Some new ethnomedicinal uses of Milkweed in the Indian desert (original) (raw)
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Therapeutic Potential of Calotropis procera: A giant milkweed
Medicinal plants are the local heritage with global importance playing a vital role in world health care system of developing countries. Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae), a giant milk weed, is known for its pharmacological importance for centuries. The coarse shrub is a very promising source of anticancerous, ascaricidal, schizonticidal, anti-microbial, anthelmintic, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhoeal, larvicidal with many other beneficial properties. Plant is described as a golden gift for human kind containing calotropin, calotropagenin, calotoxin, calactin, uscharin, amyrin, amyrin esters, uscharidin, coroglaucigenin, frugoside, corotoxigenin, calotropagenin and voruscharine used in many therapeutic applications. Different compounds like norditerpenic esters, organic carbonates, the cysteine protease procerain, alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols and numerous cardenolides made this plant of scientific attraction for centuries. Plant is not only a great source of natural hydrocarbons but also contains several metabolites used as folk medicine for the treatment of leprosy, elephantiasis, fever, menorrhagia, malaria and snake bite. The review discusses the potential of Calotropis procera in health care management.
Calotropis procera (Arka): A Tribal Herb of Utmost Significance
2021
Nature has gifted humans a vast variety of medicinal plants, which are the rich source of bioactive compounds. Calotropis procera is an important medicinal plant that belongs to the family asclepiadaceae. It is commonly known as madar and milkweed plant in english and arka in hindi. It is mostly found in the tropics of asia and africa. Calotropis procera is a highly valued plant in the folk medication system. Each part of the plant is richly endowed with diverse nature of phytochemical constituents like alkaloids, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, saponins, terpenes, and flavonoids, etc. These phytochemicals are significantly associated with various therapeutic and pharmacological properties such as anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, antifertility, anti-diarrheal, and spasmolytic. In this review article, the therapeutic and pharmacological value of this important plant has been summarized along with its utilization in the folklore and ayurvedic medicinal s...
A Review on Biological Activities of Indian Traditional Medicinal Plant: Calotropis Gigantea
Journal of Biomedical and Allied Research, 2022
India, which is aptly referred to as the world's botanical garden, is the country that produces the most medicinal herbs. The Apocynaceae/Asclepiadaceae family member, Calotropis gigantea sometimes known as the Crown Flower, has special therapeutic characteristics that can be used on its own or in combination with other drugs to treat common illnesses. There is a surprising therapeutic diversity in herbal medications. Entire dried plant is employed as rejuvenating, parasitic worm expellers and mucus explusors in ayurveda. While latex of it cures vertigo, baldness, hair loss, and rheumatoid arthritis, and to treat asthma root in dry form is used, leprosy. Calotropis is employed as a homoeopathic remedy in addition to its conventional purposes. Significant medicinal benefits can be obtained from the plant's extracts from its many components. It is necessary to objectively investigate these treatments in order to determine their active principles and comprehend their pharmacological properties, such as prophylactic protective, NSAID, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, antiulcer ,helps in treating Covid-19, antimalarial, antipyretic, wound healing activity, cytotoxic properties, anti-asthmatic , procoagulant , CNS and anticonvulsant activity, pregnancy interceptive, anticancer, analgesic, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, insecticidal, and hepatoprotective. It provides data about the mythical importance, herbal relevance, origin, pharmacogenetic illustration, herbal constituents, biological activities, and ethnopharmacological noteworthiness of Calotropis gigantea is summarized in the current review.
A review on phytochemical constituents and pharmacological potential ofCalotropis procera
RSC Advances, 2021
Calotropis procera is locally known as Aak or Madar in Hindi, milk weed in English and belongs to the family Apocynaceae and subfamily Asclepiadoideae. Although a wasteland plant, it is of sacred use as its flowers are offered for worshipping Lord Shiva, a Hindu God. Tribes all over the world use the plant in treatment of various diseases like snake bite, body pain, asthma, epilepsy, cancer, sexual disorders, skin diseases and many more. This plant contains various phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, terpenoids, cardenolides, steroids oxypregnanes etc. Though literature searches reveal many reviews about ethnomedicinal uses, chemical composition and pharmacological activities, no recent papers are available that provide an overview of the therapeutic potential and toxicity of Calotropis procera. Hence, the insight of this review is to provide a systemic summary of phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and therapeutic potential of Calotropis procera and to highlight the gaps in the knowledge so as to offer inspiration for future research.
Two species of the genus Calotropis of family Asclepiadaceae (sub family of Apocynaceae) viz.Calotropis procera Ait. and Calotropis gigantea (Linn) R.Br. are considered as botanical equivalents of Arka and Shweta Arka respectively. Both have been attributed with copious therapeutic claims in Indian traditional medical systems especially with reference to its ethnomedicinal, commercial and sacred uses. A single hand compiled data is scarcely available regarding its ethnomedicinal and economic uses. In the present review an attempt has been made to congregate all available data from 22 books and 20 research journals. After critical observations, it is found that there are almost 50 tribes in and around India who use both species of Calotropis. The plant is used for sacred purpose mostly by Hindus. Different parts of the plant are used in about 44 different disease conditions by both internal (53) and external (52) applications. Its economic utilities suggest that all the parts of the plant have some or the other economic potential. Easy and abundant availability of Arka with single hand information on its potential ethno medicinal and economic uses may give lead to new research on this plant.
PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF LEAVES OF CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA.
