Scholars Academic Journal of Pharmacy Abbreviated Key Title: Sch Acad J Pharm ISSN 2347-9531 (Print) | ISSN 2320-4206 (Online) Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal homepage: http://saspublishers.com/sajp/ Nutritional and Therapeutic Benefits of Medicinal Plant Canthium parviflorum lam. (Rubiaceae): A Review Srujana Paka1, Jyothsna Paleti1, Praneeth Reddy Naganagar1, Rikitha Ranga1, Bindu Priya Kalukuri1, Narender Boggula2* 1School of Pharmacy, Anurag University, Venkatapur, Ghatkesar, Telangana, India 2Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Anurag University, Venkatapur, Ghatkesar, Medchal, Hyderabad, Telangana, India DOI: 10.36347/sajp.2020.v09i07.004 | Received: 03.07.2020 | Accepted: 11.07.2020 | Published: 12.07.2020 *Corresponding author: Narender Boggula Abstract Review Article The medicinal plants are the key source in the life of human beings. The use of herbal drugs for the prevention and treatment of various health ailments has been in practice from time immemorial. A large number of medicinal plants are explored from flora for production of commercial drugs. Approximately 20% of the plants found in the world have been submitted to pharmacological or biological tests. Canthium parviflorum is an important medicinal plant used in indigenous system of medicine in India and abroad. Plants are the richest source of medicinal drugs. India is one of the richest Bio Source nations in the world. In India, infectious diseases are still a challenging health problem. To isolate and characterize biologically active molecules, many medicinal plants were screened. Though the medicinal importance of this plant is known, but the potential source of this plant for biologically active molecules is not known. So, the present review on Canthium parviflorum is opens a gateway to find out useful and novel drugs. The diversity of phytochemicals found present suggests that Canthium parviflorum thorn could serve as a source of useful drugs. Keywords: Canthium parviflorum, phytochemicals, pulp, Balusu chettu, anti-cancer activity. Copyright @ 2020: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use (NonCommercial, or CC-BY-NC) provided the original author and source are credited. NTRODUCTION care. WHO has estimated that up to 80% of people still I rely on traditional remedies which are 21,000 plants The traditional medicine all over the world is around the world, among them 2500 species are in now a days revalue by an extensive activity of research India, out of these 150 species are commercially used. on different plant species and their therapeutic Phytocompounds are synthesized by primary or rather principles. The increasing cost, non-availability of secondary metabolism of living organism. Secondary modern drugs, and limited access to adequate health metabolites are chemically and taxonomically care have compelled about 80% world population to use extremely diverse compounds with obscure function. traditional pharmacopeia for primary health care They are widely used in the human therapy, veterinary, especially in the tropical and sub-tropical regions [1]. agriculture, scientific research and countless other areas. The overall activity of herbal medicines depends Plants have been used by the human beings on the active constituents present in them [3]. since time immemorial. Plants are significant sources of medicines that are used in the treatment of various Traditional or indigenous medicine denotes categories of human diseases. Traditional drugs derived medical practices developed by local ethnic people from herbal plants are used by about 60% of the world‟s using natural herbs. Different world locations have their population. India is a home to a variety of traditional own history of traditional medicine. For example, medicine system that relies largely on native plant Ayurveda medicine originated from Southeast Asia, species for the raw drug material and holds a credibility Unani medicine originated from Arab countries in the of diverse social, cultural and medical heritage with an Middle East, and acupuncture and Traditional Chinese unbroken tradition coming down across millennia [2]. Medicine (TCM) originated from China. Traditionally herbal medicines are used in folk medicine for the Herbal medicine has been practiced worldwide treatment of various health complications including and it is recognized by World Health Organization inflammatory, cancerous, diabetic, hypertensive, and (WHO) as essential building blocks for primary health cardiovascular diseases. Medicinal plants are rich © 2020 Scholars Academic Journal of Pharmacy | Published by SAS Publishers, India 211 Srujana Paka et al., Sch Acad J Pharm, July., 2020; 9(7): 211-218 sources for new drug discovery