Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol 5(4), October 2006, pp 569-575 Therapeutic utilization of secretory products of some .Indian medicinal plants - a review 2 Mradu Gupra", Tuhin Kant Biswas , Shyamali Saha' & Pratip Kumar Debnath ' I Department of Dravyaguna Vijnana, 2Department of Sharir Kriya, 3Department of Kayachikitsa, JB Roy State Ayurvedic College & Hospital, 170-172, Raja Dinendra Street, Kolkaia 700004, West Bengal Email: mradu_gupta@hotmaiLcom Received 29 June 2005; revised 5 September 2005 Indian Systems of Medicine use around eight thousand medicinal plants in preventive, promotive and curative applications. Although the bark and roots are the most common plant parts used, depending on the potency other plant parts such as leaves, flowers, stem, secretory products, etc. are also used as medicine. Secretory products include secretions obtained either naturally or by making incisions in the plant. External secretory structures include trichornes, glands, nectaries, hydathodes and osmophores while the internal secretory structures located below the epidermis layer consist of thc glands and ducts, which secrete oils, gums and resins, and laticifers, which secrete latex. Detailed study of a few commonly found secreting Indian medicinal plants exhibits pharrnacochemical properties and therapeutic actions. Keywords: Ayurveda, Clinical activity. Medicinal plants. Pharmacological activities. Review. Secretory products IPC Int. CI.H:A61 K36/00, A61 P1I04, A61 P 1106, A61 PIIIO, A61 P11I2, A61 P1I14, A61P5/00, A61 P5/50. A61 PI 1100, A61PllI10, A61 P 15/00, A61 P 17/00, A61 P 17/02. A61 P 19/00. A61 P 19/02, A61 P21100. A61 P39/02 India is endowed with herbal wealth of about 5000 Charaka Samhita, milky secretory plant products can plant species of known medicinal and aromatic be put to medicinal uses". It has been mentioned that properties. It has a variety of agroclimatic conditions, latex obtained from Snuhi (Euphorbia neriifolia) acts which increases its biodiversity and gives rise to as a strong purgative, Akra (Calotropis procera) latex many ethnic groups of users. In terms of both the acts as an emetic and laxative, while the secretion volume and the value of medicinal plants exported, from Ashmantak (Ficus rumphiii acts as emetic". India ranks second in the world'. Millions of rural Secretory cells may occur in any plant part and are households used medicinal plants in a self-help mode. mainly of two types, excretory cells, and secreting Major sources of medicinal plants are obtained from cells3. folkloric information (51.48%) followed by External secretory structures are found on the plant Ayurvedic information (19.49%). The practitioners of surface, either in the epidermis layer or as derivatives the Indian Systems of Medicine used medicinal plants of the epidermis and of deeper lying cells in preventive, promotive and curative applications. (emergences). These include trichomes, glands, Analysis of information on medicinal plants indicates nectaries, hydathodes and osmophores among others:'. that around 8000 plant species are used by different The trichomes may be biseriate or capitate hairs. systems of medicine in India. Whole plant, bark and The glands serve the purpose of water storage, roots are used in majority of such plants, while reception and transmission of stimuli, secretion of secretory products, seeds and stem are used in some mucilage, enzymes and water, and the absorption of cases. the products of digestion, e.g. pitcher plant, sundew Different plant parts such as leaves, roots, secretory plant, etc. Many trichomes and glands secrete products, bark, etc. are used as medicine. Secretory terpenes in various combinations. Nectaries secrete a products are secretions obtained either naturally or by sugary fluid called nectar. Some of the commonly making incisions on the plant. These secretions can be used nectar-producing Indian medicinal plants are obtained from any of the plant parts. According to Neem (Azardichta indica) and Kamala (Nelumbo * Corresponding author nucifera). The fragrance of flowers is usually 570 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE VOL. 5, NO.4 OCTOBER produced by essential oils distributed throughout the derivatives 12. Its pharmacological acuvities include epidermis of perianth parts but in some plants, the antiinflammatory, anti ulcerogenic, anaesthetic, fragrance is produced in special glands termed hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antispasmodic and . 1314 Al ... h 4' f osmophores. Commonly, osmophores are found in hypotensive '. oe vera JUIce In t e rorm 0 Orchidaceae family. Hydathodes occur on leaves and ointment has been found to hasten healing of wounds, are also called water stomata or water pores. Each thermal burns and radiation injury. hydathode may have one or more pores. Morphologically hydathodes are considered to be Argemone mexicana Linn.