Abstract
Plants are used as medicine since ancient time, in organized (Ayurveda, Unani & Siddha) and unorganized (folk, native & tribal) form. In these systems, drugs are described either in Sanskrit or vernacular languages. Avartani (Helicteres isora Linn.) is a medicinal plant which is used in several diseases. It is commonly known as Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani etc. due to screw like appearance of its fruit. Avartani is used as a folk medicine to treat snake bite, diarrhoea and constipation of new born baby. In the research, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, antibacterial and antiplasmid activities, cardiac antioxidant, antiperoxidative potency, brain-antioxidation potency, anticancer activity, antinociceptive activity, hepatoprotective activity, anti-diarrheal activity and wormicidal activity in this plant were reviewed.
Keywords: Avartani, Ayurveda, Helicteres isora Linn., Marodphali, Anti-diarrheal
1. Introduction
The definition of Helicteres is a large genus of tropical trees and shrubs (family Sterculiaceae) with axillary flowers and fruits consisting of five twisted carpels. The origin of Helicteres is NL, fr. Gk heliktēres, pl. of heliktēr anything twisted, fr. helik-, helix spiral. Isora is a Japanese name for boys meaning God of the seashore[1].
Avartani [Helicteres isora Linn. (H. isora)] is a medicinal plant which is used in several diseases. It is commonly known as Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani etc. due to screw like appearance of its fruit. It is not described broadly in old text of Ayurveda, i.e. Samhitas and Nighantu. This plant maybe comes from outside so that it is neglected by Ayurvedic authors. In the description of the Ayurvedic plant Murva, Avartani is also confused with Murva, but later it is confirmed with a separate plant rather than Murva (Marsdenia tenacissima W. & A.). The leaf of Avartani shows similarity with Parushaka (Grewia asiatica Linn.).
2. Avartani (H. isora)
The botanical name of Avartani is H. isora, which belongs to the family Sterculiaceae. It is commonly known as Murva, Avartani, Avartaphala in Sanskrit, Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani, Gomathi in Hindi, Kewad, Muradsheng in Marathi, etc (Table 1). The scientific classification of Avartani (H. isora) is shown in Table 2.
Table 1. Name of Avartani in different languages.
| Languages | Names |
| Sanskrit | Murva, Avartani, Avartaphala |
| Hindi | Marodphali, Marorphali, Enthani, Gomathi |
| Marathi | Kewad, Muradsheng |
| Bengal | Antmora |
| Gujarat | Maradashingh, Maradashinghi |
| Tamil | Balampari |
| Telugu | Guvadarra |
| Kannada | Pedamuri |
| Malayalam | Ishwarmuri |
| Oriya | Murmuriya |
| English | East India screw tree, Indian screw tree |
Table 2. Scientific classification of Avartani.
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Class | Angiosperms |
| Sub-class | Eudicots |
| Order | Malvales |
| Family | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily | Helicteroideae |
| Genus | Helicteres |
| Species | H. isora |
2.1. Occurrence and distribution
Avartani is found distributed in dry forests throughout Central and Western India, from Bihar as far West as Jammu and Western Peninsula.
2.2. Description
It is sub-deciduous small tree or shrub of about 1.5-3.0 m height. Young branches are rough with scattered stellate hairs. The leaves are serrate, obliquely cordate or ovate, shortly acuminate and rough above and pubescent beneath. The flowers are solitary or in sparse clusters with red reflexed petals, become pale-blue when old. The fruits are 5.0 cm long, greenish-brown, beaked and cylindrical with 5 spirally twisted carpels. The seeds are tubercled.
Fruits, seeds, bark and roots of the plant are used. The flowering time of H. isora is from April to December, and the fruiting time is from October to June[2] (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Different parts of Avartani (H. isora).
A: A plant of Avartani; B: Flowering twig; C: Stem bark; D: Immature pod; E: A mature flower; F: A leaf; G: Mature pod of Avartani.
2.3. Ayurvedic guna (properties) and Ayurvedic karma (action)
The Ayurvedic guna (properties) are given in Table 3. Ayurvedic karma are atisaraghna (anti-diarrheal), sula-prashmana (analgesic), krimighna (wormicidal), rakta-shodhaka (blood purifier), Mutra-sangrahniya (urine conservative)[3].
