PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PHYTO-PHARMACOTHERPEUTIC PROFILE OF SPHAERANTHUS INDICUS : A POTENT INDIAN FOLK LORE MEDICINAL PLANT

Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. (SI) (Asteraceae) is widely used in Ayurvedic system of medicine to treat vitiated conditions of epilepsy, mental illness, hemicrania, jaundice, hepatopathy, diabetes, leprosy, fever, pectoralgia, cough, gastropathy, hernia, hemorrhoids, helminthiasis, dyspepsia and skin diseases. There are reports providing scientific evidences for hypotensive, anxiolytic, neuroleptic, hypolipidemic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, bronchodialatory, antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective, anti-malarial, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities of this plant. A wide range of phytochemical constituents have been isolated from this plant including sesquiterpene lactones, eudesmenolides, flavanoids and essential oil. This comprehensive review explores the reported accountable investigations on the morphological studies, phytochemical studies, ethnobotanical uses and pharmacological activities of Sphaeranthus indicus. Therefore it is very significant to give the frontline position to this plant in the list of the most potent Indian traditional plant. Xy-xylem, Pi-pith, Sph-secondary phloem, Spf-secondary phloem fibres and (C) Microscopy of the root of S. indicus Cr-cork, Xy-xylem, Ph-phloem, Sph- secondary phloem. ethanol and triple distilled water extract of all parts of the plant of the on electrically and chemically induced seizures. During study all the extracts were administered at doses 200 and 400 mg/kg, i.p. body wt. to evaluate anticonvulsant effect on maximal electroshock-induced seizures and pentylenetetrazole-, picrotoxin-, bicuculline- and N-methyl-dl-aspartic acid-induced seizures in mice. The latency of tonic convulsions and the number of animals protected from tonic convulsions were noted. The results showed that ethanol extract (200- 400 mg/kg) significantly reduced the duration of seizures induced by maximal electroshock (MES). However, only 200 and 400mg/kg of the extract conferred protection (25 and 50%, respectively) on the mice. The same doses also protected animals from pentylenetetrazole-induced tonic seizures and significantly delayed the onset of tonic seizures produced by picrotoxin and N-methyl-dl-aspartic acid. The extract had no effect on bicuculline-induced seizures. The aqueous extract (400mg/kg) significantly reduced the latency, but did not alter the incidence of seizures elicited by maximal electroshock to any significant extent. The data suggests that the SI plant contain anticonvulsant activity via non-specific mechanisms since it reduced the duration of seizures produced by maximal electroshock as well as delayed the latency of seizures produced by pentylenetetrazole and picrotoxin. SI they performed in vitro inhibitory of various of the plant heads. petroleum ether of SI exhibited significant activity due to its sesquiterpene lactone content responsible for in vitro AChE inhibition. Further the antiamesic activities of SI flowers in mice on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine (1.0 mg/kg, i.p .) were examined. The results exhibited that administration of SI pet. ether extract (10 mg/kg, p.o .) significantly reversed cognitive impairments in mice by passive avoidance test ( P <0.05). It also reduced escape latencies in training trials and prolonged swimming times in the target quadrant during the probe trial in the water maze task ( P <0.05). These results indicated that SI, due to its sesquiterpene lactones had shown anti-cholinesterase activity. Further a major sesquiterpene lactone, 7-hydroxy frullanolide along with other constituents were isolated from the extract and evaluated for AchE inhibitory activity. Though negative results were obtained in case of isolated compounds. activity. The antibacterial activity of hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol polar fraction and aqueous extract of SI stems was evaluated against MTCC bacterial strains Bacillus cereus-430, B. subtilis -441, Staphylococcus aureus -96, S. epidermidis -435, Escherichia coli -1687, Klebsiella pneumoniae -3384, Pseudomonas aeruginosa -741 and Proteus vulgaris -744 with their corresponding clinical isolates. The results revealed inhibitory activity of hexane extract against most of the bacterial pathogens except MTCC K. pneumonia and clinical B. cereus . The ethyl acetate extract inhibited growth of MTCC B. cereus , B. subtilis , S. epidermidis , P. aeruginosa and clinical isolates of B. cereus , S. aureus , S. epidermidis , E. coli , K. pneumonia . The methanol polar fraction exhibited activity against clinically isolated S. aureus , S. epidermidis , P. aureginosa , P. vulgaris while aqueous extracts had no activity against any of the organisms. were collected for all up to 24 hours after dosing. was analysed for volume, urinary excretion diuretic activity, sodium and potassium composition electrolytes. The results exhibited that the single dose administration of SI extract at doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg as compared to Hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/kg) have significantly (P<0.001) increased total output along with an increase in concentration of sodium and potassium, while at 300 mg/kg, the extract produced greater diuretic insecticide temephos was used as positive control. The LC 50 values for the hexane extract of the flowers, leaves and aerial parts were 75.62, 48.22, 70.23 mg/l; 18.61, 53.34, 33.04 mg/l and 191.9, 71.58, 116.21 mg/l respectively for A. aegypti , A. stephensi and C. quinquefasciatus . In addition to this they also performed bioactivity-guided fractionation of the hexane extract. The fractions were examined by thin layer chromatography using silica gel, 60 F254 plates using hexane-ethyl acetate (95:5), pooled the similar fractions and screened for mosquito larvicidal activity. The bioassay-guided fractionation showed that the fractions F3-F7 eluted with hexane showed 100% mosquito larvicidal activity against all the three species of mosquitoes at 10 mg/l. The FT-IR spectrum of this fraction revealed the presence of long-chain alkanes. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of long-chain alkanes and terpenes in the bioactive fraction. Thus this investigation suggested that SI plant may be developed as a botanical insecticide for mosquito larval control.