(Papaveraceae) enlarged stomata that serve for water exudation by a Commonly known as Swam Kshiri or Mexican process known as guttation. Internal secretory poppy, whole plant contains large amounts of yellow structures are located below the epidermis layer. coloured milky juice. Its leaves are long, thorny, These consist of glands and ducts, which secrete oils, denticulate and flowers are bright yellow. Its roots, gums and resins, and laticifers, which secrete latex:'. seeds and latex are used as medicine. The latex is used as diuretic, hypnotic, analgesic, anti- inflammatory and antileprotic'. Seeds and roots act as Enumeration l5 Medicinal plants having different types of secretory laxative, emetic, expectorant and demulcent . Its products like latex, gum, resin & other exudations main chemical compounds are berberine and protopine alkaloids, mexicanol, mexicanic acid and (Tables 1-3) have been enumerated':". 5 allocryptopi ne . Acacia catechu Willd.(Leguminasae) Commonly known as Khadir, Khair, cutch tree or Boswellia serrata Roxb.(Burseraceae) catechu tree, its flowers are pale yellow in cylindrical Commonly known as Shallaki, Salai, Kunduru or spikes while its pods are glabrous. Its bark, heartwood Indian Olibanum tree, it is a deciduous tree growing and catechu (Katha) are used". Gum catechu is a up to 18 m in height. Its bark and gum resins are used gummy exudation prepared from the wood by boiling in medicine. The gum oleoresin is secreted in the in water and inspissating the decoction. Catechu is schizogenous ducts in the bark, which are scattered bitter, acrid, thermogenic, digestive, appetizer, just below the bast fibres 16. The gum oleoresin exudes aphrodisiac, hepato-protective, haemostatic, as colourless semi-liquid fluid, which gradually 8 vulnerary, anthelmintic, depurative and tonic . A becomes golden yellow and solidifies into small piece of catechu with nutmeg is held in reddishbrown small, ovoid fragrant tears called toothache, loss of voice, sore throat and bleeding, Kunduru. The gum resin is sweet, bitter, astringent, ulcerations and soreness of gums. The wood contains antipyretic, antidysenteric, diuretic, emmenagogue, epicatechin, catechin, catechutannic acid, tetramer, antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, antilipidemic and dicatechin, gallocatechin, kaempferol, taxifolin, antiarthritic 17. The resin contains ~- boswellic acid isorhamnetin and afzelechinn". It exhibits antiviral, and serratol". The gum contains galactose, arabinose, spasmolytic, antifungal and hypoglycaemic activities. fructose, rhamanose, triterpenoids and glucoronic. 19 aC'Id . 20 . Th e essentia. 1'101 s contam. camph ene, Aloe vera Linn. (Liliaceae) myrcene and a-terpene. It is anti-inflammatory, Commonly known as Ghrit Kumari or Indian aloe, antiarthritic, analgesic, antibacterial, hypoglycaemic is a succulent herb with rosette, sessile fleshy green and anticancer". leaves with horny prickles on margins. Its flowers are orange or yellow in colour. The plant is bitter, Calotropis procera R.Br. (Asclepiadaceae) cooling, anthelmentic, carminative, appetizer, Commonly known as Ark or Madar, it is a hardy laxative, diuretic, emmenagogue, ophthalmic and branched, large sized perennial, profusely milky anti-leprotic". Its juice is used in dyspepsia, shrub. Roots, leaves, flowers and latex are used in amenorrhoea, burns, colic, hepatoprotective, skin Ayurvedic medicine. The drug is hot, bitter, pungent, disease, constipation abdominal tumour, dropsy, and laxative and is beneficial in skin disease, wound, flatulence, painful inflammation and chronic ulcer'!'. ulcer, enlargement of spleen and liver, digestive, Its chief chemical constituents are anthelmintic, expectorant and anticolic". The milky hydroxyanthroquinone - barbaloin, y - hydroxyaloin exudate (latex) is obtained from all parts of the plant isomers, aloe emodin, chrysophanol and chromone and contains watersoluble matter (86%-95%). The GUPTA et al.: THERAPEUTIC UTILIZATION OF SECRETORY PRODUCTS OF MEDICINAL PLANTS 571 latex contains calactin, calotropagenin, hexose, antiatherosclerotic, antispasmodic, nervine tonic, syriogenin, proceroside, calatropin, calactinic acid, antiarthritic, hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidimic 25 26 uscharin, u-amyrin, ~-amyrin, ~-sitosterol and '.Th e gum resm. contam..s essentia IOJ '1s, z-gugguI u- calotoxin'". It has been reported to be useful as sterone, guggulusterone, quercetin, ~-sitosterone and anticancer, antimicrobial, anthelmentic, stimulant, guggulsterols". Use of Guggul as medicine is spasmogenic, diuretic, anticoagulant and recommended only after purification with Triphala highfibrinonyltic. Calatropin showed digitalis like decoction, Dasharnula