Table 3. Ayurvedic guna (properties).
| Guna | Laghu, Ruksha |
| Rasa | Kasaya |
| Vipaka | Katu |
| Virya | Sita |
2.4. Folklore
In Konkan, the fruits are used as a remedy for snake bite. The fruits are used in diarrhoea as well as constipation of new born baby[4]. In the aqueous extract of its root, one teaspoonful tid is given for 3-7 d for the treatment of dog-bite in Utter Pradesh[5]. Tribals of Singbhum district of Bihar use the fruits as an amulet in neck to treat disease of malnutrition, which is locally known as Dubli disease among children[6].
3. Phytoconstituents
3.1. Fruit
Satake et al. isolated three new compounds which are 49-O-b -D-glucopyranosyl rosmarinic acid (2), 4,49-O-di-b -D-glucopyranosyl rosmarinic acid (3) and 2R-O-(49-O-b -D-glucopyranosyl caffeoyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl), lactic acid named as 49-O-b -Dglucopyranosyl isorinic acid (4) were isolated together with rosmarinic acid (1) from the fruit of H. isora (Sterculiaceae), an Indonesian medicinal plant[7]. The structures of these compounds, including the absolute stereochemistry of (4), were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and chemical means. Compound (3) had greater scavenging activity against superoxide anion produced with xanthine and xanthine oxidase than rosmarinic acid (1)[7].
3.2. Leaves
Ramesh et al. resulted in the isolation and characterization of a new flavones methyl ether, 7,41di-o-methyle isoscutellarein i.e. (5,8-dihydroxy-7,41flavones) along with kaempferol-3-o-galactoside (trifolin) and herbacetin-8-o-glucoronide (hibifolin) from the leaves of H. isora[8].
3.3. Stem bark
Saraswatiibhai led to the identification of choloplast, pigments, phytosterols, hydroxyl carboxylic acid, orange-yellow colouring matter, saponins, phlobotannis, sugar ang lignins[9].
3.4. Seed
A preliminary study of phytoconstituents of seeds by Nair and Grampurohit showed the presence of phytosterols, fixed oils and fats, phenolic compounds and tannins and amino acid and carbohydrates[10].
3.5. Root
Cucurbitacin B and isocucurbitacin B have been isolated from its root[11].
4. Pharmacological activity
4.1. Antioxidant activity
Kumar et al. reported the antioxidant and anticancer activity using various solvent extracts (hexane, IPA and acetone) and crude protein[12]. Dot plot assay confirmed the presence of antioxidant activity. Acetone fruit extract of H. isora showed 96.44% strong antioxidant activity compared to hexane, and IPA. Acetone extract exhibited better cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cells (NCI-H460); whereas acetone and crude protein extracts showed activity against reactive oxygen species. The investigation revealed the antioxidant and anticancer activity of H. isora dried fruit extracts[12].
4.2. Hypolipidaemic activity
Kumar et al. reported that the continuous treatment with the bark extract of H. isora brought down the above lipid parameters in the diabetic rats to almost normal levels[13]. The effect of bark extracts of H. isora on serum high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein has been studied. The treatment with H. isora bark extract carried down these lipoproteins in the diabetic rats to nearly normal levels. Cholesterol and phospholipids levels were significantly lowered (P<0.05) in streptozocin induced diabetic rats. But the treatment of H. isora bark extract significantly increased these erythrocyte cholesterol and phospholipids levels in the diabetic rats, which were normalized after 21 d of treatment. The ratio of cholesterol and phospholipids was significantly higher (P<0.05) in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The treatment of bark extract reversed the increased levels of these lipid ratios and normalized soon after[13]. Boopathy Raja et al. studied that the fruit of H. isora has the active principle to counteract the hyperlipidemic condition occurring in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats[14].
4.3. Antibacterial and antiplasmid activities
Shriram et al. reported organic extracts of H. isora as a new and safe plasmid curing agent[15]. These finding resulted in the possibility of a new type of combination between antibiotics and potential drugs effective against plasmid encoded multiple antibiotic resistance. The concentrations of the curing agents used in this study were sub inhibitory, since bacteria were already resistant to these concentrations of compound. It can be assumed that bacteria are less likely to develop any mechanism to counter the plasmid curing property of the acetone extract of H. isora[15].
