Pharmacological Studies of Different Fractions of Litsea monopetala Roxb.

Abstract

not available
 Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 23(1): 61-64, 2020

The Analgesic Potential of Litsea Species: A Systematic Review

“…Litsea monopetala Roxb./Litsea polyantha Juss. Litsea monopetala Roxb., synonymous to Litsea polyantha Juss., is a small to mediumsized evergreen tree that grows up to 18 m in height and 60 cm in diameter [81,163]. It is predominantly distributed in Nepal, Bangladesh and Northeast India, but can also be found in Yucatan, Southern Mexico, West Indies, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Florida, Philippine, Sri Lanka, Palestine, South and Central America, China, Burma, West Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar [23,164].…”

“…It is predominantly distributed in Nepal, Bangladesh and Northeast India, but can also be found in Yucatan, Southern Mexico, West Indies, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Florida, Philippine, Sri Lanka, Palestine, South and Central America, China, Burma, West Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar [23,164]. The plant is characterized by its leaves that are elliptically oblong with rounded tips and pubescent on the underside, ovoid black fruits and flowers that are small and pale yellow, usually occurring in fives or sixes in rounded umbellate heads [81]. Other than being a primary food plant for the cultivation of muga silk worms [165], L. monopetala also serves as an economically vital medicinal plant [63].…”

“…In Pakistan and India, the bark has been used as a nerve and bone tonic, analgesic and antiseptic for the treatment of stomachache and arthritis [61]. When made into an aqueous mixture with some sugar, the bark has also been claimed to treat diarrhea and dysentery, whereas pulverized or macerated bark or root could be applied topically to manage pain due to blows, cuts, bruises, contusions, swellings, strenuous work or fractures [60,62,65,81]. Alternatively, the fresh green leaves of the plant were also believed to heal diarrhea as well as dislocation, arthritis and bone fractures [45], although it has also been used as a purgative and laxative [64].…”

“…monopetela has been reported to contain alkaloids, butanolides, amides, butenolactones, steroids fatty acid, lignans, terpenes, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and sterols [42,65,80]. Preliminary phytochemical screening on the L. monopetela leaves revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides and anthraquinone glycoside in the petroleum ether, chloroform and ethyl acetate partitions, but not carbohydrates and reducing sugar [81]. According to other studies, an arabinoxylan comprising a 1:2 molar ratio of D-xylose and L-arabinose was reported in the leaf extract, whereas β-sitosterol, actinodaphnine, eugenol, chalcone, methylchalcone and 1,2-diphenyl-2-butene-1-one, tetradecanal, tridecanol, myristic acid and tridecanal were reported in the bark [81,166].…”

“…Preliminary phytochemical screening on the L. monopetela leaves revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides and anthraquinone glycoside in the petroleum ether, chloroform and ethyl acetate partitions, but not carbohydrates and reducing sugar [81]. According to other studies, an arabinoxylan comprising a 1:2 molar ratio of D-xylose and L-arabinose was reported in the leaf extract, whereas β-sitosterol, actinodaphnine, eugenol, chalcone, methylchalcone and 1,2-diphenyl-2-butene-1-one, tetradecanal, tridecanol, myristic acid and tridecanal were reported in the bark [81,166]. Decanal, nonanol and capric acid were also identified in fruit oil, whereas the oil of the flower was constituted of α-caryophyllene alcohol, pentacosane, caryophyllene oxide, humulene oxide and tricosane [81].…”