ISSN 2395-3411 Available online at www.ijpacr.com 5 ___________________________________________________________Review Article A REVIEW ON PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF VATERIA INDICA LINN. * Shrijani JK , Karunakar Hegde and AR Shabaraya Department of Pharmacology, Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Valachil, Post- Farangipete, Mangalore- 574 143, Karnataka, India. ______________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Vateria indica Linn is a large evergreen tree that belongs to Dipterocarpaceae family. The tree grows mostly in moist evergreen forests but frequently extends into deciduous forests adjoining rivers; usually found in the state of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is a multipurpose tree which has economic and medicinal significance. It is used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, ringworm, scrofula, wounds, boils, rheumatism, urinary discharges, amenorrhoea, piles, gonorrhoea and syphilis. The plant can be found described in almost all Ayurvedic literatures in the treatment of anaemic disorder, ear disorder, skin disorder and diabetes mellitus. The paper reports on its pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, anti-ulcer, anti-tumour activity and anticancer potential. Keywords: Vateria indica, Anti-inflammatory, Anthelmintic, Anti-ulcer, Anti-tumour. INTRODUCTION use of traditional medicine and medicinal From the very beginning of human existence, plants in most developing countries, as a basis man has familiarized himself with plants and for the maintenance of good health, has been used them in a variety of ways throughout the widely observed by UNESCO, 1996.3 ages. Primitive man in search of food and to Herbal medicine or phytomedicine is the use cope successfully with human sufferings of plants for medicinal and therapeutic began to distinguish those plants suitable for purpose for curing of diseases and improve medicinal purpose from others with definitive human health. Plants have secondary pharmacological action. This relationship metabolites called phytochemicals („Phyto‟ between plants and man has grown and many from Greek - meaning „plant‟). These are plants came to be used as medicines. The active ingredients which possess therapeutic growth of knowledge to cure diseases properties that are considered as a medicine continued at an accelerating pace and a or drug. Plants used as food and in traditional number of new plant derived drugs increased medicine are more likely to yield likewise. India is known as the “Emporium of pharmacologically active compounds. It has Medicinal plants” due to availability of several been observed that numerous plants have thousands of medicinal plants in the different pharmacological effects due to the presence of bioclimatic zones.1 The writings indicate that metabolites. Plant metabolites are organic therapeutic use of plants is as old as 4000 - compounds which can be classified into 5000 B.C. and Chinese used first the natural primary metabolites and secondary herbal preparations as medicines. In India, metabolites. Primary metabolites are organic however, earliest references of use of plants compounds includes glucose, starch, as medicine appear in Rig-Veda, which is said polysaccharide, protein, lipids and nucleic acid to be written between 1600 - 3500 B.C. Later which are beneficial for growth and the properties and therapeutic uses of development of the human body. Secondary medicinal plants were studied in detail and metabolites which include alkaloids, flavonoids, recorded empirically by the ancient physicians saponins, terpenoids, steroids, glycosides, (an indigenous system of medicine) which are tannins, volatile oils etc., are used for curing a basic foundation of ancient medical science many diseases. Alkaloids have antispasmodic, in India.2 antimalarial, analgesic, diuretic activities; As defined by WHO, health is a state of Terpenoids are known for their antiviral, complete physical, mental, and social well- anthelmintic, antibacterial, anticancer, being and not merely the absence of disease antimalarial, anti-inflammatory properties; or infirmity. Medicinal plants can make an Glycosides are reported for antifungal and important contribution to the WHO goal to antibacterial properties; Phenols and ensure, that all people, worldwide, will lead a flavonoids have an antioxidant, antiallergic, sustainable socioeconomic productive life. The antibacterial properties etc. and Saponins are International Journal of Pharma And Chemical Research I Volume 4 I Issue 1 I Jan – Mar I 2018 ISSN 2395-3411 Available online at www.ijpacr.com 6 reported to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, flowering time is from January to March and plant defence activities.4 fruits ripen from May to July. The fruits are However, the potential