Classification
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Scrophulariales
Family Acanthaceae – Acanthus family
Introduction
This family is a main group of flowering plants also termed
as Angiosperms containing more than 2500 species classified into more than 200
genera. Most of them are shrubs, tropical herbs or twining vines. Plants belonged to Acathaceae are mainly
located in Brazil, Africa, Central America, Malaysia and Indonesia. These plants are found in open
forests, dense forests, wet fields, valleys, marine areas, mangrove forests,
scrublands and sea coast area. In short they are found in every place.
Acanthaceae has few worldwide features present in its
species. Majority of them have simply arranged in opposite pairs of leaves,
with crystals of calcium carbonate in protuberances or
streaks in the vegetative parts. They have bisexual flowers with bilaterally
symmetry and mostly enclosed by large and colored leaflike bracts. Petals and sepals are four or five in number
which are frequently fused into tubular structures. Acanthaceae usually have two
or four stamens, extending outside the flower mouth frequently with one- three sterile
stamens or staminodes. The pistil is superior means they are positioned above
the attachment point of the other flower parts and commonly contains two fused
ovule-bearing segments enclosing two chambers. Each of these contains two-much ovules in the
form of two rows along the central axis of the ovary.
Importance:
The major economic importance of the family is
horticultural. Species of Acanthus, Odontonema Nees, Aphelandra R. Brown, Crossandra
Salisbury, Thunbergia, Barleria , Eranthemum,
Pachystachys Nees, Justicia, Ruellia, Sanchezia
Ruiz & Pavon, Fittonia, and various other genera are extensively cultivated
as ornamentals. Many species are cultivated in and Pakistan. These include: Barleria
lupulina Lindley, Aphelandra squarrosa Nees, Sanchezia parvibracteata Sprague
& Hutchinson, Eranthemum pulchellum Andrews, Fittonia albivenis (Veitch)
Brummitt, Thunbergia erecta (Bentham) T. Anderson, Justicia betonica Linnaeus, J. brandegeeana
Wasshausen & L. B. Smith, J. carnea Lindley, Pachystachys lutea Nees, Ruellia
elegans Poiret, Crossandra infundibuliformis (Linnaeus) Nees, R. simplex C. Wright, and T. laurifolia Lindley.
Ethnomedicinal Uses:
Plants belong to Acanthaceae are also medicinal important. For
example Blepharis maderaspatensis leaves are mixed with onion bulb to form a
paste and it is externally applied to wounds and cuts. Leaves of Justicia
tranquebariensis are used for poisonous bites and Hygrophila auriculata leaves
for cough relieve. Leaves of Asystasia schimperi, Dyschoriste thumbergiiflora, Dyschoriste
radicans, Lepidagathis scariosa, Acanthus eminens, Thunbergia alata are used to
make an infusion to cure cough, eye infections, skin disease, anti-diarrhea, wounds, edema, backache and pneumonia. Ash of leaves of Justicia
betonica, Acanthus pubescens and Justicia flava is used for dry cough, ulcer,
anti-diarrhea and flu. Leaves of Justicia adhatoda are used for chest disease, rheumatism,
fever, asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis, diuretic, antispasmodic, antiseptic,
expectorant, and to reduce swelling. Blepharis maderaspatensis, Andrographis paniculata, Elytraria acualis are used
externally for wounds, internally for diabetes and externally for hip pain respectively.
Pharmacological Activities:
Plants of Acanthaceae family have showed significant
antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aereus, Bacillus
subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Among many tested plant against bacterial strains, chloroform crude extract of Andrographis
paniculata showed remarkable antibacterial activity comparable to many
antibiotics. Hypoestes Serpens, Andrographis paniculata, Rhinacanthus nasutus
are antiviral plants agaisnt a wide range of fungal species.
Other pharmacological activities which belong to Acanthaceae
are cytotoxicity, antioxidant, anti inflammatory, antipyretic activity,
hepatoprotective activity, insecticidal activity, immunomodulatory activity and
antiplatelet aggregation activity.
Phytochemistry:
Phytochemical reports on family Acanthaceae are glycosides, benzonoids,
flavonoids, phenolic compounds, triterpenoids, naphthoquinone.
Glycosides:
- (2R)-2-O-β-D-gluco-pyranosyl-2H-1,4- benzoxazin-3(4H)-one,
- (2R)-2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-4- hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)–one,
- (2R)-2-O-β- D-glucopyranosyl-7-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one,
- 7- chloro-(2R)-2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one,
- (2R)-2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-5-hydroxy-2H-1,4- benzoxazin-3(4H)-one,
- benzyl β-D-glucopyranoside,
- apigenin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside,
- apigenin 7-O-neohesperidoside,
- apigenin 7-O-β-Dglucopyranosy (1→ 6) -β-D-glucopyranoside,
- Olean-12-ene-1β,3β,11α,28-tetraol-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2) -β-D-glucopyranoside,
- olean-12-ene-1β,3β,11α,28-tetraol-28- O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-gluco pyranoside,
- 11α-methoxy-olean-12-ene-1β,3β,28-triol-28-O-β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside,
- 11α- methoxy-olean-12-ene-1β, 3β, 28-triol 28-O-β-Dglucopyranosyl- 1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside,
- Salidroside, ajugol, desrhamnosylacteoside, poliumoside, acteoside, verbascoside, decaffeoylverbascoside, isoverbascoside, leucosceptoside A, ebracteatoside B, angeloside and Luteolin7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside
Naphthoquinone
Following Naphthoquinones are present in acanthaceae: Rhinacanthin
A, rhinacanthin B, rhinacanthin C, rhinacanthin D, rhinacanthin G, rhinacanthin
H, rhinacanthin I, rhinacanthin J, rhinacanthin K, rhinacanthin L, rhinacanthin
M, rhinacanthin N, rhinacanthin O, rhinacanthin P and rhinacanthin Q. While
Rhinacanthins showed remarkable cytotoxic, antiviral and antiplatelet
aggregation activity.
Flavonoids
3-epi-ursolic acid, verbascoside, andrographolide, sitosterol,
7-O-methyldihydrowogonin, dihydroskullcapflavone I, 5-hydroxy-7,8,2’,5’-tetramethoxy-flavone,
skullcapflavone12’- methylether, chlorogenic acid, 7-O-methylwogonin
5-glucoside, skullcapflavone I 2’-glucoside,
neoandrographolide, 14-deoxy-11-hydroxyandro
grapholide, 7-methoxy luteoline, luteoline,
Triterpnoids:
β-amyrin, lupeol, glutinol
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