4.4. Cardiac antioxidant and antiperoxidative potency
Kumar et al. reported that the activities of cardiac antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased in diabetic control rats[16]. They presented significant increases in the diabetic rats treated with hemagglutination inhibition (HI). Administration of HI to normal rats increased the antioxidant levels with no other significant differences. The effect produced by HI was comparable with that of tolbutamide. The results show that the antioxidant effect of aqueous extract of HI (200 mg/kg, p.o.) was significantly higher than that of in the tolbutamide treated rats[16].
4.5. Brain antioxidation potency
Kumar et al. concluded that in diabetes, brain tissue was more vulnerable to oxidative stress and showed increased lipid peroxidation[17]. The above observation shows that the aqueous extract of bark of H. isora plant possesses antioxidant activity, which could exert a beneficial action against pathologic alterations caused by the presence of free radicals in streptozocin diabetes[17].
4.6. Anticancer activity
Varghese et al. reported that the drug has a potent action against human breast cancer[18]. The cytotoxic activity of the drug is due to the presence of alkaloids and flavonoids. Our further plan is to isolate and evaluate these active principles and elucidate exact mechanism of action.
4.7. Antinociceptive activity
Venkatesh et al. reported that the aq. ethanol, petroleum ether and chloroform extract showed significant antinociceptive activity. Phytochemical analysis of the active extracts indicated that their major constituents are sterol, triterpenoids (petroleum ether extract), and their glycosides (chloroform and aqueous ethanol extracts) may be responsible for observed pharmacological activity[19].
4.8. Hepatoprotective activity
Chitra et al. reported that ethanolic root extracts of H. isora demonstrated hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in rats[20]. The parameters studied were serum total bilirubin, total protein, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase activities. Results of biochemical studies of blood samples of CCl4 treated animals showed significant increase in the levels of serum markers and decrease in total protein level reflecting the liver injury caused by CCl4[20].
4.9. Anti-diarrheal activity
The fruits are demulcent and astringent and are useful in the gripping of bowels and flatulence of children. The bark is useful in dysentery and diarrhoea[21].
4.10. Wormicidal activity
The pods are fried and given to children to kill intestinal worms[22].
5. Conclusion
Numerous studies have been conducted on different parts of Avartani (H. isora). A detailed and systematic study is required for identification, cataloguing and documentation of plants, which may provide a meaningful way for promoting traditional knowledge of the medicinal herbal plant.
Acknowledgments
The author is thankful with core of heart to Dr. Joshi V.K., Dr. Diwedi K.N., Dr. Shivani Ghildiyal, Dr. Anjali and Dr. Kanhaiya for valuable guidance. Supported by the Department of Dravyaguna, Banaras Hindu University with the code number-0164.
Comments
Background
This is a review article pertaining to well known medicinal plant - H. isora, used in Indian indigenous medicine for the treatment of abdominal colic, cough and other common disorders. It is a need of present era to search remedies of common disorders by natural products.
Research frontiers
The present article makes acquainted with medicinal properties and useful therapeutic indications of the medicinal plant H. isora viz. - its use in snake bite, diarrhea, constipation, malnutrition etc. It is better to encourage the use of this naturally occurring plant and its parts in place of synthetic drugs.
Related reports
Several studies have been carried out regarding its use in varios disorders, and they are quoted by the authors in reference at the end of the article which support its rational use in those disorders.
Innovations and breakthroughs
H. isora commonly known as Avartani is used since many centuries in India for treating various disorders such as cough, abdominal colic, malnutrition etc. Authors have highlighted its therapeutic uses in today's context.
Applications
The review descirbed the use of H. isora and its different parts to be used in various disorders which is again proved by many scientific studies quoted by the authors.
Peer review
This is a good review done on H. isora which supports its wide range of therapeutic applications. This is further supported by planned research works carried out by different research workers of its antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, cardio protective, anti peroxidative, antibacterial, anti cancer, anti nociceptive, hepatoprotective etc.
Footnotes
Foundation Project: Supported by the Department of Dravyaguna, Banaras Hindu University with the code number-0164.
Conflict of interest statement: We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
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