Global Journal of Pharmacology 7 (4): 457-464, 2013 ISSN 1992-0075 © IDOSI Publications, 2013 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.gjp.2013.7.4.76167 Biological Potential and Phytopharmacological Screening of Gomphrena Species Muhammad Ilyas, Arsia Tarnam and Nargis Begum Department Of Botany, Jamal Mohamed College, P. Box. No.808, 7, Race Course Road, Khajanagar, Tiruchirapalli-620 020, India Abstract: The traditional system of medicine consists of large number of plants with various medicinal and pharmacological importance and hence considered as a priceless tank of new bioactive molecules. The Amaranthaceae family comprises of many species, which are used in nutrition and in traditional folk medicine for the treatment of several diseases such as infections, inflammation and fever. Gomphrena species found all over the world. It is commonly known as ‘Bachelor’s Button / Globe Amaranth’ and has been recognized in different traditional system of medicines for the treatment of various diseases of human being. The phytoconstituents present in it are flavonoids, phytosterols, phenolics and terpenoids. The different parts of this plant are traditionally claimed to be used for the treatment of broad spectrum of ailment including baby gripe, oligouria, body sore, malaria, bacterial infections, jaundice, urinary problems, high cholesterol, cough, fever, diarrhea, liver disorders, kidney disorders and cooling. Due to changes in the lifestyle and associated decline of the use of plants, the ethnobotanical knowledge is continuing to decline. Hence further work to isolate and characterise the active compounds responsible for this activities in the plant is recommended. Key words: Gomphrena Phytochemistry Pharmacology Ethnobotany Alkaloid Flavanoid INTRODUCTION Natural products from plants are a rich resource used for centuries to cure various ailments. The use of Medicinal plants have been playing a vital role on the bioactive plant-derived compounds is on the rise, because health and healing of man since down of the human the main preoccupation with the use of synthetic drugs is civilization. In spite of tremendous development in the the side effects which can be even more dangerous than field of allopathic medicines during the 20th century, plants the diseases they claim to cure. In contrast, plant derived still remain one of the major sources of drugs in modern as medicines are based upon the premise that they contain well as in traditional system of medicine [1, 2]. The green natural substances that can promote health, alleviate plants synthesise and they preserve a variety of illness and proved to be safe, better patient tolerance, biochemical products, many of which are extractable and relatively less expensive and globally competitive. So, in used as a chemical feed stocks or as raw material for respect of the healing power of plants and a return to various scientific investigations. Many secondary natural remedies is an absolute requirement of our time metabolites of plant origin are commercially important and [5, 6]. find use in a number of pharmaceutical compounds [3]. In this present review paper, an attempt has been Nations with highly developed pharmaceutical made to summarize all the information so far available on industries are mainly interested in plants as a source of the floristic composition, ethnobotanical practices on the biologically active and medicinal important compounds edible and ornamental plant Gomphrena species. which might be lead to discovery of new and better Gomphrena species is an edible, commercial ornamental drugs with pharmacological potency [4]. The chemical and medicinal plant commonly known as Globe Amaranth constituents present in the herbal medicine or plants are or Bachelor Button, belongs to the family Amaranthaceae. the major part of the physiological functions of living flora It comprises approximately 120 species found in the and hence they are believed to have better compatibility America, Antartica and Indo-Malaysia. 46 species found with the human body. in Brazil. Corresponding Author: Muhammad Ilyas, Department of Botany, Jamal Mohamed College, P. Box. No. 808, 7, Race Course Road, Khajanagar, Tiruchirapalli-620 020, India. 