activity by using three different give more attention to cultivate the ethnic methods: the reduction of the plants of a region, which are traditionally phosphomolybdenium complex, the used to recover from a disease. As it is not reduction of radical 1,1-diphenyl-2- possible to discuss all the plants which are picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and the formation easily found in Assam for treatment of of radical monocation ABTS•+, from the various diseases with antioxidant activity. acid [2-2’-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline- Some plants are chosen in this paper. 6- sulfonate)](invitro). The plant showed the Antioxidant activity of traditionally used antioxidant activity (4). medicinal plants: Urtica crenulata Mucuna pruriens - Urtica crenulata Roxburgh (Syn: Laportea Mucuna pruriens (L). Dc is a plant of the crenulata, Gaud) locally known as Sorat, is family, commonly known as an evergreen shrub that is widely distributed velvet bean, itchy bean, chiporro bean, to Assam. Normally this plant is widely mucuna, among others. Mucuna pruriens, is distributed to Bangladesh, India, Srilanka known as bandor kekoa in Assam. The and Malay island .It is 3.7 m tall, branchless

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 22 spreading and semi woody with elliptic, Malaysia and Thailand. In Assam the flower oblong or obovate-lanceolate rarely rhombic of Mesua ferrea is known as nahor phul. For leaf. In Assam, it is known as sorat. The the treatment of cough, dysentery, vomiting, different parts of the herbs having varieties sore throat and fever its barks are used. of phytoconstituents as formic acid, Their flowers are showing astringent and mucilage, ammonia, carbonic acid, protein, stomachic activity. Combination of leaves calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and and flowers, are used for the treatment of beta-carotene, along with vitamins A, C, D, snake bite and scorpion sting. In the and B complex. from the roots of Urtica treatment of rheumatism, the seed oil is crenulata recently a new triterpenoid 2alpha, used. The antioxidant activity of the 3beta, 21beta, 23, 28-penta hydroxyl 12- essential oil of M. ferrea leaves was oleanene and two known compounds, beta- determined spectrophotometrically using the sitosterol and beta-sitosterol 3-beta-D- DPPH radicals scavenging assay. The glucopyranoside have been isolated .Gaud essential oil showed antioxidant activity Antioxidative activity of U. crenulata stem with the IC50 of 31.67 mg/mL (7). extract was measured by different Brassica juncea procedure. DPPH free radical scavenging The botanical name of rajika is Brassica method stem extract showed minimum juncea and it belongs to family significant amount of DPPH free radical Brassicaceae. In assam, the plant is called as scavenging effect compared to ascorbic acid. lai sak. From the seeds of the Brassica Percent (%) scavenging activity or % juncea, mustard oil made is called brown inhibition was plotted against log mustard, which are used for medicinal concentration and from the graph IC50 purpose as well as food, since centuries. (Inhibition concentration 50) value was This plant produces tiny yellow colored calculated by linear regression analysis. flowers, which almost cover the plant. This IC50 value of ascorbic acid and stem extract plant having diuretic, emetic, rubefacient, was found 14.72 μg/ml and 1468.9 μg/ml, and stimulant activities. Apart from the respectively (6). medicinal value this plant also used in allied Mesua ferrea field such as kitchen, phytomedicine, Various parts of the plant are used general medication for its medicinal value. It medicinally in India, Pakistan, Indo-, also contains brassica sterol, free

