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Trigonella foenum -graecum (Linn.) belonging to the family Papilionaceae commonly known
as Fenugreek. Its seeds and leaves are used not only as food but also serve several medical
benefits like hypocholesterolemic, lactation aid, antibacterial, antifungal, gastric stimulant,
for anorexia, antidiabetic agent, galactogogue, hepatoprotective effect and anticancer. Apart
from its medicinal benefits, it can also be utilized as a part of several food product
developments as food stabilizer, adhesive, and emulsifying agent. More importantly it is used
for the development of healthy and nutritious extruded and bakery product (Wani et al.,
2016). Lastly, one more important medicinal plant named Lagerstroemia speciosa, which is
belongs to Lythraceae family and in India commonly known as queen's flower, queen of
flowers, crepe myrtle and pride of India whereas in Philippine referred to as "banaba". As
remedy the leaves, roots and bark of L. speciosa have been used in folk medicine traditionally
for several disorders and ailments. The leaves of this plant can be utilized as a diuretic and
decongestant, and have been used to treat diabetes mellitus. Not only its leaves serve
medicinal benefits but also its roots have been used to treat mouth ulcers. Even its bark is
used as a stimulant, febrifuge, and for relief of abdominal pains. This plant serves different
purposes in different places such as in Philippines, L. speciosa leaves are consumed as herbal
tea for lowering blood sugar level, reducing body weight as well while in India, it is used to
treat diabetes. Moreover, for garnishing dishes or as an ingredient in salad, soups, desserts
and drinks the flowers of this plant is greatly used. Recently, due to having anti-diabetic
property, herbal products like Banabamin and Glucosol TM have been developed from L.
speciosa after conducting preliminary clinical trials (Chan et al., 2014) The following is a
compilation and up-to-date review containing the generalized description, phytochemical
constituents and pharmacological properties of the selected plants with an urge of future
advancement of the medicinal plants to mitigate human diseases.
.
3
Scientific Names:
Name of Different Medicinal Plants
Gymnema
sylvestre
Momordica
charantia
Coccinia
cordifolia
Trigonella
foenum-
graecum
Lagerstroemia
speciosa
Asclepias
geminate,
Asclepias
geminata,
Periploca
sylvestris,
Gymnema
melicida
Momordica
charantia
Coccinia
indica,
Coccinia
cordifolia
Trigonella
foenum-graecum
Lagerstroemia
speciosa
Common Names:
Gymnema sylvestre: Gurmar, Merasingi, Meshashringi, Gurmarbooti, Peiploca of the
Woods, Rams' horn, Small Indian ipecac, Sugar destroyer, Meshashringi, Madhunashini,
Ajaballi, Ajagandini, Bahalchakshu, Karnika, Chakshurabahala, Kshinavartta, Kavali,
Kalikardori, Vakundi, Gurmar, Merasingi, Kavali, Kalikardori, Vakundi, Dhuleti,
Mardashingi, Podapatri, Adigam, Cherukurinja, Sarkarikolli, Sannager-asehambu,
Chakkarakolli, Madhunashini, Mera-Singi.
Momordica charantia: Bitter melon, Balsam pear, Bitter cucumber, Bitter pear, Karalla,
Balsam apple, Cerasee, Carilla cundeamor, Papailla, Melao de sao ceatano, Bitter gourd,
Sorosi, Karela, Kurela, Kor-kuey, Pava-aki, Salsamino, Sorossies, Pare, Peria, Karla,
Margose, Goo-fah, Mara chean.
Coccinia cordifolia: Telakucha, Kuchla (Beng.) ; Ivy gourd (Eng).
Trigonella foenum-graecum: Methi, Fenugreek, Alhova, Bird's Foot, Greek Clover, Greek
Hay.
Lagerstroemia speciosa: Queen's flower, Pride of India, Queen's crape myrtle, Banaba, Jarul.
4
Botanical Description of the Medicinal Plants:
Gymnema sylvestre: G. sylvestre is a slow growing, perennial, woody climber, distributed
throughout the India, in dry forests up to 600m height. Mainly it is concentrated in the
tropical forest of Central and Southern India. Moreover, it is found in Banda, konkan,
Western Ghats, Deccan extending to the parts of western and northern India (Kaviarasan et
al., 1990). The plant is a large, more or less pubescent, woody climber. The leaves are
opposite, usually elliptic or ovate (1.25 2.0 inch x 0.5-1.25 inch). Flowers are small, yellow,
in axillary and lateral umbel in cymes; Follicles are terete and lanceolate upto 3 inches in
length. The Calyx-lobes are long, ovate, obtuse and pubescent. Corolla is pale yellow
campanulate, valvate, corona single, with 5 fleshy scales. Scales adnate to throat of corolla
tube between lobes; another connective produced into a memberanous tip, pollinia 2, erect,
carpels 2, unilocular; locules many ovuled (Madhurima et al., 2009; Potawale, 2008; Gurav,
2007; Zhen, 2001).
