Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2019; 8(5): 1042-1045 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 JPP 2019; 8(5): 1042-1045 Nut grass: A plant with significant medicinal Received: 07-07-2019 Accepted: 09-08-2019 values Zebunnesa Ahmed Department of Pharmacy, Zebunnesa Ahmed Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh Abstract Plants are the most prolific and significant sources of medicine. Plants are used as a traditional medicine around the globe from the beginning of civilization. Researchers are always trying to find out potential medicine or lead compound from the plants. Data regarding the traditional uses with isolated phytochemicals and pharmacological activities is helpful to evaluate potentiality in medicinal sector for a plant. Therefore, my objectives of this study is to compile all the significant data of Cyperus rotundus plant which is very useful plant in folklore medicine of Asian countries. To complete the article, I have searched information based on published article related to C. rotundus plants. Articles were collected from Google scholar, Pubmed, Springer, Science direct and many other renowned websites. I hope this article will be helpful to researchers to know the significance of C. rotundus plants in medicinal sector. Keywords: Cyperus rotundus, pharmacological, phytochemistry, traditional, medicinal Introduction Medicinal Plants have eminent qualities for producing new drugs of massive advantage to humankind. There are manifolds way to the exploration for newly biological effective principles in higher plants [1]. Many secondary metabolites are generally produced from plants that comprise an important source of many pharmaceutical drugs [2]. Many attempts have been made to find out newer hypnotic and sedative drugs from different kinds of plants. Sedative and hypnotics are the drugs that can alleviate anxiety and generate a calming effect by initiating the commencement of sleep and preserving sleeping duration [3]. At present, these drugs are broadly applied in the treatment of several psychiatric disorders comprise in insomnia and anxiety [4]. Insomnia termed as static inconvenience in falling or staying a sleep [5] which influences function can conduce important physical and psychological disorder . Cyperus rotundus L. (Nutgrass, family Cyperaceae) is extensively distributed in numerous tropical and subtropical territory of the world [8]. In Bangladesh Cyperus rotundus mostly known as “motha” or “bada”. The term Cyperus is derived from Cypeiros, which was the ancient Greek name for the genus, rotundus is Latin word for round and refers to the tuber [9]. It is an erect, smooth and perennial medicinal plant having scaled, wiry, creeping, slender, [10] tenebrous and persistent rhizomes . Its tubers are used to treat excess bleeding, loss of appetite, boils, blisters, diarrhea, cough, fevers, lacteal disorders, inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ailments, skin rashes, vomiting, excessive thirst, wounds and worm infestation [11-13]. Also, they are used as a remedy for renal colic and dysentery [14]. Moreover [15, 17] the plant possesses several biological deeds such as antioxidant, cytotoxic , anti-allergic [18, 19] [20, 21] [22, 23] [24] , insecticides , anti-malarial, antimicrobial , anti-diarrheal , antipyretic, inflammatory, antiemetic, hypotensive [25], hepatoprotective [26, 27], anti-diabetic [17, 26, 28] and anticonvulsant [29]. Phytochemical analysis has demonstrated that the principal chemical components of this herb are essential oils, terpenoids, mono sesquiterpenes and flavonoids. The plant includes the following chemical components; acyperone, isocyperol, cyperotundone, mustakone, cyprotene, acopaene, cyperene, aselinene, rotundene, valencene, cyperol, gurjunene, trans-calamenene, dcadinene, gcalacorene, cadalene, amuurolene, gmuurolene [30], 1,8-cineole and 4,11- selinnadien-3-one [31]. The oil of C. rotundus was chiefly made of α-cyperene, cyperol, α- cyperone, rotundine, α-copaene, β-pinene, α-pinene and α-Selinene, myrtenol, sesquiterpene [32, 33] hydrocarbons (Caryophyllene), valerenal . The medicinal benefits of different natural components were established in different aboriginal Correspondence societies. Development of modern medicine took those conventional experiences as its base Zebunnesa Ahmed and became well-established. Modern medicine is at the apex of success to combat diseases. Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Different researches are being conducted all over the world through the year round to promote Bangladesh efficiency of the present drugs, to find new components with minimum untoward effects and ~ 1042 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry http://www.phytojournal.com to design new ways of treatment. This study was designed to Gram negative bacteria in disc diffusion method [46]. Results sum up all the important information related to nut grass so obtained from a study revealed that hexane extracts of C. that researchers can find it helpful to their future research. rotundus can be used against liver diseases as it can inhibit lipogenic pathway [47]. C. rotundus plant extract significantly General Description reduced blood glucose level in a study against alloxan Cyperus rotundus (coco-grass, Java grass, nut grass, or purple induced hyperglycemic in rats [48]. Alcoholic extract of C. nutsedge, red nut sedge [34], Khmerkravanh chru [35] is a rotundus demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in species of sedge (Cyperaceae) native to Africa, southern and carrageenan induced oedema and gave activity against central Europe (north to France and Austria), and southern formaldehyde induced arthritis in rats [49]. Analgesic activity Asia. Cyperous derives from a Greek word kyperos and the was also found in petroleum ether extracts of C. rotundus but word rotundus derives from Latin which means round [36]. sedative activity was absent [50, 51]. C. rotundus is perennial plant with maximum height of 140 cm (55 inches). Nut grass name is derived from the tubers of Chemical Constituents of Rhizomes the plants which has similar appearance of nuts. The genus The rhizome extract of plant have significant chemical value Cyperus has 700 species distributed throughout the world [37, with presence of α–cyperolone, α–rotunol, β-cyperone, β- 38]. This plant is usually grow near water or place with slow pinene, β-rotunol, β-selinene, calcium, camphene, copaene, moving water. It has slender grass like leaves, greenish flower cyperene, cyperenone, cyperol, cyperolone, D-copadiene, D- and small nutlet seed [39-41]. epoxyguaiene, isocyperol, isokobusone, kobusone, limonene, linoleic-acid, linolenic-acid, mustakone, myristic acid, Taxonomic Hierarchy [42, 43] oleanolic acid, oleic acid, P-cymol, patchoulenone, rotundene, Kingdom: Plantae rotundenol, rotundone, selinatriene, sitosterol, stearic acid, Sub kingdom: Tracheobionta sugeonol, sugetriol, caryophyllene and cyperotundone [52]. Superdivision: Spermatophyta Division: Magnoliophyta Chemical Constituents of Leaves Class: Liliopsida Sitosteryl (6-hentriacontanoyl)-β-D-Galactopyranoside, Some Subclass: Commelinidae furochromones, khellin, visnagin and ammiol, bezo- α-pyrone Order: Cyperales (coumarin), salicylic acid14, caffeic acid, protocatechuric Family: Cyperaceae acid, P-coumaric acid, tricin and isohamnetin. Genus: Cyperus.L The oils extracted from the plant has compound comprising of Species: Cyperus rotundus L sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, contains α-copaene (1.97%), Cyperene (15.73%), α-hisaholene (2.14%), α-gurjunene Pharmacological Activities (1.29%), 2-methoxy-8-methyl-1, 4-naphthalenedione (4.01%), Antidiarrheal activity of C. rotundus was observed in castor β-selinene (17.99%) Oxo- α-ylangene (3.00%), 4, 4 α-5, 6, 7, oil induced diarrheal mice and methanolic rhizome extract 8-hexahydro-4 α-5dimethyl-3-(1-methyl ethylidene)-2(3H)- showed significant antidiarrheal activity [44]. Study done by naphthalenone (8.11%), α-cyperone (26.15%), Nagulendran et al. claimed that rhizome extract of C. Logipinocarvone (1.11%). Overall Presence of Glucose rotundus have potential antioxidant activity [45]. Oils extract of (8.3~9.1%), Fructose (1.0~1.7%), Starch 40-41.1%), Protein C. rotundus exhibited significant activity against Gram (4.9%), Mg 1285.7µg [53-55]. positive bacteria, moderately significant activity against mycobacterium and fungi but insignificant activity against Traditional Uses of C. rotundus Table 1: Traditional uses of C. rotundus to treat various diseases [56-62] Usable plant Traditional uses for Methods of using parts Whole plant is boiled to decoction and then 4 to 9 grams of plant preparation taken with 4 gm of Chest pain Whole plant Citrus. Painful menstruation Whole plant 2 to 6 gm of dried material in a standard cup of water, boil to concentration and drink [61] Dysentery Tubers Grind nut grass tuber and ginger with honey into pill form taken. Diarrhea: Tubers boiled in milk with three folds of water used to cure diarrhea [62]. Tubers 25 gm of powdered tuber of Cyperus rotundus, 21 numbers of piper nigrum, 10 gm of ginger, 5 Asthma gm of clove and 5 gm of cumin seeds were boiled with ghee for few minutes, then cool it to become a paste. Take 10 ml of this paste thrice a day for 5 days with a little honey. Rhizome is made into a paste and 10-20 gm of it is eaten 3 times a day for 2-3 days for Worm infection Internal anthelmintic action. Uses Cyperus rotundus root powder and Withania somnifera root powder each 1 gm is given oral twice Rheumatoid arthritis Root a day for Rheumatoid arthritis.