Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 469-475. 2008. Ethnobotany,
Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Mussaenda Species
(Rubiaceae) K.S.Vidyalakshmi,1 Hannah
R.Vasanthi,3 G.V.Rajamanickam2 1Department
of Chemistry, 2Centre
For Advanced Research In Indian System of Medicine, 3Department
of Biochemistry, Issued Abstract The genus Mussaenda is an important source of medicinal natural products, particularly iridoids, triterpenes and flavonoids. The purpose of this paper is to cover the more recent developments in the ethnobotany, pharmacology and phytochemistry of this genus. The species in which the largest number of compounds has been identified is Mussaenda pubescens. Pharmacological studies have also been made, however, of other species in this genus. These lesser known plants of the genus are described here according to their cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The information given here is intended to serve as a reference tool for practitioners in the fields of ethnopharmacology and natural products chemistry. Key words: Mussaenda; Rubiaceae; Mussaein; antifertility. Introduction One way in which the study of medicinal plants has progressed is in the
discovery of bioactive compounds from new promising drug species. In this
respect, the genus Mussaenda
has been important in providing us with several natural products of
interest to workers in the field of pharmacology. The species of this genus have the
further advantage of being easy to grow. They are pest and disease free and can withstand
heavy pruning. Very few species have been explored for chemical and biological
studies. This review focuses on the different species of Mussaenda and their chemical
constituents and biological activity.
Thus, it includes all compounds known to Mussaenda species, and is
intended as a guide for future research. The depth and breadth of research
involving Mussaenda
plants has been organized into easily accessible and comparable units of information. Ethnobotanical uses of Mussaenda species They are members of the Rubiaceae (madder or
coffee family) and are native to the Mussaenda frondosa Mussaenda frondosa
is distributed in Mussaenda macrophylla Mussaenda macrophylla
is found widely in Central and Mussaenda raiatensis Mussaenda raiatensis,
a native of Mussaenda pubescens Mussaenda pubescens
is a liana-like
shrub, distributed in shady hillside, valley and shrub jungle of East, South
and laryngopharyngitis, acute
gastroenteritis, and dysentery and as a contraceptive agent (Dictionary of
Chinese traditional medicine, 1986). Mussaenda roxburghii It is distributed in the Eastern and Mussaenda frondosa (Dhobi
tree) It is found from Indo-China to Mussaenda incana It is native
from Phytochemistry of Mussaenda
species The phytochemistry
of Mussaenda
species has been studied extensively since 1990s. Iridoids,
flavonoids and triterpenes
are the common chemical ingredients distributed in Mussaenda species. The most
recognized compounds in Mussaendas are the iridoids and triterpene saponins. Iridoid glycosides, Mussaenoside
and shanzhiside methyl ester 1 have been
reported from Mussaenda parviflora and Mussaenda
shikokiana (Yoshio Takeda et al., 1977).
The leaves of M. arcuata yield Astragalin,
isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-O-beta-Drutinoside and
the two phenylpropanoid derivatives as melilotoside and dihydromelilotoside
(Ranarivelo et al., 1990). Mussaendosides M 2
and N 3 are the saponins from M.pubescens
(Jun-Ping Xu and Ren-Sheng
Xu, 1992). Mussaein A 4, Mussaein
B 5 and Mussaein
C 6 (Weimin
Zhao et al., 1996) are the monoterpenes from
M.pubesens. Mussaenda
pubescens is reported to contain several triterpenes and triterpenoid saponins namely mussaendosides
U, V, M, O, P and Q (Weimin Zhao et al., 1997).
M.macrophylla afforded Mussaendoside W 7
(Kim et al., 1999). A new compound Sanzhilactone
8 along with mussaenoside,
barlerin, lupeol and
beta-D-glucose has been obtained from the stem of M. incana
(Biswanath Dinda et
al., 2005). Quercetin, rutin,
hyperin, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, beta sitosterol, saponin occurs in M.raiatensis
(WHO, 1998). Pharmacology Mussaenda pubescens
Ait.f
is a liana-like shrub, distributed in shady hillside, valley and shrub jungle
of east, south and southwest 1. Sanshiside
methyl ester 5. Mussaein
A 6. Mussaein B
7. Mussaein C 8. Sanshilactone 2. Mussaenoside M; R=H 3. Mussaenoside N; R=Glu 4. Mussaendoside W Acknowledgement The authors wish to thank Prof R.Sethuraman,
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