High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 A PRESPECTIVE STUDY OF CLITORIA TERNATIA AND ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE S. GEJALAKSHMI *1, N. HARIKRISHNAN FACULTY OF PHARMACY, DR.M.G.R. EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, VELAPPANCHAVADI, CHENNAI-77 Abstract: Medicinal herbs and aromatic plants have been extensively used for the past few decades due to its potency and minimal side effects. By observing the medicinal importance of the climbing herb Clitoria ternatea (CT)of Fabeacea family and commonly known as Butterfly pea and Shankpushpi has been taken up due to its high medicinal value due to its wide range of use over decade as memory enhancer,antidepressant,anticonvulsant,transquilizers and sedative agent.A series of secondary metabolite including triterpenoids,flavone glycosides,anthocyanins and i steroids has been isolated from CT extracts.CT plant has wide range of pharmacological activity such as antimicrobial,antipyretic,diuretic,local anaesthetic.CT has been used for several diseases due to availability of several active constituents like alkaloids,flavanoids,saponins,tannins,carbohydrates .This review is an platform to explore the phytochemical investigation and pharmacological importance of CT,which have been practiced in traditional system of medicine and its future potential prespectives in view of innumerable therapeutic importance on this well-known twinning climber. Key words: Shankpushpi,phytochemical,antibacterial,anti- fungal, anti-cancer Introduction: Herbal drugs has an impact for curing disorders. The medicinal herbs are rich in various phytochemical constituents which has been found for traditional system of medicines. In the present reveiw focused on the traditional importance of clitoria ternatea. (CT).It is perennial twinning herb. It is a member of fabiaecea family and it has various synonym like blue pea. CT also known as Butterfly pea is a short-lived herb with a root stock appears as woody. It produces slender new annual stems that grow up to 3 metres long from the woody base each year. The nodes are not rooted from the stem. The plant is widely used as an edible, drug and colourants. CT herb has been cultivated as medicinal herb,dye,crotans due to its feathery colourful flowers and it also improves the soil fertility. The herb is prevalance over tropical regions of, India, srilanka,malaysia,Philipines 2&3 .In Ayurvedic medicines different parts of this herb has an active ingredient which is used for treatment of several ailments. Many Ayurvedic ‘medha’ drugs which contain CT along with other herbs. This plant has been significantly studied for various pharmacological activities like antihistaminic, anthelmintic, hypoglycemic, antidepressant, sedative etc. [4]. Volume 27, Issue 5, 2021 443 http://www.gjstx-e.cn/ High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 Vernacular names: The flower shape of the CT is a resemblance of its genus name. The flowers of this plant reflects in shape with human female clitoris, hence the Latin name of the genus “Clitoria” belongs to “clitoris” and “Ternatea”, the name of the species, which arises from Ternate, an Eastern Indonesian island. Different languages various vernacular names of the flowers are based on reference to a woman’s genital organ. Figure1:Clitoria ternatia (linn) Table 1: Taxonomical classification: kingdom Plantea Parts of plant Kingdom plantea plants subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta Seed plants Division Flowering plants Magnoliophyta Flowering plants Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass Rosidae - Order Fabales - Family Fabaceae Pea family Genus Clitoria Pigeonwing Species Clitoria ternatea Asian pigeonwings Volume 27, Issue 5, 2021 444 http://www.gjstx-e.cn/ High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 Geographical distribution: Clitoria ternatea is almost available in all states of India particularly tropical India and penninsula,malaysia.CT is pantropical (20°N-24°S).Its true origin is obscured by extensive cultivation or naturalization in the humid lowland tropics of Asia,pacific islands ,America. It is widespread throughout South-East Asia. Common names: 5 &6 Arabic: Mazerion Hidi, Baslat el-Zuhoor; Bengali : Aparajita, Chinese: die dou; English: blue-pea, bluebellvine, butterfly-pea, cordofan-pea, Darwin-pea; French: honte; German: blaue Klitorie; Hindi : Aparajita, Portuguese: clitória-azul, clitória; Punjabi: Koyal; Sanskrit: Girikarnika, Vishnukranta; Spanish:conchitas papito, azulejo, zapatico de la reina, zapotillo; Swedish: himmelsärt; Tamil: Kakkanam and Telugu : Dintena Morphological characters: The morphology Drug generally occurs in the form of leaflets, rachis broken with or without intact leaflets; it is a perennial twining herb which has 7 leaflets, which are elliptic and obtuse . Leaves are pinnate which has around 5-9 foliolate. Flowers are attractive, blue or white petals are unequal, style bearded behind the stigma. Fruits pods appears as linear and compressed. The pods are 5-7 cm long, flat with 6 to 10 seed, in each pod. Seeds are 6-10 and black in color. Herb flowers in rainy season and bears fruits in winter season. CT has dark blue colored papilionaceous flowers and CT also has creamy white coloured flowers which are solitary and very attractive. 