457 Global J. Pharmacol., 7 (4): 457-464, 2013 The Amaranthaceae is a cosmopolian family which Table 1: Inorganic elements detected in two Amaranthaceae species [10]. occurs at disturbed, arid or saline areas; one of the Species Inorganic elements detected a characteristics that ensure its survival in adverse Gomphrena glabrata P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Sr, Cd, Ba and Pb environments is the operation of C4 pathway of Gomphrena globosa d S, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu and Zn photosynthesis [7]. It is erect or ascending herbs to 50cm. Gomphrena globosa b S, K, Ca, Fe, Co, Cu and Zn leaves spiral, deltoid to elliptic ovate. Inflorescence is Part used: whole planta , aerial part bd , roots [P- phosphorus, S- sulphur, Cl- axillary, slender, thyrsiform spike. Flowering mostly chlorine, K- potassium, Ca- calcium, Cr - chromium, Mn- manganese, Fe- occurs in June to December. Globe amaranth [Gomphrena Iron, Co- cobalt, Ni- Nickel, Cu- copper, Zn- Zinc, Br- bromine, Sr- strontium, Cd- cadmium, Ba- barium, Pb- Lead, Sc- scandium, Ti- globosa L.] might be one of the plants that can use Titanium, V-vanadium]. atmospheric sulfides for its growth [8, 9]. Table 2: Main biological activities reported for species from Gomphrena [10]. Taxonomy: The Amaranthaceae family, class Magnoliopsida and order Caryophyllales, was established by A. L. Jussieu in 1789 and includes approximately 176 genera and 2400 species [6]. The members of Amaranthaceae family are divided in four tribes: Celosieae, Achyrantheae, Braylineae and Gomphreneae. The species in Brazil are distributed in Celosieae, Achyrantheae and Gomphreneae tribes [10]. Phytochemistry: The previous chemical studies with species of this genus were related to the isolation of Gomphrena species are employed in folk medicine for the hydrocarbons, alcohols, steroids, terpenoids, treatment of several diseases and for their nutritive value. ecdysteroids, flavonoids and protoalkaloids. Despite of The species with biological activities (Table 2), including some phytochemical and biological activity studies have antimicrobial activity, used to treat gastrointestinal and been performed in certain species, overall the genus respiratory disorders as well as infectious diseases were Gomphrena still remains poorly studied [10]. listed [10]. The phytochemical screening of G. globosa ethanol Kingdom Plantae extracts [Gg-EE] detected the presence of saponins, Subkingdom Tracheobionta alkaloids, reducing sugars and coumarins [11]. Dosumu Superdivision Spermatophyta et al. [12] Isolated the bioactive compounds like saponins, Division Magnoliophyta steroids, amino acids, non-reducing sugars, phenols and Class Magnoliopsida flavonoids from the methanol extract of G. celosioides. Subclass Caryophyllidae Hamiduzzaman and Azam [13] isolated three compounds stigmasterol [1], -sitosterol [2] and isochavicinic acid [3, Order Caryophyllales 16] from the crude methanol extract of whole plant of Family Amaranthaceae Gomphrena globosa by a combination of column Genus Gomphrena L. chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography over silica gel. The structures of these Some species of Amaranthaceae have been studied compounds were determined by H NMR spectroscopic seeking the characterization of inorganic elements and (Fig. 1). heavy metals in their tissues. Some of these works The ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of (Table 1) suggest that these vegetables can Gomphrena celosioides was phytochemically examined bioconcentrate inorganic elements and heavy metals. by Dosumu et al. [4] and revealed the presence of And using the X-ray fluorescence analysis, the results secondary metabolites. These metabolites include showed that several inorganic elements like Al, Si, P, S, Cl, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids, glycosides and K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, reducing sugars. Babu et al. [17] isolated the compound Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba and Pb could be detected in the extracts oleuropein from Gomphrena serrata by subjecting and powder of species of Amaranthaceae [10]. it to exhaustive hot extraction with chloroform. 458 Global J. Pharmacol., 7 (4): 457-464, 2013 Fig. 1: Compounds extracted from G. globosa. Fig. 2: Chemical structures and identification of Betalains [Betacyanins and Betaxanthins] from G.globosa. Arginine-betaxanthin as a novel betaxanthin in microorganisms. The antihelmintic assay showed ethyl Gomphrena globosa inflorescences was detected by acetate and methanol extracts to be active against Biswas et al. [18] and yellow Ulluco, which has not been Fasciola gigantica, Taenia solium and Pheretima reported so far as a pigment that occurs naturally and he pasthuma. Ethyl acetate was the most toxic of the extracts performed characterization based on UV-Vis and mass causing paralysis of Taenia solium within 15 minutes and spectrophotometry (Fig. 2). Corke et al. [19] identified the the death of Fasciola gigantic within 20 minutes of betacyanins for eight amaranthine-types, six gomphrenin application. The brine shrimp assay gave an LC50 of 52.15 types and two betanin-types from Amaranthaceae by and 77.98 ìg/ml on hexane and methanol extracts HPLC characterization o f Reversed - Phase [RP] respectively. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography [HPLC]. Ferreira et al. [20] found that the aerial parts contain celosioides