International Journal of Advanced Research (IJAR), 2019
Arka (Calotropisgigantea) an important drug of Ayurveda is known in this country from the earliest time. It is commonly known as giant milk weed. It is used for several medication purposes in traditional medicinal system. Most recently Calotropisgiganteais scientifically reported for several medicinal properties viz. the flowers were reported to possess analgesic activity, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. Leaves and Arial parts of the plant were reported for anti-diarrhoeal activity, antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity. Roots were reported to contain anti-pyretic activity, cytotoxic activity. The present study is an effort to give detail information regarding macroscopy, microscopy, physical constants, leaf constants, fluorescence analysis and phytochemical screening of leaves extracts of Calotropisgigantea. This study helps in identification of this particular plant species. Also it providesguidelines for identification of plant species.
PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROFILE OF CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA
Calotropis gigantea belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family, is a glabrous or hairy, lactiferous shrubs or small trees, commonly known as "the swallow-wort or milkweed". Calotropis gigantea is a well known medicinal herb commonly known as crown flower/ giant milkweed. It has been used for years Unani, Ayurveda and Siddha system of medicine. Herbal medicines can be used to treat a variety of chronic inflammatory illnesses, like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and leprosy. Objective: Calotropis gigantea, is a versatile medicinal herb. It also known as a "Madar", it has a huge history of traditional uses in medical systems like Unani, Ayurveda, and Siddha. It mainly well known for effective treatment for various chronic inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and leprosy. Calotropis gigantea stands out for its therapeutic versatility and wide range of applications. From its root to its flowers, different parts of Calotropis gigantea are known for their medicinal properties. Its potential includes wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, medicinal properties, healing properties making it a promising candidate for the development of novel effective drugs. This has been used in folk medicines for the treatment of bronchitis, asthma, leprosy, eczema and elephantiasis. Although the whole plant is used for skin diseases. Calotropis gigantea are used to treat snake bites, toothache, scorpion stings, fevers, and agues, intestinal diseases, powdered root bark have the ability to cure elephantiasis, dysentery, the stem bark is important for gastrointestinal, lung disease, spleen complaints, ringworm and pneumonia. Conclusion: This review emphasizes on the phytochemistry, uses, pharmacological profile of Calotropis gigantea.
A Review on Brief Study of Calotropis gigantea Linn
Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics
Calotropis gigantea Linn is a popular restorative herb commonly known as milk weed & has been utilized in Indian system of medication. In this review, the systematic position, introduction about the plant, morphological study, phytochemistry and the economical values of the Calotropis gigantea are discussed. It has oval, light green leaves and smooth stem. The plant is growing in a wide range of soils and natural conditions, requiring no cultivation practices. Various pharmacological activities reported like antioxidant activity, anti-malarial activity, antimicrobial activity, cytotoxic activity, antipyretic activity, anti-asthmatic activity, anti-inflammatory activity, analgesic activity, insecticidal activity, wound healing activity & anti-diarrheal activity. Keywords: Calotropis gigantea Linn., Pharmacological studies.
World Journal of Pharmaceutical and life sciences, 2024
Medicinal plants are a rich source of pharmaceuticals; in fact, the majority of drugs on the market are derived from various types of plants or herb species. Many crude products not only provided the basis for many medicines, but they also had significant therapeutic effects. Calotropis procera Linn is an ayurvedic plant that has long been used to make traditional medicines to treat a wide range of diseases. It is regarded a medicinal plant belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family, which is distributed throughout India and other tropical areas. The collected product from roots, barks, leaves, flowers, and other parts has a variety of therapeutic properties that are extremely beneficial. C.procera possess a wide range of pharmacological activities such as anticancer, antidiabetic, analgesic, anti- inflammatory, anthelmintic, antimicrobial, antidiarroheal, anticonvulsant, hepatoprotective, antioestrogenic, antiulcer, antimalarial, anti-fertility etc. The phytochemical constituents of this plant revealed that it includes cardiac glycosides, triterpenoids, flavonoids, cardenolide, tannis, saponins, resins. Latex of C.procera contain a powerful bacteriolytic enzyme called calactin, which is a cardiotoxin and a robust nontoxic proteolytic enzyme called calotropin. Calotropis procera's macroscopic and microscopic features, as well as its general phytochemical constituents and pharmacological action, are the subject of the current review.
A review on Phytochemical and biological properties of Calotropis gigantea (Linn) R.Br
Discovery Phytomedicine, 2016
Calotropis gigantea Linn is a well known medicinal herb commonly known as milk weed and has been used in Unani, Ayurveda and Siddha system of medicine for years. It is a native of India, China and Malaysia and it is distributed in almost all over world. All parts of the plant have been used as medicine as well as an important ingredient in a number of Unani formulations used for the treatment of various ailments. In classical Unani literature it is mentioned to have anthelmintic, appetizer, anti flatulence, astringent, tonic, expectorant, emetic, diaphoretic, anti inflammatory, sedative, wound healer, antidote and digestive properties and used in asthma, stomach ache, cholera, amenorrhea and toothache. Phytochemical constituents include giganteol, α and β calotropeol, β-amyrin, giganteol and isogiganteol etc. Calotropis gigantea has been reported for its anti asthmatic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, wound healing, antiinflammatory, antidiarrhoeal, hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic activities. In this manuscript the articles published from 2004-2016 were reviewed. Well known scientific search engines viz. Pub med, Medline, Google scholar, and Science Direct were used to retrieve online literature. All referred studies published in peer reviewed indexed journals were included. For Unani literature classical text and manuscripts were referred.