About Authors:
Prashanta kr. Deb1*, Tejendra Bhakta2
1Dept. of Pharmacy, Tripura University; Suryamaninagar –799022, Agartala, Tripura (w).
2Regional Institute of Pharmaceutical Science & Technology, Abhoynagar – 799005, Agartala, Tripura (w).
*shaandeb2010@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
Couroupita guianensis, whose common names include Anantasajja and the Cannonball Tree, is an evergreen tree allied to the Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa), and is native to tropical northern South America and to the southern Caribbean. In India it has been growing for the past two or three thousand years at least, as attested by textual records hence it is possible that it is native to India also.
REFERENCE ID: PHARMATUTOR-ART-1703
It's part of the family Lecythidaceae and grows up to 25 m (82 ft) in height. The "Cannonball Tree" is so called because of its brown cannon-ball-like fruits. The majority of these trees outside their natural environment have been planted as a botanical curiosity, as they grow very large, distinctive flowers. Its flowers are orange, scarlet and pink in color, and form large bunches measuring up to 3m in length. They produce large spherical and woody fruits ranging from 15 to 24 cm in diameter, containing up to 200 or 300 seeds apiece. The Cannonball Tree was given its species name Couroupita guianensis by the French botanist J.F. Aublet in 1755.
Cannonball Tree flowers do not have nectar, so these flowers are mainly visited by bees in search of pollen; outside the native range of habitat, carpenter bees are considered to be the principal pollinators. Both the fruit and the flower grow from stalks which sprout from the trunk of the tree. Cannonball Tree flowers are found on thick tangled extrusions that grow on the trunk of the tree; these are found just below the foliage branches. The extrusions however, can range from two to six feet in length. The flowers are attached to an upwardly bent, white fleshy disk. The flowers have six petals, which are large, orange-red, and strongly perfumed. In pollination, fertile stamens can be found in a ring around reduced style and stamens. The sterile pollen is located in the anthers. As a bee enters to pollinate the flower, its back rubs against the ring with fertile pollen; this allows the bee to carry the fertile pollen to another flower. The differences in the pollen were noticed by French botanist Antoine Porteau in 1825. The differences in the pollen are as follows: the pollen of the ring stamens is fertile, while the hood pollen is sterile. The tree gets its common name from the large, spherical fruits it produces. The fruit falls from the tree and cracks open when it hits the ground when mature, often causing the sound of a small explosion. The fruit emits an unpleasant aroma when exposed to the air. Individual seeds within the "ball" are coated with hair, which is thought to protect the seed when it is ingested and may also help in the passage of the seed through the intestines. The cannonball tree and its fruit are thought by some to be remnants of the last ice age, like the "hedge apple" or "osage orane" of North America.
The fruit is thought to be an adaptation provided for the giant ground sloth, a long extinct species. Today instead of seeds being dispersed by the large extinct mammal, the fruit simply rots around the base of its mother tree. Like coconut palms, the trees should not be planted near paths or near traffic-filled areas, as the heavy nut is known to fall without notice. The trees are grown extensively in Shiva temples in India. In Hindi it is called Shiv Kamal and also known as "Kailaspati". It is called the Nagalingam tree in Tamil. The flowers are called Shivalinga flowers in Hindi; Nagalinga Pushpa in Kannada; Nagamalli flowers or Mallikarjuna flowers in Telugu. Hindus revere it as a sacred tree because the petals of the flower resemble the hood of the Naga, a sacred snake, protecting a Shiva Lingam, the stigma. In Sri Lanka, Thailand and other Buddhist countries the tree is often planted at Buddhist temples. It is here mistaken as the Sala tree, Shorea robusta, the tree under which the Buddha died and under which the previous Buddha Vessabhu attained enlightenment.
The Cannonball Tree possesses antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic and analgesic qualities. The trees are used to cure colds and stomach aches. Juice made from the leaves is used to cure skin diseases, and shamans of South America have even used tree parts for treating malaria. The inside of the fruit can disinfect wounds and young leaves ease toothache. The fruit emits an unpleasant odor and can be used as an insect repellent just by rubbing it to the skin or clothes.The Cannon ball tree blooms and bears fruit simultaneously. The exotic red flowers smell like expensive perfume and bloom for only one day each. In Asia, the flowers are a symbol of wealth. The hard fruit shell is used as containers or ornaments. The effects of the Cannon ball tree in medical use are strong. As when using any natural medicine, the correct dosage is vital. In medicinal use, the flowers, leaves, bark and fruit flesh are used.
