A comprehensive review on ayurvedic herb Leptadenia reticulata (Jeevanti): a phytochemistry and pharmacological perspective

Leptadenia reticulata is a vital Ayurvedic medicinal herb, commonly known as Jivanti or Jiv, and contains revitalising, rejuvenating, and lactogenic activities. It has been used in traditional medicine for treating respiratory disorders, wounds, inflammation, cough, dehydration, tuberculosis, colitis, chickenpox, dysentery, eye diseases, night blindness, fever, and snake bites. It is a perennial herb of Indian origin belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family and has been utilised for its therapeutic properties since ancient times. It is a key ingredient in several marketed herbal drugs, including chyawanprash, speman, and leptaden. Several potent compounds, including β-sitosterol, γ-sitosterol, phytol, α-amyrin, β-amyrin, apigenin, reticulin, deniculatin, leptaculatin, diosmetin, and rutin are present in this herb and attributed various pharmacological activities, including antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-abortifacient, anticancer, antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antiulcer properties. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the distribution, ethnobotanical use, botanical description, phytocompounds, and pharmacological activities of Leptadenia reticulata.

(Jivanti): Botanical, Agronomical, Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and Biotechnological Aspects

Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight & Arn. (Apocynaceae), is a traditional medicinal plant species widely used to treat various ailments such as tuberculosis, hematopoiesis, emaciation, cough, dyspnea, fever, burning sensation, night blindness, cancer, and dysentery. In Ayurveda, it is known for its revitalizing, rejuvenating, and lactogenic properties. This plant is one of the major ingredients in many commercial herbal formulations, including Speman, Envirocare, Calshakti, Antisept, and Chyawanprash. The therapeutic potential of this herb is because of the presence of diverse bioactive compounds such as α-amyrin, β-amyrin, ferulic acid, luteolin, diosmetin, rutin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, hentricontanol, a triterpene alcohol simiarenol, apigenin, reticulin, deniculatin, and leptaculatin. However, most biological studies on L. reticulata are restricted to crude extracts, and many biologically active compounds are yet to be identified in order to base the traditional uses of L. reticulata on evidence-based data. At present, L. reticulata is a threatened endangered plant because of overexploitation, unscientific harvesting, and habitat loss. The increased demand from pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and veterinary industries has prompted its large-scale propagation. However, its commercial cultivation is hampered because of the non-availability of genuine planting material and the lack of knowledge about its agronomical practices. In this regard, micropropagation techniques will be useful to obtain true-to-type L. reticulata planting materials from an elite germplasm to meet the current demand. Adopting other biotechnological approaches such as synthetic seed technology, cryopreservation, cell culture, and genetic transformation can help conservation as well as increased metabolite production from L. reticulata. The present review summarizes scientific information on the botanical, agronomical, phytochemical, pharmacological, and biotechnological aspects of L. reticulata. This comprehensive information will certainly allow better utilization of this industrially important herb towards the discovery of lead drug molecules.

Evaluation of antioxidant, in vitro cytotoxicity of micropropagated and naturally grown plants of Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight & Arn.-an endangered medicinal plant

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the antioxidant and anti proliferative potential of different solvent extract of micropropagated and naturally grown plants of Leptadenia reticulata against various cancer cell lines.

METHODS

In this study different extract were tested for cytotoxicity against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7, human colon adenocarcinoma grade II cell line HT-29 and non cancer skeletal muscle cell line L6 through 3-(4, 5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. The total antioxidant potential was estimated by three different antioxidant model diphenylpicrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, H2O2 scavenging activity and FeCl3 reducing activity.

RESULTS

The ethyl acetate extract of both naturally grown plant and tissue cultured plant exhibited significant cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 21 µg/mL, 26 µg/mL and 22 µg/mL; 20 µg/mL, 30 µg/mL and 18 µg/mL respectively against three cell lines. The diphenylpicrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity was found to be highest with IC50 value of 267.13 µg/mL in ethyl acetate extract. The methanolic extract exhibited moderate antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 510.15 µg/mL. A highly positive correlation was observed between the antioxidant potential and cytotoxic activity of the plant.

CONCLUSIONS

The strong cytotoxicity of ethyl acetate extract revealed anti carcinogenic potential of the plant which supports its traditional use as medicine. The present investigation is new to literature till date and will provide better scientific basis for future pharmacological, in vivo studies and novel source of pure bioactive compounds having anti cancer properties in this plant.

