IMR 94 1–9 ARTICLE IN PRESS integr med res x x x ( 2 0 1 5 ) xxx–xxx Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Integrative Medicine Research journa l homepage: www.imr-journal.org 1 Q1 Review Article 2 Medicinal plants of the family Caryophyllaceae: 3 a review of ethno-medicinal uses and 4 pharmacological properties ∗ 5 Q3 Satish Chandra , D.S. Rawat 6 Q4 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Basic Science & Humanities, Govind Ballabh Pant University of 7 Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar, Pantnagar, India 8 9 a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t 10 11Q6 Article history: Several species of the family Caryophyllaceae are widely used by many ethnic communities 12 Received 16 March 2015 as traditional medicine throughout the world. The highest number of plants of the family 13 Received in revised form are used in Chinese traditional medicine. The ethnopharmacologial studies of this fam- 14 25 June 2015 ily indicate that plants of the family possess antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, antifungal, 15 Accepted 25 June 2015 antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Other miscellaneous properties reported are 16 ribosome inactivation properties, inhibition of prostatic enlargement in rats, and inhibition 17 Keywords: of intestinal enzyme carboxyelasterase in rats, cerebro-protective activity, and antiobesity 18 Caryophyllaceae in rats. Few reviews have been published yet, providing information regarding medicinal 19 Dianthus plants of the family and their biomedical properties. All published reviews have focused 20 pharmacological properties either on a particular taxa or a few species. The present review is focused on the traditional 21 Silene medicinal uses of the plants of the family Caryophyllaceae along with phytochemical and 22 traditional medicinal systems pharmacological studies of the family. A study of the literature revealed significant tradi- tional medicinal importance of the family. Major chemical constituents of Caryophyllceae are saponins, phyroecdysteroids, benzenoids, phenyl propanoids, and nitrogen containing compounds. The most important property of plants of the family is anticancer activity and is shown by the large number of plant species studied. This review of traditional medicinal and pharmacological uses of plants of the family, provide a ground for future research in the family. © 2015 Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved. 1 2630 species. This family is popularly known as the pink 25 1. Introduction family or carnation family. Plants of the family are present 26 worldwide particularly in the Northern Hemisphere with the 27 23 The Caryophyllaceae Juss. is one of the major dicot family exception of most of the wet tropics. The Caryophyllaceae 28 24 of angiosperms and is globally represented by 85 genera and family is mainly centered in the Mediterranean area and ∗ Corresponding author. Department of Biological Sciences, College of Basic Science and Humanities, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Q5 Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, India. E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Chandra). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2015.06.004 2213-4220/© 2015 Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved. Please cite this article in press as: Chandra S, Rawat DS. Medicinal plants of the family Caryophyllaceae: a review of ethno-medicinal uses and IMR 94 1–9 pharmacological properties. Integr Med Res (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2015.06.004 IMR 94 1–9 ARTICLE IN PRESS Integr Med Res ( 2 0 1 5 ) xxx–xxx 2 9,10 29 exhibits great diversity in the habitat and growth form there. of the family. A number of other compounds such as fatty 81 30 Plants of the family are erect, prostrate, annual or perennial acid derivatives, benzenoids, phenyl propanoids, isoprenoids, 82 31 herbs or small shrubs, and few species (Sanctambrosia spp.) and nitrogen containing compounds are also isolated from the 83 11–13 32 are larger shrubs or small trees. The family is characterized by plants belonging to the family. 84 33 swollen nodes, with simple opposite leaves, solitary flowers 34 or dichasial cymes inflorescence, actinomorphic pentamerous 4. Medicinal properties of plants 35 or tetramerous flowers, clawed petals, ten stamens or less in 36 obdiplostemonous condition, ovary superior with free-central 37 placentation, fruit capsule opening by teeth or valve and pres- 4.1. Plants used by ethnic communities for health care 85 2 38 ence of anthocyanin pigments. The family Caryophyllaceae is 39 well known for ornamental flowering plants such as Dianthus Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular cul- 86 40 chinensis (Pink), Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William), Gypsophila ture and region use indigenous plants in their lives for their 87 41 spp. (Baby’s Breath), Agrostemma spp. (Corn Cockle), Saponaria daily health management and other needs. The American 88 14 42 spp. (Soapwort), Lychnis