TAXONOMY
Trees, to 35 m tall, unbuttressed. Bark not fissured. Leaves in clusters at ends of branches; petioles 5-30 mm long; blades (6-)8-31(-57) x 3-10 cm, usually narrowly obovate to obovate, sometimes elliptic, glabrous adaxially, pubescent on veins abaxially, often but not always with a tuft of trichomes (possibly domatia) in axils of secondary veins, the trichomes simple the base cuneate, the margins entire, the apex generally acute or acuminate; secondary veins in 15-25 pairs, the tertiary veins weakly percurrent, prominulous, the higher order venation prominulous, forming well-defined areoles. Inflorescences cauline, usually unbranched racemes, sometimes branched and paniculate, sometimes covering entire trunk; pedicel/hypanthium 12-60 mm long. Flowers zygomorphic, 5-6 cm diam.; calyx-lobes 6, broadly ovate, 4-5 x 4-6, the bases slightly imbricate, the margins ciliate; petals 6, most commonly yellow toward apices and pink to red toward bases abaxially, pink to red except for white bases adaxially, some Peruvian collections with more yellow in petals; androecium prolonged on one side into flat hood, with stamen free area between staminal ring and hood proper, the hood white or pale yellow tinged with pink externally, the ring stamens with white filaments and white or pale yellow anthers, the hood staminodes often white at very base, pink for most of length, and yellow at apex, sometimes white for most of length and yellow at apex, the stamens with lateral dehiscence; ovary 6-locular. Fruits indehiscent, globose, 12-25 cm diam., the supracalyzine zone rounded, the infracalycine zone rounded to base, falling from tree at maturity. Seeds embedded in pulp, the pulp oxidizing bluish-green when exposed to air, the testa with trichomes; embryo with 2 foliaceous cotyledons.
DISTRIBUTION
Amazonian Colombia, northern Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Amazonian Ecuador, Amazonian Peru, and eastern and southwestern Amazonian Brazil. This species has been collected in Mesoamerica but these collections most likely come from cultivated trees. In Brazil, the collections from Pará (Pires 1644) and Goiás (Heringer & Valmira 18415) have been checked by S. A. Mori and definitely represent this species and appear to have been made from native trees. In South America, Couroupita guianensis is found mostly around the periphery of the Amazon Basin, displaying a distribution pattern called peri-Amazonian by Granville (1992). This species is frequently planted as a botanical curiosity in tropical and subtropical botanical gardens in many parts of the world.
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PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS
Partial Purification of Bioactive Compound (Couroupita guinanensis) by Thin Layer Chromatography
The crudeleaf extracts of Couroupita guinanensis was subjected forthe identification of bioactive compounds with the help ofThin Layer Chromatography (TLC). TLC was performedon a silica gel plate. An aliquot of the leaf extracts wasspotted on the silica gel plate and eluted with solventgradient system consisting of chloroform/methanol(10:1; v/v). The spot produced by the active compounds was determined by using the UV detector and then visualize the plate by spraying with spraying solution (The spraying solution consists of 1% potassium ferric cyanide in water and 1% ferric chloride in water). TLC analysis resulted in the separation of the extract of Couroupita guianensis flowers into 7 components. The compounds separated at the Rf values of 0.23, 0.35, 0.39, 0.49, 0.77, 0.84 and 0.93 respectively.
Detection of Alkaloids, Phenolics and Flavonoids
The TLC plate, when detected with the alkaloid-specific Dragendroff’s spraying reagent, showed a major band with the Rf value 0.74. The methanolic extract was analyzed for the presence of phenolics using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent as the spraying reagent. The results wherein 3 major spots were visualized with Rf values 0.57, 0.67 and 0.75 respectively. The investigation of flavonoids separated by TLC in silica gel sprayed with 10% vanillin in sulphuric acid showed one major spot at Rf value 0.81 as seen in Plate 14c.
UV Absorption Spectrum
The absorption spectrum of the methanolic extract as well as the alkaloid, flavonoid and phenolic fractions of Couroupita guianensis flowers was evaluated in the UV range, which could give specific absorption spectrum for the HPLC analysis. The methanolic extract of Couroupita guianensis flowers showed a very minor peak at 195 nm, a major peak at 220 nm–225 nm, an undefined peak at 270 nm and a sharp, well defined peak at 300 nm (Figure 1). UV absorption analysis of alkaloid fraction also showed a similar minor peak at 195 nm. The fraction also showed a sharp major peak at 210 nm and a minor rise in peak at 275 nm–280 nm. A rise in peak was also seen at 300 nm and then tapered off as shown in (Figure 2). (Figure 3) shows the UV absorption spectrum of the flavonoid fraction, which revealed a small peak at 270 nm and a sharp peak at 300 nm. Similarly, the phenolic fraction showed a major peak at 215 nm and a minor peak at 270 nm and a sharp peak at 300 nm (Figure 4). The absorption pattern of the alkaloids, phenolics and flavonoids, in comparison with that of the methanolic extract, indicates that alkaloids, phenolics and flavonoids might be the major active principles responsible for the therapeutic potential of Couroupita guianensis flowers.