Momordica charantia: Bitter melons may be cultivated in tropical areas including Africa,
India, South America, and Asia. It is characterize as a perennial vine bearing yellowish green
oblong bumpy fruit resembling a cucumber. Once ripened, it releases brown and white color
seeds which are embedded in its red pulp. The herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows to 5 m.
It bears simple, alternate leaves 412 cm across, with 37 deeply separated lobes. Each plant
bears separate yellow male and female flowers.
Coccinia cordifolia
: C. cordifolia is a dioecious, perennial and herbaceous climber with
glabrous stems and tuberous roots This plant possess axillary tendrils long-lived scrambling
or climbing vine grows up to 13 m in height and can form a very dense cover over vegetation.
It usually covers trees, understory vegetation, fences, power poles, and other human-made
structures in residential neighborhoods and agricultural areas. When stems of C. cordifolia
touch soil, they strike roots readily at the nodes (Chun, 2001). Initially, younger stems are
slender, green, and smooth but as they grow they become swollen and semi-succulent in
nature. Leaves are alternate and simple. The alternately arranged leaves are borne on stalks 1-
3 cm long and coiled tendrils are often produced in their forks. These lobed leaves are
somewhat ivy-shaped in nature (3.5-9 cm long and 4-9 cm wide) and usually have tiny teeth
spaced along their margins. The tendrils are long, elastic with coil-like springy character that
can wrap around the host to the entire length. This species produces separate male and female
flowers on separate plants. These white, tubular, flowers are borne singly in the leaf forks on
stalks 1-5 cm long. They have five small narrow sepals (6-8 mm long) that are joined
5
together at the base and usually have five spreading petal lobes with pointed tips. In the short
tube at the centre of the male flowers are three convoluted stamens, while the centre of the
female flowers usually bears three hairy stigmas. The ivy gourd fruit belongs to the berry
type: oval and hairless with thick and sticky skin. The raw fruit is green in color resembles a
small dark green cucumber with paler stripes. These fleshy fruit (2.5-6 cm long and up to 3.5
cm wide) turn bright scarlet red as they mature and contains several pale, flattened seeds.
Two varieties of C. cordifolia are recognized; tender fruits are bitter in one variety and not
bitter in other, and the latter is used in Asian cooking (Ramachandaran, 1983; Kunkel, 1984
Manandhar, 2002). Morphologically no difference is evident between them, however; both
varieties are invasive and are found to grow close to each other.
Trigonella foenum-graecum
: Fenugreek plant is a quick growing annual leguminous herb
about 2 feet in height. Leaves are light green in color. Plant stems are long and slender.
Fenugreek leaves are tripartite, toothed, grey-green obovate leaves, 20-25 mm long.
Fenugreek plant blooms white flowers in the summer. Fenugreek seed pods contain ten to
twenty small, flat, yellow-brown, pungent, aromatic seeds. Fenugreek seeds are small and
stony; about 1/8 inch long, oblong, rhomboidal, with a deep furrow dividing them into two
unequal lobes. Fenugreek seeds have a strong aroma and bitter in taste. Plants mature in
about four months. The whole plant is uprooted and allowed to dry. The seeds are threshed
out and further dried.
Lagerstroemia speciosa: It is a small to medium-sized tree growing to 20 m tall, with
smooth, flaky bark. The leaves are deciduous, oval to elliptic, 8-15 cm long and 3-7 cm
broad, with an acute apex. The flowers are produced in erect panicles 20-40 cm long, each
flower with six white to purple petals 2-3.5 cm long.
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Taxonomical Classification: (Fabio et al., 2013; Gautam et al., 2014; Yadev et al., 2011
Flora, The gardeners Bible, 2005)
Gymnema sylvestre
Momordica charantia
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Momordica
Species: M.charantia
Kingdom Plantae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta
Superdivision Spermatophyta
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Subclass Asteridae
Order Gentianales
Family Asclepiadaceae
Genus Gymnema R. Br.