spp. (Fire Pink), and Silene spp. (Cam- biologist R.E. Schultes described ethnobotany as “the study 89 43 pions) which form a major fraction of world’s cut flower trade. of the relationship which exists between people of primi- 90 44 Some species of Caryophyllaceae as Stellaria media (Chick- tive societies and their environment”. In more simple words, 91 45 weed), Cerastium cerastoides (Mouse-ear Chickweed) and other it is an anthropological approach to botany. The father of 92 15 46 Stellaria spp. Cearstium spp., Silene spp., etc. are noxious weeds Indian Ethnobotany S.K. Jain described it as “the study 93 3 47 of agricultural lands. of the direct relationship between plants and man is an 94 48 The family Cayophyllaceae is widely known for gardening interdisciplinary science and called Ethnobotany”. A total of 95 49 herbs but medicinal importance of its members is sparsely 422,000 plant species are present on the earth, among which 96 50 known. In the present work we have tried to compile infor- 52,885–72,000 plant species are used as medicinal plants 97 16,17 ∼ 51 mation regarding the medicinal plants of the family, their around the world. Thus, 17.1% of the total world flora 98 52 ethnomedicinal uses, and pharmacological significance of comprises medicinally important plants. These plants are 99 53 these plants in different diseases. Only a few reviews provide used to cure many diseases in different medicinal systems 100 54 information regarding medicinal plants of the family and around the world. It is estimated that 70–80% of people world- 101 55 their biomedical properties have been published yet. All of wide rely chiefly on traditional herbal medicine to meet their 102 4–6 18 56 these reviews are either focused on particular taxa or a few primary health care needs. 103 7 1 57 species. This review is unique for this family and fills the Among 2630 species of the family , only a small fraction 104 ∼ 58 knowledge gap related to the medicinal importance of this ( 50–90 species) is known to have medicinal properties. The 105 59 family. This review will also help others in future for compila- majority of the plants are used for some common ailments 106 60 tion of such information of this family. as cold, cough, fever, diarrhea, throat infection, and gastroin- 107 testinal infection etc. Table 1 summarizes ethnomedicinal 108 uses of different plants of the family, their parts used, and 109 2. Materials and methods references from different part of the world. Though, Table 1 110 makes no claim to be really complete, it represents the most 111 61 For the present review, information regarding medicinal prop- up to date published account of medicinally important plants 112 62 erties and biochemical properties of plants was gathered via of the family. 113 63 searching books and scientific databases including PubMed, 64 Elsevier, GoogleScholar, Springer, etc. 4.2. Plants used in pharmacological studies 114 4.2.1. Anticancer properties 115 3. Phytochemistry of the family 4.2.1.1. Dianthus caryophyllus L. A glycosylated flavonol 116 Kaempferide triglycoside isolated from Dianthus caryophyllus 117 65 The family is characterized by the presence of antho- exhibits inhibitory properties for human colon cancer cell 118 66 cyanin pigments instead of the betalain. Proanthocyanidin line carrying induced to over express estrogen receptor ␤ 119 67 pigments are rarely detected from the seed coats and C- (ER-␤). Kaempferide triglycoside suppresses the proliferation 120 2 68 glycosylflavonoids pigment are rather common in the family. of colon cancer cells over expressing ER-␤ not through ligand 121 69 The unusual characteristic of the family is appearance of sta- binding to estrogen receptor. However, it affects progres- 122 70 ble and endurable foam when parts of the plants are put sion of HCT8 cell cycle by enhancing the G0/G1 cell fraction 123 71 into water and shaken. This behavior is due to the occur- and increased antioxidant enzymes production in ER-␤ over 124 74 72 rence of high amount of saponins in the family. The saponins expressing cells. This flavonol is able to suppress DNA repli- 125 73 are found in various organs of the plants, especially in roots cation and cell growth in a dose-dependent manner and shows 126 74 of Saponaria spp. Silene spp. Gypsophila spp., etc. and seeds significant effects in cells over expressing ER-␤. Kaempferide 127 8 75 of Agrostemma githago. The phytoecdysteroids mimics insect triglycoside is able to push cells into G0/G1 starvation and to 128 76 molting hormone and strongly interferes with metamorpho- over expression of two important antioxidant proteins metal- 129 77 sis of the insects. Phytoecdysteroids are synthesized mainly lothionein type 2 (MT2A) and proteins superoxide dismutase 130 74 78 in the tribe Lychnideae of the subfamily Caryophylloideae type 2 (SOD2). 131 79 of Caryophyllaceae, whereas Silene, Lychnis, Petrocoptis, Sagina, Cellular Zn metabolism regulates metallothionein by 132 80 and Saponaria are main phytoecdysteroid synthesizing genera interacting with Zn ions through –SH groups.