Evaluation of aeroponics for clonal propagation of Caralluma edulis, Leptadenia reticulata and Tylophora indica - three threatened medicinal Asclepiads

The present study explores the potential of aeroponic system for clonal propagation of Caralluma edulis (Paimpa) a rare, threatened and endemic edible species, Leptadenia reticulata (Jeewanti), a threatened liana used as promoter of health and Tylophora indica (Burm.f.) Merill, a valuable medicinal climber. Experiments were conducted to asses the effect of exogenous auxin (naphthalene acetic acid, indole-3-butyric acid, indole-3-acetic acid) and auxin concentrations (0.0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5gl(-1)) on various root morphological traits of cuttings in the aeroponic chamber. Amongst all the auxins tested, significant effects on the length, number and percentage of rooting was observed in IBA treated nodal cuttings. Cent per cent of the stem cuttings of C. edulis rooted if pre-treated with 2.0 gl(-1) of IBA for 5 min while 97.7 % of the stem cuttings of L. reticulata and 93.33 % of stem cuttings of Tylophora indica rooted with pre-treatment of 3.0 gl(-1) of IBA for 5 min. Presence of at least two leaves on the nodal cuttings of L. reticulata and T. indica was found to be a prerequisite for root induction. In all the species, the number of adventitious roots per cutting and the percentage of cuttings rooted aeroponically were significantly higher than the soil grown stem cuttings. Shoot growth measured in terms of shoot length was significantly higher in cuttings rooted aeroponically as compared to the cuttings rooted under soil conditions. All the plants sprouted and rooted aeroponically survived on transfer to soil. This is the first report of clonal propagation in an aeroponic system for these plants. This study suggests aeroponics as an economic method for rapid root induction and clonal propagation of these three endangered and medicinally important plants which require focused efforts on conservation and sustainable utilization.

Effect of an active fraction isolated from the leaf extract of Leptadenia reticulata on plasma glucose concentration and lipid profile in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

AIM

To evaluate the effect of an active fraction from Leptadenia reticulata leaves on serum glucose and lipid profile in normal and diabetic rats.

METHOD

Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin in Wistar rats. Petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and ethanol extracts of Leptadenia reticulata leaves were administered orally at a dose of 200 mg·kg(-1), p.o. Metformin was used as standard anti diabetic drug (50 mg·kg(-1), p.o). The extract showing higher antidiabetic activity was subjected to column chromatography and led to the isolation of an active fraction, which was given trivial name Lr-1. Lr-1 (100 mg·kg(-1), p.o.) was studied for its hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic potential.

RESULTS

The ethanol extract was found to lower the FBG level significantly (P < 0.05) in diabetic rats. Lr-1 caused a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in FBG level, and additionally it caused reduction in cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and an improvement in the HDL level in diabetic rats.

CONCLUSION

Reduction in the FBG, cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and an improvement in the HDL by Lr-1 indicates that Lr-1 has antidiabetic activity, along with cardioprotective potential, and provides a scientific rationale for the use as an antidiabetic agent.

et Arn]

Jivanti (Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wt. et Arn) is a well known climber used for its innumerable therapeutic properties like antioxidant, antibacterial, vasodilator, galactogogue, Jivaniya, etc., Its use in veterinary practice is tremendous due to its lactogenic effect. The Ghana (dried aqueous extract) of the whole plant was prepared and evaluated phyto-chemically by subjecting it to various tests like physico-chemical, qualitative analysis; TLC and HPTLC. Qualitative tests revealed the presence of flavonoids and TLC also inferred positive Rf value (0.30), indicating the presence of quercetin in the Ghana.

Hepatoprotective activity of Leptadenia reticulata stems against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic and aqueous extract of stems of Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight. and Arn. in carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The toxicant CCl(4) was used to induce hepatotoxicity at a dose of 1.25 ml/kg as 1 : 1 mixture with olive oil. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of L. reticulata stems were administered in the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg/day orally for 7 days. Silymarin (50 mg/kg) was used as standard drug. The hepatoprotective effect of these extracts was evaluated by the assessment of biochemical parameters such as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, serum protein, and histopathological studies of the liver.

RESULTS

Treatment of animals with ethanolic and aqueous extracts significantly reduced the liver damage and the symptoms of liver injury by restoration of architecture of liver as indicated by lower levels of serum bilirubin and protein as compared with the normal and silymarin-treated groups. Histology of the liver sections confirmed that the extracts prevented hepatic damage induced by CCl(4) showing the presence of normal hepatic cords, absence of necrosis, and fatty infiltration.

CONCLUSION

The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of stems of L. reticulata showed significant hepatoprotective activity. The ethanolic extract is more potent in hepatoprotection in CCl(4)-indiced liver injury model as compared with aqueous extract.