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 23 campesterol , sitosterol , esterified -5- Spiny amaranth or Pig weed, is an annual or avenasterol, and a trace of -7-stigmasterol. perennial herb found throughout India as a glucosinolate and the enzyme myrosin , weed in cultivated as well as fallow lands . sinapic acid; sinapine ,fixed oils consisting in assam this plant in known as khutura sak. mainly of glycerides of erucic, eicosenoic, Though whole plant is used as laxative, the arachidic, nonadecanoic, behenic, oleic, and root are regarded as highly specific for colic. palmitic acids, among others; proteins and Traditionally boiled leaves and roots of mucilage are the active constituents. The Amaranthus spinosus are given to children seeds extract of brasica juncea were as laxative. the plant is having medicinal evaluated for their hydroxyl radical value as diuretic, antidiabetic, antipyretic, scavenging by using DNA nicking assay (8). anti-snake venum, antileprotic, and anti- Ipomoea eriocarpa gonorrheal.the plant is used as an Ipomoea eriocarpa R.Br. (Family: expectorant and to relieve breathing in acute Convolvulaceae) often called annual bronchitis In Malaysia. The plant also morningglories, are summer annual or showing the anti-inflammatory properties, perennial broad leaf plants.The plant is immunomodulatory activity, anthelmintic occasionally consumed as an edible leafy properties. To induce abortion some tribes vegetable or mixed with other food in of india, are frequently used this plant. In Assam and is commonly known as vitro antioxidant activity was determined by “Kolmow” by them. In the treatment of DPPH, superoxide, hydroxyl radicals, headache, rheumatism, leprosy, epilepsy, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide ulcers and fevers, the extract of ipomoea scavenging methods. In the study it was ericarpa is used traditionally. The found that the plant having the antioxidant antioxidant activity of Petroleum Ether activity (11). Extract of Ipomoea eriocarpa whole plant ghaesembilla (PEIE) was evaluated. The plant extract was The plant Anti-desma ghaesembilla Gaertn tested for DPPH radical scavenging, and (), which has been reported reducing power assays (9, 10). to have various medicinal properties. The Amaranthus spinosus- plant is used to treat disease like diabetes. Amaranthus spinosus Linn. The methanolic leaf extract of Antidesma (Amaranthaceae) commonly known as ghaesembilla having antioxidant activitiy.

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 24

Antioxidant activity was determined by using conventional in vitro models like the DPPH, superoxide, hydroxyl radicals, reducing power assay, hydrogen peroxide hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide scavenging assay (13). scavenging methods. In the study it was Trichosanthes dioica roxb found that the plant having the antioxidant Trichosanthes, a genus of family activity (12). Cucurbitaceae is an annual or perennial herb Mirabilis jalapa distributed in tropical Asia, Polynesia, & Mirabilis jalapa has been extensively used Australia. Over 20 species are recorded in in almost all folklore remedies around the India of which two namely T. anguina & T. world for treating a variety of conditions. It dioica are cultivated as vegitable. Pointed has been reported that this plant is used for gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) is known by muscular pain, diarrhoea, dysentery, and the name of parwal, palwal, parmal, patol, abdominal colic. From the extract of potala in different parts of India and mirabilis jalapa, eleven coumpounds are Bangladesh and is one of the important isolated including gingerglycolipid, 4'- vegetables of these regions. Earlier chemical hydroxy-2, 3-dihydroflavone, astragaloside study reveals that in addition to a number of VI etc. Moreover numerous components like tetra & pentacyclic triterpenes, the toxic β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, ursolic acid, bitter principles cucurbitacins (a group of oleanolic acid, brassicasterol, and Mirabilis often highly oxygenated tetracyclic antiviral protein, rotenoids. The aqueous compounds with a unique carbon skeleton & extract of the leaves possess potential anti- almost a carbonyl group in ring C) may be inflammatory activity. Mirabilis jalapa has considered as a taxonomic character of also been evaluated for its anti-histaminic Cucurbitaceae. Juice of leaves of T. dioica is activity and it has been found that in used as tonic, febrifuge & in subacute cases concordance with the folkloric use of the of enlargement of liver & spleen. In Charaka plant for allergy and asthma it has Samhitha leaves & fruits used for treating significant inhibitory action on the release of alcoholism & jaundice. Leaves are used in histamine and subsequent typical allergic odema and alopecia. It is also used as responses. The methanolic extracts of the antipyretic, diuretic, cardiotonic & laxative. aerial parts of the plant having the potential Several concentrations ranging from 10-250 antioxidant activity. The activity was studied Hg/ml of the aqueous and ethanolic extract