7 Volume 27, Issue 5, 2021 445 http://www.gjstx-e.cn/ High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 Traditional uses : CTis known as Aparajita in Bengali which is used as a well-known Ayurvedic medicine. All the part of the herb (leaf, root, shoot) is used as medicine. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it has been used for centuries as a memory enhancer, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing and sedative agent. It is also used in neurological disorders . Some other traditional uses. Table 2: parts of plants and its functions 8 &9 Parts of clitoria ternatea used Functions Flowe r Color food Root Nootropic, anx iolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant and antistress activity Whole plant Treat sexual ailments such as: infertility and gonorrhea Clitoria ternatea extract Heat stable Heat stable func tion function Phytochemical constituents: The phytochemical screening of clitoria ternatea plant contains tannins, phlobatannins, carbohydrate,saponins,tritepenoids,phenols,,flavanoids,flavanolglycosides,proteins,al kaloids,anthraquinine,anthocyanins,cardiac glycosides,stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione,volatile oils and steroids The fatty acid content of Clitoria ternatea seeds includes palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids. Seeds also contained cinnamic acid, anthoxanthin glucoside, a highly basic small protein named finotin, water soluble mucilage, delphinidin 3, 3’, 5’-triglucoside and beta-sitosterol (10-15) Physiochemical characters: Water:During lack of water content CT plant has showed diminished growth in height of shoot and lenght of root. Soil Salinity:Salinity has vital role in signifying the plant growth which relates to the concentration in the soil. 16 . Light:Light has become the main source of energywhich may trigger the structural growth in the plant.The growth and differentiation of the plant cell ,tissues,organs are influenced by light.Though quality refers to light sources colour and wavelength reaches the plant surface. 17-18 The plant growth depends on temperature for both hot and cold season.Too lower temperature and too cool temperature affects the crops which prevents the growth of plant [19]. Volume 27, Issue 5, 2021 446 http://www.gjstx-e.cn/ High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 Preliminary phytochemical studies, morphological characters, powder microscopy and quantitative microscopy and determination of physicochemical parameters of leaves of CT. was carried out to identify the plant material and for the isolation of components 20 Pharmacological Activity: Activity Parts used Extract Dose Result used Antimicrobial Whole plant Ethyl 0.3 mg/ml to Potent antimicrobial activity activity extract 100.00 mg/m 21 Antifungal Seed and Ethyl 0.3 mg/ml to Significant antifungal callus extract 100.00 mg/m activity 22 Antiparasitic and Whole plant ethanolic 100mg/ml Increased antiparasitic and insecticidal extract insecticidal effect. 23 effects: Antiinflammator Clitoria Methanoli 200 -400 Potent antiinflammatory y antipyretic and ternatea leaf c extract mg/kg orally activity 24 analgesic effects: extract and flower extract Anticancer flower Ethanolic (10, 50, 100, Signifacant anticancer activity extracts extract 200, 500 activity 25 μg/ml) Antioxidant Leaf of chlorofor 50-600 mu Potent antioxidant activity 26 effects: clitoria m and g/ml ternatea petroleum ether extracts Antidiabetic Root and chlorofor 200 and 400 Significant antidiabetic effect: flower of m and mg/kg) activity 27 Clitoria petroleum ternatia ether extracts Wound healing seed and root Ether 18.08 ± 0.46 Potent wound healing effect effect: extracts extract μg/ ml) 28 Conclusion and Future Perspectives : The medicinal plantclitoria ternatia has been thoroughly reviewed proved to be a promising medicinl herb with various theraputically potential chemical constituent possessing wide variety of pharmacological activity in various disorders can be utilized for its safety and efficacy purpose as a potent medical herb. Volume 27, Issue 5, 2021 447 http://www.gjstx-e.cn/ High Technology Letters ISSN NO : 1006-6748 Conflict of Interest: Authors have no conflict of interest Source of funding: Nil References: 1.www.prosea.net. 2.V. Shende, R. Sahane, M. Lawar, N. Hamdulay, and H. Langote, “Evaluation of anti-compulsive