as evidenced by some establish evidence-based use of traditional medicines, recent drugs that are from plant-derived both locally and globally [4, 5]. compounds/derivatives. For example, success using classic traditional medicine includes salicylic acid and The herb Canthium parviflorum belongs to the artemisinin, possibly the most effective medicinal family Rubiaceae. It is a thorny shrub. The biological natural products ever found. The use of traditional type for the genus consists of specimens originally medicinal data in the drug discovery process results in described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck as Canthium new therapeutics, and identifies leads that undergo parviflorum [5]. clinical trials. In general, it is believed that traditional medicines are safe and harmless as compared with Tribals like eating these leafy vegetables modern drugs although this is seldom rigorously tested. which are available everywhere naturally in the forest Indications that the natural product extracts are areas. This is a famous proverb in Andhra Pradesh - effective against a particular pathological condition are „One can eat Balusu koora if one is alive‟. The tribals based on the literature and do not imply that the effect differently say this proverb as-„On should live to eat has been proven using double blind studies with Balusu koora at least‟ (Telugu-Brathikunte Balusu placebos. The modern approach has the goal to aakulu thini brathukochu). Table-1: Vernacular names Synonym Plectronia parviflora (Lam.) Bedd. Ayurveda Gandira Sanskrit Gangeruki, Chayatinisha Telugu Balusu chettu English Carray cheddile, Wild Jasmine Hindi Kirma, Kadbar Malayalam Cherukara, Kandakara, Karamullu, Kara Tamil Karai, Kadan Karai, Nalla Karai, Kudiram Kannada Balasu, Ganduk-koral, Karee Habitat number of species is found on the African continent, Canthium species are predominantly found especially in Southern and East Africa. A rigid shrub or in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand and a small tree, occurring throughout the deccan peninsular the Philippines. A small number of species is found from Gujarat to Maharashtra southwards and in Bihar in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Only a limited and orrisa [6]. Table-2: Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Division Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order Gentianales Family Rubiaceae Subfamily Ixoroideae Genus Canthium Species C. parviflorum Botanical Name Canthium parviflorum Lam. Fig-1: Canthium parviflorum Lam. plant © 2020 Scholars Academic Journal of Pharmacy | Published by SAS Publishers, India 212 Srujana Paka et al., Sch Acad J Pharm, July., 2020; 9(7): 211-218 Morphology and interpetiolate. The flowers are nearly always Canthium parviflorum is a thorny sub scandent bisexual and actinomormphic, often heterostylous, and shrub grows up to 3 meters height with spreading usually are in cymose inflorescences. The calyx is branches distributed throughout India in shrub forests somewhat reduced and 4-5 lobes or sometimes the lobes and dry plains. Its leaves and roots are medicinally are absolute or rarely one of them greatly expanded and important and belong to the family Rubiaceae. Leaves brightly colour. The sympetalous corolla is mostly 4-5 are simple, opposite, small, and acute with axillary lobed, occasionally with 3 or up to 10 lobes. The spines. Flowers are white, small in axillary cymes. androecium consists of as many stamens as corolla Fruits are oblong two-chambered drupe, become yellow lobes and is adnate to the corolla tube or epigynous when ripe. All the plant parts such as roots, leaves, zone, alternate with the lobes. The gynoecium consists fruits and stems are pharmacologically useful [6, 7]. of a single compound pistil of 2 or seldom more carpels, a single style, and a nearly always inferior The leaves are simple and usually entire, and ovary with the number of locules [8-10]. are opposite or sometimes whorled; stipules are present Fig-2: Canthium parviflorum leaves Fig-3: Canthium parviflorum flowers Fig-4: Canthium parviflorum fruits © 2020 Scholars Academic Journal of Pharmacy | Published by SAS Publishers, India 213 Srujana Paka et al., Sch Acad J Pharm, July., 2020; 9(7): 211-218 Fig-5: Canthium parviflorum fruit and pulp Fig-6: Canthium parviflorum roots Phytochemistry extracts revealed the presence of various biochemical Plant drugs, therefore, continue to constitute an compounds such as flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, important part of the medicines used even today saponins, tannins, phlobatannins, reducing sugars and especially in the areas of modern medicine and also in terpenoids. The phytochemical screening revealed the traditional