Species sylvestre
Coccinia cordifolia
Kingdom Plantae
Order
Cucurbitales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Coccinia
Species
Coccinia cordifolia
Trigonella foenum-graecum
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Trigonella
Species: T. foenum-graecum
Lagerstroemia speciosa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Lagerstroemia
Species: L. speciosa
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a) Leaves of Gymnema sylvestre b) Whole plant of Momordica charantia
c) Coccinia cordifolia d) Plant of Trigonella foenum-graecum
e) Leaves and flower of Lagerstromia speciosa
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Chapter 2
Phytochemical Constituents:
Gymnema sylvestre: The leaves of G. sylvestre contain triterpene saponins belonging to
oleanane and dammarene classes. Oleanane saponins are gymnemic acids and
gymnemasaponins, while dammarene saponins are gymnemasides (Khramov, 2008). The
leaves also contain resins, albumin, chlorophyll, carbohydrates, tartaric acid, formic acid,
butyric acid, anthraquinone derivatives, inositole alkaloids, organic acid (5.5%), parabin,
calcium oxalate (7.3%), lignin (4.8%), and cellulose (22%). A new flavonol glycoside
namely kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1--4)- alpha-Lrhamnopyranosyl-( 1--6)-
beta-D-galactopyranoside has also been found in aerial parts of G. sylvestre (Kuzuku, 1989
Liu, 2004). In addition, three new oleanane type triterpene glycosides and four new
triterpenoid saponins, gymnemasins; have been isolated from the leaves of G. sylvestre were
identified as 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1--3)-beta-Dglucopyranosyl]-22-O-tiglyol-
gymnemanol,3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1--3)-beta-D-lucuro-nopyranosyl]-gymnemanol,
3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-tigloyl-gymnemanol and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-
gymnemanol respectively. Moreover, gymnestrogenin, a new pentahydroxytriterpene from
the leaves of G. sylvestre has also been reported (Saho, 1996). Other plant constituents are
flavones, anthraquinones, hentri-acontane, pentatriacontane, and -chlorophylls, phytin,
resins, d-quercitol, tartaric acid, formic acid, butyric acid, lupeol, -amyrin related
glycosides and stigmasterol. The plant extract also tests positive for alkaloids (Fabio et al.,
2013).
Figure: Chemical constituents of Gymnema sylvestre (Khramov et al., 2008; Liu et al.,
2004; Fabio et al., 2013)
Triterpene saponins
·Gymnemic acid
·Gymnemasaponins
·Gymnemasides
·Gymnemasins
·Gymnestrogenin
·Gymnemanol
Glycosides
·Flavonol glycoside
·Oleanane type triterpene
glycosides
·-amyrin related
glycosides
Other constituents
·Anthraquinones
·Hentri- acontane
·Pentatriacontane
· and - chlorophylls
·Resins
·Tartaric acid
·Formic acid
·Butyric acid
·d- quercitol
·Lupeol
·Alkaloids
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Table: Chemical Structure of the phytochemical constituents of Gymnema sylvestre
(Fabio et al., 2013, Khramov et al., 2008, Liu et al., 2004)
Name of the phytoconstituents
Structure
1. Gymnemic acids
2. Flavonol glycoside
3. Gymmestrogenin
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4. Gymnemanol
Momordica charantia: A number of reported clinical studies have shown that bitter melon
extract from the fruit, seeds, and leaves contain several bioactive compounds that have
hypoglycemic activity in both diabetic animals and humans (Yibchok-Anun, 2006). The main
constituents that are responsible for the anti-diabetic activities are triterpene, protein, steroid,
alkaloid, lipid and phenolic compounds (Saeed, 2010 Budrat, 2008). Several glycosides
have been isolated from M. charantia under the genera of cucurbitane- type terpenoids
(Chang, 2006 Tan, 2008).
M. charantia fruits consists glycosides, saponins, alkaloids, reducing sugars, resins, phenolic
constituents, fixed oil and free acids. M.Charantia consists the following chemical
constituents those are Alkaloids, charantin, charine, cryptoxanthin, cucurbitins, cucurbitacins,
cucurbitanes, cycloartenols, diosgenin, elaeostearic acids, erythrodiol, galacturonic acids,
gentisic acid, goyaglycosides, goyasaponins, guanylate cyclase inhibitors, gypsogenin,
hydroxytryptamines, karounidiols, lanosterol, lauric acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid,
momorcharasides, momorcharins, momordenol, momordicilin, momordicins, momordicinin,
momordicosides, momordin, momordolo, multiflorenol, myristic acid, nerolidol, oleanolic
acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, pentadecans, peptides, petroselinic acid, polypeptides, proteins,
ribosome-inactivating proteins, rosmarinic acid, rubixanthin, spinasterol, steroidal glycosides,
stigmasta-diols, stigmasterol, taraxerol, trehalose, trypsin inhibitors, uracil, vacine, v-insulin,
verbascoside, vicine, zeatin, zeatin riboside, zeaxanthin, zeinoxanthin Amino acids-aspartic
acid, serine, glutamic acid, thscinne, alanine, g-amino butyric acid and pipecolic acid,
ascorbigen, b-sitosterol-d-glucoside, citrulline,
elasterol, flavochrome, lutein, lycopene, pipecolic acid. The fruit pulp has soluble pectin but
no free pectic acid. Research has found that the leaves are nutritious sources of calcium,
11
magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and iron; both the edible fruit and the leaves are great
sources of the B vitamins (Dhalla, 1969).
