Physiochemical, Insecticidal, and Antidiabetic Activities of Senna occidentalis Linn Root

Ethnobotanical, phytochemical, toxicology and anti-diabetic potential of Senna occidentalis (L.) link; A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Senna occidentalis (L.) Link is a plant that has been used in medicine in some African countries, Asia and America. It is mainly used in Ayurvedic medicine in India. Several parts of this plant are used for preventing or treating diabetes, haematuria, rheumatism, typhoid, asthma, hepatotoxicity, disorders of haemoglobin and leprosy.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review outlines the pharmacological evidence supporting the potential of S. occidentalis to control or compensate for diabetes and associated complications, with intentions to sensitize the scientific community for future research on this promising plant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information on the anti-diabetic pharmacological studies of Senna occidentalis was collected from various scientific databases including Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. The studies were analyzed for the toxicological, phytochemical, anti-diabetic, hypoglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemia and antioxidative aspects of the different parts of S. occidentalis.

RESULTS

Numerous phytochemical constituents (flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, terpenes and glycosides) are present in this plant and are responsible for their anti-diabetic, hypoglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidative effects. The different plant parts appears to exert anti-diabetic effects by direct regulation of blood glucose, modulation of lipid profile and improving of antioxidant status and islet function.

CONCLUSION

Senna occidentalis is rich in phytochemicals. The crude extracts of the different parts have valuable bioactive properties with potential ethnopharmacological relevance for diabetes management and treatment. Further bioassay guided phytochemical analyses of this plant are recommended to explore its therapeutic bioactive principles.

In vitro antidermatophytic activity of bioactive compounds from selected medicinal plants

Fungal infections are among the most difficult diseases to manage in humans. Eukaryotic fungal pathogens share many similarities with their host cells, which impairs the development of antifungal compounds. Therefore, it is desirable to harness the pharmaceutical potential of medicinal plants for antifungal drug discovery. In this study, the antifungal activity of sixteen plant extracts was investigated against selected dermatophytic fungi. Of the sixteen plants, the cladode (leaf) of Asparagus racemosus, and seed extract of Cassia occidentalis showed antifungal activity against Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum nanum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton terrestre. The plant antifungal compounds were located by direct bioassay against Cladosporium herbarum. IR and NMR spectrometry analyses of these compounds identified the presence of saponin (in A. racemosus) and hydroxy anthraquinone (in C. occidentalis) in these antifungal compounds. The antidermatophytic activity of plant anthraquinone and saponins with reports of little or no hemolytic activity, makes these compounds ideal for alternative antifungal therapy and warrants further in-depth investigation in vivo.

Ethnomedicinal Value of Antidiabetic Plants in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Review

The use of conventional drugs to treat metabolic disorders and the pathological consequences of diabetes further increases the complications because of the side effects, and is sometimes burdensome due to relatively higher costs and occasionally painful route of administration of these drugs. Therefore, shifting to herbal medicine may be more effective, economical, have fewer side effects and might have minimal toxicity. The present review amasses a list of ethnomedicinal plants of 143 species belonging to 61 families, from distinctive domestic survey literature, reported to have been used to treat diabetes by the ethnic and local people of Bangladesh. Leaves of the medicinal plants were found leading in terms of their use, followed by fruits, whole plants, roots, seeds, bark, stems, flowers, and rhizomes. This review provides starting information leading to the search for and use of indigenous botanical resources to discover bioactive compounds for novel hypoglycemic drug development.