use of higher plants as fleshy, wingless, about 50 to 60 mm long and a source of new drugs is still poorly explored. contain one large seed which is filled with fat.6 The present review article gives an account on Oil is obtained from the seeds. different screening models used in various pharmacological activities of the plant Vateria CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS indica Linn. The Phytochemical analysis of Vateria indica Vateria indica Linn, the white dammar, is a stem bark suggests the presence of species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. carbohydrate, tannin, phenols and flavonoid in It is a slow- growing species, endemic and aqueous and ethanolic extract. Petroleum found primarily in the south west coast ether extract of stem bark showed the evergreen forests, upto an altitude of 750 m, presence of phytosterols.5 The bark also and also occasionally in secondary evergreen contains polyphenols – dl – epi-catechin, dipterocarp forest in the state of Karnataka, laevorotatory isomers of fisetinidol, fzelechin Kerala and Tamil Nadu.5 It is also occasionally and bergenin. The leaves and roots contain found in deciduous forests, adjoining rivers in bergenin and hopeaphenol. The stem is the aforementioned areas. Apart from the known to produce biological active compounds Ghats, these trees are also found on the such as oligostilbenoids and monoterpenes. Deccan Plateau and along the Arabian sea- Resin is a complex mixture of several coast, the altitudinal range being from 60 to triterpene hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols 1220 meters. They generally grow upto 40 and acids, along with small amounts of meters tall, but with some specimens reaching sesquiterpenes. The fruit shell contains 25% 60 meters. The tree grows mostly in moist tannins.7 Vateria indica oil is known as piney evergreen forests but frequently extends into tallow or dhupa fat. Dhupa oil contains more deciduous forests adjoining rivers. It is than 55.0% saturated fatty acids; it remains commonly called as White Dammar, Indian solid at lower temperatures and so is known Copal, Malabar tallow, Piney varnish, Sarja as fat. Dhupa kernels contain 19-23% of a (Sanskrit), Safed dammar (Hindi), Dhoopada pale-yellow fat having a tallow-like consistency, mara (Kannada), Vella Kundurukkum which turns white on standing. Stearic acid (Malayalam), Tella Damaramu (Tamil), Raal (38-47%), Oleic acid (38-48%) and Palmitic (Marathi), Shakgachha (Bengali). acid (9-5%) are the major fatty acids in dhupa Vateria indica Linn is a large magnificent fat. The fatty acid composition is: C16 (9.0%), evergreen tree. Trunk is about 3 m in girth. C18 (46.9%), C18:1 (41.4%), C18:2 (1.3%) The bark appears rough, whitish to grey, and C20 (1.4%) .6 The seeds also contain peeling off in thick round flakes. Leaves are bergenin. simple, alternate, spiral, stipules caduceus, The investigation of phenolic constituents in petiole 2-3.5 cm, swollen at apex, apex Vateria indica afforded five resveratrol abruptly acuminate or obtuse, base rounded, tetramers, vateriaphenols B and C, margin entire, midrib flat above and curved isohopeaphenol, hopeaphenol, and near margin, closely obliquely per current.5 shoreaketone.8 High-performance liquid Leaves falls in March, new foliage appears in chromatography analysis showed that the April-May, the second flush of foliage starts extract contains bergenin, hopeaphenol, after rains, in October-December. Flowers are vaticanol B, vaticanol C, and ε-viniferin.7 white, fragrant, arranged in panicles. The Vateria indica Linn tree International Journal of Pharma And Chemical Research I Volume 4 I Issue 1 I Jan – Mar I 2018 ISSN 2395-3411 Available online at www.ijpacr.com 7 THERAPEUTIC USES used to treat Kaphaja roga, Pandu roga Vateria indica Linn is a multipurpose tree that (Anaemic disorders), Karna roga (Ear is much used locally in India. Its Resin is disorders), Meha (Diabetes mellitus), Kushta credited with astringent, antibacterial, (Skin disorders), Visha (In Poisoning), and in antidiarrheal, emmenagogue properties and Vrana (Wounds). The Ayurvedic used in several diseases, such as chronic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the bronchitis, skin eruptions, ringworm, scrofula, resinous exudate internally (1-2 g) in lipid tubercular glands, ulcers, wounds, boils, disorders, anaemia, genitourinary diseases, rheumatism, urinary discharges, amenorrhoea, diarrhoea and diseases due to vitiated blood; piles, gonorrhoea and syphilis. Resin enters externally in gout, abscesses, skin diseases, into a number of antiseptic and anti- burns and eruptions.7 inflammatory ointments. Tallow is used as an emollient, stimulant, antibacterial & useful OTHER USES application in chronic rheumatism. The bark of The timber is in much demand for commercial the plant has antidysenteric