Figure: Some significant chemical constituents of Momordica charantia (Yibchok-Anun
et al., 2006; Ghani, 1998)
Cryptoxanthin
12
Vicine
Charantin
Figure: Structures of Some Phytoconstituents Isolated From M. charantia L. (Yibchok-
Anun et al., 2006; Ghani, 1998)
Coccinia cordifolia: C. cordifolia contains large amount of beta-carotene and also rich in
complex carbohydrates, fibre, and a vast array of vitamins B and minerals. It is also a
valuable source of nutrients. Several phytochemical constituents of great importance are
reported from different parts of the C. cordifolia plants.
13
Figure: Chemical Constituents present in various parts of Coccinia cordifolia (Siddiqui,
1973; Orech, 2005; Umamaheswari, 2008; Syed, 2009)
The aqueous extract of fresh leaves of ivy gourd exhibited anthraquinons in addition to
alkaloids, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, tannin, saponins, flavonoids, phytosterol,
triterpenes. cephalandrol A and cephalandrol B, sigma-7-en-3-one, taraxerone and taraxerol
(Rastogi, 1993). Phytochemical screening of C. cordifolia reported the presence of saponin,
cardenoloids, flavonoids and poly phenols which may be attributed to antibacterial activity.
Phenolic compounds are generally noted for their antimicrobial activities.The fruits of C.
cordifolia are known to contain active constituents like taraxerone, taxerol, amyran, lupeol
and glycoside cucurbitacan B. The leaves are bitter sweet and astringent. Major
phytoconstituents present in C. cordifolia are cardenolides, saponins, flavonoids and
polyphenols (Orech, 2005). Seed fat mainly contains palmitic (16.3%), oleic (22.4%) and
linoleic (58.6%) acids. Plant also contains arabinogalactan, xyloglucan and xylan (Siddiqui,
1973).
Petroleum ether, chloroform, methanolic and aqueous extract of the leaves were tested for
phytochemical analysis. The study showed that petroleum ether extract contains sterol
compound and tannins, proteins and amino acid as well as glycosides were present in
chloroform extract. In addition, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, carbohydrates,
proteins and amino acid, saponins and alkaloids were found in ethanolic extract whereas
Root
s
· Stigmast-7-
en-3-one
· Lupeol and
their
acetates
· -amyrin
· -sitosterol
Fr
u
it
s
· -sitosterol
· Teraxeron
· -amyrin
· Lupeol
· Cucurbitacin B
· Teraxerol
· (24-R)-24-
ethylcholest-5-en-
3-ol
· Apo-6'-lycopenal
· -carotene
· Cryptoxanthin
· Lycopane
· Thiamine
· Riboflavin
· Niacin
· Ascorbic acid 15
A
e
r
ial Par
ts
·Cephalandrol
·Tritricontane
(C
33
H
68
)
·-sitosterol
·Cephalandrine
A and B
W
h
o
le
Plan
t
· Aspartic
acid
· Glutamic
acid
· Asparagine
· Tyrosine
· Histidine
· Phenylalani
-
ne
· Threonine
· Valine
· Arginine
14
aqueous extract showed positive result for proteins and amino acid, glycosides, phenols,
flavonoids, carbohydrates and alkaloids (Umamaheswari, 2008). Methanolic extracts of the
plant also revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, tannins, saponins, ellagic acid, phenols,
glycosides, triterpenoid and flavonoids (Syed, 2009).
Table: Major phytochemical compounds present in Coccinia cordifolia (Orech, 2005;
Umamaheswari, 2008; Syed, 2009)
Name of the constituents
Structure
Palmitic acid
Ascorbic acid
Beta-amyrin
Beta-sitosterol
Cryptoxanthin
15
Cycloartenol
Isomultiflorenol
Lenoleic acid
Lupeol
Oleic acid
Taraxerol
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