Send Orders for Reprints to [email protected] The Natural Products Journal, 2019, 9, 1-12 1 REVIEW ARTICLE An Overview of Paris polyphylla, a Highly Vulnerable Medicinal Herb of Eastern Himalayan Region for Sustainable Exploitation Arcadius Puwein1,* and Shiny C. Thomas2 1Department of Biotechnology, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India; 2Department of Biochemistry, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India Abstract: Paris polyphylla is a member of the family of Melanthiaceae (earlier Trilliaceae or Lili- aceae). It is known as “Love Apple” in English. This erect and herbaceous plant is found mostly in South East Asia and was documented for the first time in 1985 in the Chinese pharmacopeia. It is a traditional medicinal herb known to have many medicinal properties like anticancer, antimicrobial, A R T I C L E H I S T O R Y anti-tumor, cytotoxicity etc. The objective of this paper is to highlight the major research works on this miraculous herb and include updated information on its developments that have been rapidly Received: February 15, 2018 Revised: May 07, 2018 taking place in recent years. There have been new approaches in an effort to classify the plant using Accepted: May 14, 2018 high-throughput RNA-Seq technologies, mass propagation and conservation through tissue culture, DOI: understanding the mechanism of the action of steroidal saponins as a major anticancer activity, and 10.2174/2210315508666180518081208 new bioactive compounds have been added in phytochemistry. The current article attempts to enu- merate an extensive overview of P. polyphylla on classification, morphological characteristics, habi- tat, reproductive phenology, traditional uses, distribution and availability, propagation, phytochemis- try, biological activities, molecular analyses, and conservation. Keywords: Paris polyphylla, herb, steroidal saponins, rhizomes, bioactive compounds, biological activities. 1. INTRODUCTION of Paris polyphylla published in 2012, chemical constituents of plants from the Genus Paris published in 2014, and distri- The pursuit of plant-based medicines is growing rapidly bution and phytomedicinal aspects of Paris polyphylla from worldwide. In recent decades, the natural products have the Eastern Himalayan Region published in 2015. All the gained importance in the field of pharmaceuticals [1]. Paris three reviews accentuated on a particular topic only (on me- polyphylla Sm. is one of the medicinal plants which is part of dicinal properties, chemical constituents, distribution and this momentum of growth and recognition in the biological phytomedicinal). Moreover, within two or three years, there activities. It is one of the many medicinal herbs of Asia. It is has been lots of development in research on this herb. This an erect and herbaceous plant. The herb has a spider-like paper compiles almost all the major works on this plant such flower that throws out long, thread-like, yellowish green as classification, morphological characteristics, habitat, re- petals throughout most of the warm summer months and into productive phenology, traditional uses, distribution and the autumn. The genus name is derived from ‘pars’ referring availability, propagation, phytochemistry, biological activi- to the symmetry of the plant. The species polyphylla means ties, molecular analyses, and conservation. New biotechno- many leaves; ‘poly’ meaning many and ‘phyla’ meaning logical approaches have been introduced and updated in the leaves [2]. P. polyphylla which is known in English as “love utilization of this plant. Therefore, this paper enumerates apple” belongs to the family of Melanthiaceae (earlier Trilli- research reported in index journals, updates the new ap- aceae or Liliaceae) [3]. The herb is mostly found in India, proaches and investigates the future possibilities of the plant China, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Viet- [2]. nam [4]. It was documented in the “Chinese pharmacopeia” in 1985 for the first time. It was first recorded in “Shennong Herb” named as Zaoxiu. It appeared with the same name in 2. CLASSIFICATION Li Shizhen’s “Compendium of Materia” [5]. P. polyphylla is extremely polymorphic. This implies that Being known as a wonder herb, a number of works have its classification is very complicated. Its classification is been carried out in the last few years. The three reviews pub- therefore simplified using Table 1. The classification of lished recently are worth mentioning - Medicinal properties Paris has long been in dispute and still unresolved. Many authors classified the genus Paris into sub-genus and sec- *Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Biotechnology, tions (Table 1). Based on floral and leaf merosity, Hara Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India; Tel: +91857586804; (1969), Li (1984, 1998) and Mitchell (1987, 1988) recog- Fax: +917005139926; E-mail: [email protected] nized Paris as a single genus [6]. Hara further divided the 14 2210-3155/19 $58.00+.00 © 2019 Bentham Science Publishers 2 The Natural Products Journal, 2019, Vol. 9, No. 1 Puwein and Thomas Table 1. The Classification of Paris polyphylla according to Ji Y.H et al. Genus Parameters Sub-Genus Sections Author (s) Hara, Li H and Paris Floral and leaf merosity Single genus - Mitchell Paris Paris Fruit and seed Single genus (14 species) Kinugasa Hara Euthyra Paris Type of fruit, the shape of an ovary, seed Paris Kinugasa - Takhtajan morphology, and shape of rhizome Daiswa Kinugasa (1 species) Paris (11 species) Paris (5 species) Axiparis (5 species) Paris Comprehensive taxonomy Dunnianae (1 species) Ji H Y.H et al. Marmoratae (2 species) Daiswa (13 species) Euthyra (8 species ) Farge sianae (1 species) Thibeticae ( 1species) Paris Paris DNA sequence Kinugasa - Ji Y.H et al. Daiswa known species at the time into three sections: Paris, Kinu- contains the single stem-like structure and the 2-3 whorls of gasa, and Euthyra, based on fruit and seed characters [7]. In leaves are present on the nodes. The flowering period may 1983, Takhtajan divided Paris into three major genera: last up to three months. It has odd flowers with long yellow Paris, Kinugasa, and Daiswa. radiating anthers [2]. The morphological characteristics of the herb are given below: But in the most recent comprehensive classification, Ji Y.H et al., recognized subgenus Paris consists of 11 species Habit: aerial, herbaceous, rhizomatous, erect plant. and subgenus Daiswa consists of 13 species. Subgenus Paris Stem: unbranched, smooth, 50-100 cm tall, 1-2.5 cm was divided into sections Kinugasa (one species), Paris (five thick. species) and Axiparis (five species), whereas subgenus Daiswa was divided into sections Dunnianae (one species), Leaf: Simple, arranged in whorls, petiolate, lanceolate, Euthyra (eight species), Marmoratae (two species), Farge reticulate with three primary veins, smooth margin, above sianae (one species) and Thibeticae (one species) [5]. How- the green leaves are yellow-green spider-like flowers. ever, from recent phylogenetic studies based on DNA se- Inflorescence: It forms a closed whorl at the initial quence, data support the classification of Paris into three growth, covered by the sepals enclosing the tepals, the an- genera as shown and simplified in Table 1 (Daiswa, Kinu- gasa, and Paris). P. polyphylla belongs to the sub-genus thers and the stigma. Daiswa and section Euthyra. P.polyphylla is furthered di- Flower: The flowers bloom at the terminal and they are vided into 11 different varieties -1) Paris polyphylla Smith solitary, yellowish green, contain both male and female 2) Paris polyphylla var. polyphylla 3) Paris polyphylla var. gametes within the same flower (monoecious), sepaloid yunnanensis 4) Paris polyphylla var. chinensis 5) Paris outer is larger and inner is smaller, tepal 3-5. polyphylla var. nana 6) Paris polyphylla var. alba 7) Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla 8) Paris polyphylla var. minor 9) Androecium: stamens 6-11 and are free. Paris polyphylla var. latifolia 10) Paris polyphylla var. Gynoecium: 1 pistil, 3-5 carpels, syncarpous (carpels pseudothibetica 11) Paris polyphylla var. kwangtunesis. fused), ovary superior. Among these 11 varieties, the ones found in Uttarakhand and Northeastern Himalayas of India along with other neighbor- Seed: Reddish orange, a mature fruit contains 50-60 ing countries are Paris polyphylla Smith, Paris polyphylla seeds [8]. var. polyphylla, Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis and Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla. The most common variety col- 4. HABITAT lected and identified from Northeast India is Paris poly- P. polyphylla is a shade loving plant and grows under the phylla Smith [6]. canopy closure of more than 80%, at an altitude of 1300 - 2500 m above sea level. It grows mainly in a forest with 3. MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS bamboo groves, grassy or rocky slopes, stream-sides, mixed P. polyphylla is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous conifer forests and scrub thickets [4]. It is a slow germinating plant with green and unbranched aerial part. The aerial part herb which takes about seven months to sprout from the An Overview of Paris polyphylla, a Highly Vulnerable Medicinal Herb The Natural Products Journal, 2019, Vol. 9, No. 1 3 Table 2. Traditional Uses of P. polyphylla. Country Plant Parts Ailments References Rhizomes Vermifuge, anti-helminthic [11] Nepal Juice of rhizomes Gastric, menstruation pain [12] Paste of rhizomes Cuts, wounds and to remove worms [12] The powdered roots Diarrhoea [13] India Rhizomes Antidote for snake & insect