Flowers yield an alipathic hydrocarbon and stigmasterol.Flowers yielded alkaloids, phenolics and flavonoids. Yielded active principles isatin and indirubin (vital to its antimicrobial activity). Phytochemical screening yielded flavonoids: 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-3',5'-dimethylchalcone, 7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-6,8-dimethylflavanone and the phenolic acid 4-hydroxybenzoic acid.
TRADITIONAL USES
Folkloric: No known medicinal use in the Philippines. Elsewhere, used to treat colds and stomachaches. Juice from leaves used for skin diseases. Shamans of South America used tree parts for malaria. Fruit pulp used to disinfect wounds. Young leaves used for toothache.
Fragrance: Fragrant flowers can be used to scent perfumes and cosmetics.
Religious: In some parts of India, the tree is worshipped by childless couples.
PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES
1. In Indian traditional systems of medicine, Couroupita guianensis is used for various skin diseases and it has been shown to possess a wound healing potential and commendable activity against several microorganisms (Umachigi et al., 2007).
2. The bark is used in South America for treatment of skin infections, boils, malaria, stomachache and sores (Khan et al., 2003).
3. The potency of flower and bark extracts have been compared with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties (Geetha et al., 2004).
4. Various extracts such as petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of flowers exhibited good larvicidal activity (Desal et al., 2003).
5. Couroupita guianensis flowers are used to cure cold, intestinal gas formation and stomach ache. In a study conducted to evaluate the antibacterial activites of Indian medicinal plants against Propionibacterium and Staphylococcus, Couroupita guianensis was found to have a strong inhibitory effect (Kumar et al., 2007).
6. Some fractions of the stems, barks and flowers of Couroupita guianensis exhibited antifungal activity (Khan et al., 2003).
7. Very little work has been reported on the phytochemical constituents of Couroupita guianensis (da Silva et al., 2001).
8. Study showed antimicrobial activity against Shigella flexneri, Staph aureus and Candida albicans.The phenolic and flavonoid fractions showed strong antioxidant potential. Study also showed that the CNS depressant and anti ulcer potential in different animal models.
9. Results showed Couroupita guianensis exhibited nociceptive activity mediated, in part, by opioid and cholinergic systems and the nitric oxide pathway. Study of ethanolic extract of whole plant of CG (bark, leaves, flowers and fruits) on excision and incision wound models showed accelateration of the wound healing process by reduction of surface area of the wound and increasing tensile strength. Studytested the activity of chloroform, acetone and ethanolic flower extracts of CG for anthelmintic activity against adult earth worm, Pheritima posthuma.
10. Study of hydroalcoholic extract strongly indicated antioxidant activity attributed to phenolic content. Also, significant stimulation of HSF proliferation and absorption of UV radiation was noted. Results suggest promising skin care properties.
CONCLUSION
The outcome of the present study has opened the way for addressing several other research scopes. The active phytochemical component can be subjected to clinical trials to develop into a novel drug. The active components can further be docked against the other target proteins of the most susceptible pathogens of the present study. The lead compounds can also be screened for their efficacy against the other bacterial and fungal strains. The active components can be structurally modified in silico and a QSAR (Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship) analysis can be done to identify the most potent derivative.These divine medicinal plants are going to be threatened due to utilization in different wood industry in Tripura as well as others states of India. Generally these plants are concentrated in the surrounding places Hindu temples. So, we should take the proper initiation for the plantation in different hilly regions of Tripura.
REFERENCES
1. IUCN Red List: lower Risk/least concern, ver 2.3 (assessed in 1998) (IUCN, 2009). Plantas Raras do Brasil: not on list (Giulietti et al., 2009).
2. PHYTOCHEMICAL A D PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES O THE LEAVES OF COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS AUBL. Mrugaya Kulkarnia, Alok Wakadea, Ramkrishna Ambayea and Archana Juvekara. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parikh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai – 400019, India. Pharmacologyonline 3: 809-814 (2011).
3. Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant and antimicrobial studies of fruit rind of Couroupita guianensis (AUBL), Regina V and K.M.Uma Rajan , PG & Research Department of Botany, Pachaiyappa’s college, Chennai-600 030, India; INT J CURR SCI 2012, 262-267 ,ISSN 2250-1770.
4. In vitro Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Analysis of Indian Medicinal Plant Couroupita guianensis Aubl. Kavitha R, Kamalakannan P, Deepa T, Elamathi R, Sridhar S* Suresh Kumar J, Department of Botany, Govt. Arts College, Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India; J. Chem. Pharm. Res., 2011, 3(6):115-121.
5. Evaluation of Antiulcer Activity of Couroupita guianensis Aubl Leaves A. Elumalai*, V. Naresh, M. Chinna Eswaraiah, P. Narendar, Raj Kumar; Department of Pharmacognosy, Anurag Pharmacy College, Ananthagiri (V), Kodad(M), Nalgonda (Dt), Andhra Pradesh, India, 508 206. Asian J. Pharm. Tech. 2012; Vol. 2: Issue 2, Pg 64-66.
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