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 25 of Trichosanthes dioica Roxb. were tested Having Antidiabetic Activity, International for their antioxidant activity in different in Journal Of Advances In Pharmacy, Biology vitro models. And Chemistry, 3. CONCLUSION 3. Sen S, Chakraborty R, 2011, In Oxidative In this review we discussed about ethnic Stress: Diagnostics, Prevention, And medicinal plants in the region of Assam. Therapy, American Chemical Society. 1-37. Mainly villagers of Assam, using varieties 4. Yun-Zhong Fang, Sheng Yang, Guoyao of herbs as a remedy without knowing their Wu, 2002. Free radicals, antioxidants, and pharmacological activities. Due to easy nutrition, nutrition. 872–879. availability and lower coast of the herbal 5. Longhi JG, Elisa Perez, Jair José De medicines, traditionally these drugs having Lima, Lys Mary, Bileski Cândido, 2011. In tremendous demands. But, proper vitro evaluation of Mucuna Pruriens (L.) investigations are needed to evaluate their Dc. Anti-oxidant activity. Brazilian Journal action. In the present review an attempt Of Pharmaceutical Sciences . has been made to investigate the antioxidant 6. Rahman M A, Rana M S, Zaman M M, activity of medicinal plants and may be Uddin S A, Akter R, 2010. Antioxidant, useful to the health professionals, scientists antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of the and scholars working in the field of methanol extract of Urtica Crenulata, J. pharmacology and therapeutics to develop Sci. Res. 2, 169-177. drugs. 7. Sukanya Keawsa-Ard, Samart Kongta REFERENCES weelert, 2012. Antioxidant, antibacterial, 1. Nooman A, Khalaf Ashok K, Shakya K, anticancer activities and chemical Atif Al-Othman, Zaha El-Agbar, Husni constituents of the essential oil from Mesua Farah, 2008. Antioxidant Activity of Some Ferrea leaves, Chiang Mai J. Sci. 39, 455- Common Plants, Turk J Biol, 32, 51-55. 463. 8. Bassan P, Sharma S, 2013. Antioxidant 2. Kalita Pallab, Deka Satyendra, Bhargab and in vitro anti-cancer activities of Brassica Jyoti Saharia, Chakraborty Arpita, Basak Juncea (L.) czern. seeds and sprouts, Mrinmoy, Deka Manoj Kumar. 2014. An International journal of pharma sciences, 3, Overview And Future Scope On 343-349. Traditionally Used Herbal Plants Of Assam

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 26

9. Thamizhvanan K, Kumuda P, Sateesh Linn.by non-enzymatic haemoglycosylation. Babu JM, 2012. evaluation of antioxidant 413–415. activity of whole plant of Ipomoea 12. Maryglen F, Gargantiel, Mafel C, Eriocarpa extract, International journal of Ysrael, 2014. Antioxidant activity and innovative drug discovery. 1-3. hypoglycemic potential of antidesma 10. Das M, Himaja M, 2014. Phytochemical ghaesembilla gaertn (phyllantaceae), Screening, Gc-Ms analysis& biological International journal of scientific & activitiys of Ipomoea Eriocarpa leaf technology research . 422-431. extracts, International Jou of pha & 13. Zachariah SM, Viswanad V, Aleykutty p’ceutical sci. 592-594. NA, Jaykar B, Halima OA,2012. Free 11. Kumar BS, K Lakshman, KN, radical scavenging and antibacterial activity Jayaveera, Khan Saleemulla, B. Manoj, VB of mirabilis jalapa linn using in vitro Narayan Swamy, 2010. Evaluation of the models. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical antioxidant activity of Amaranthus Spinosus and Clinical Research. 115-119.

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 27

Table.1- Some Ethnic Plant Of Assam

SR. Local name Biological Name Family Traditional Uses no. 1 Bandor kekoa Mucuna pruriens (L). Fabaceae Snake bite 2 Sorat Urtica crenulata Urticaceae Weakness, asthma, gout, mumps, whooping cough and chronic fever 3 Nahor Mesua ferrea Calophyllaceae Cough, dysentery, vomiting, sore throat And fever 4 Lai sak Brassica juncea Brassicaceae Anti microbial

5 Kolmow Ipomoea eriocarpa Convolvulaceae Headache, rheumatism, leprosy, epilepsy, ulcers and fevers 6 Khutura sak Amaranthus spinosus Amaranthaceae Diuretic, antidiabetic, antipyretic, anti-snake venum, antileprotic, and anti-gonorrheal 7 Helechi Antidesma Phyllanthaceae Hypertension and ghaesembilla diabetes mellitus 8 Godhuli gopal Mirabilis jalapa Nyctaginaceae Muscular pain, diarrhoea, dysentery, and abdominal colic 9 Pottle Trichosanthes dioica Cucurbitaceae Liver inffections and jaundice

Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (Vol-3_2014) 06; 20-28 28