author(s) : Abdel-Fattah M. Rizk, Ibrahim A. El-Garf and Husseiny A. H. Elgendy
Synonym
- Alternanthera pungens Kunth in Humb., Bonpl.. & Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 206 (181); Boulos, Fl. Egypt 1: 140 (1999).
- Syn. Achyranthes repens L., Sp. Pl., ed. 1, 205 (1753).
- Entab (Ar) عنتاب
family name
AMARANTHACEAE
genus name
Alternanthera
Alternanthera pungens (Khaki weed) leaves contain β-carotene, 34.66 and 3 xanthophylls (114.56 mg/100g dry weight): lutein, violaxanthin and zeaxanthin (Raju et al., 2006).
β-Spinasterol, oleanolic acid, oleanolic acid heteroside (sugars: glucose and rhamnose) and choline were isolated from Alternanthera pungens H.B.K. (Dogra et al., 1977; De Ruiz et al., 1993).
Though Dogra et al (1977) reported that Alternanthera pungens contains α- and β- spinasterols, yet De Ruiz et al. (1991) could not detect β-spinasterol. Oleanolic acid and a saponin (containing oleanolic acid, glucose and rhamnose) (De Ruiz et al., 1991) were isolated from the plant. β-Sitosterol glucoside, a saponin (an oleanolic acid glucoside), choline and acetylcholine were identified in the fruits of Alternanthera pungens (Claderon et al., 1996).
The essential oil, from the flowers of Alternanthera pungens, growing in India contains the following compounds: α-pinene, 7.40; β-pinene, 6.42; camphene, 4.21; myrecene, 3.61; p-cymene, 4.29; limonene, 3.52, β-ocimene, 2.35; 1,8-cineole, 6.28; α-thujone, 3.62; α-borneol, 4.46; α-curcumene, 2.36; camphor, 5.52; linalool, 6.29; geraniol, 7.42; α-terpineol, 3.82; elemol acetate, 6.14; eudesmol, 5.38; azulene, 3.16 % and three unidentified compounds (Gupta and Saxena, 1987).Four flavonoid glycosides (rutin, quercetin 7-O-rhamnoside, quercetin 3,7-diglucoside and quercetin 3-methyl-4′-O-glucoside-7-O-diglucoside) and two anthraquinones (including chrysophanol and rhein) were isolated from fruits of Alernanthera pungens (De Ruiz et al., 1996). Both O- and C-anthraquinone glycosides were detected in the fruit (Claderon et al., 1996).
From the fresh aerial parts of Alternanthera pungens, three C-glycoflavones viz. vitexin, isovitexin and orientin, and a yellow solid composed of their 2″-O-β-glucopyranosides, were isolated (Petrus and Seetharaman, 2005).
The whole plant is used in Argentenian traditional medicine in gastric, hepatic and intestinal diseases.
The aerial parts are used as diuretic and emollient.
The plant is also used in gonorrhea (Goswami et al., 2010) and eyesight improvement (Rodríguez and O’Donell, 1942; De Ruiz et al., 1993; Balakrishnan et al., 2009; Goswami et al., 2010).
Alternanthera pungens is used against grippes, headache and abdominal pain, as vermifuge and in the treatment of measles (Hundiwale Jogendra et al., 2012).
Petrus and Seetherman (2005) studied the antioxidant activity of the flavone C-biosides isolated fom the plant.
They found that orientin and its 2″-O-β-glucopyranoside were fairly active, while the others were mildly active.
The leaves extract showed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities (Zongo et al., 2011).
Extracts of Alterrnanthera pungens fruits showed dose-dependent purgative activity when administered orally to mice (Claderon et al., 1996).
A pharmacological evaluation of the ethanol extract indicated that the plant has a diuretic behaviour similar to furosemide, a high-ceiling diuretic agent (Claderón et al., 1997).
The antiulcer activity of Alternanthera pungens was examined by Meera and Devi (2009).
They studied the ulcer activity of the methanolic extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) using different models of ulceration in rats viz. aspirin induced ulcer and cold restraint stress induced gastric lesions in rats.
While in aspirin and cold restraint stress induced models, ulcer index and percentage inhibition of gastric ulcers was determined.
Famotidine (20 mg/kg) was used as a reference drug. Methanolic extract of Alternanthera pungens treated animals exhibited protective effect on ulceration induced by aspirin induced ulcer and cold restraint stress in rats. Control animals had ulcers, while animal treated with methanolic extract of Alternanthera pungens showed reduction in ulcers in the models in a dose dependent manner.
Djohan et al. (2009) reported that consumption taking natural antioxidants through Alternanthera pungens herb tea may lead to significant increase T lymphocytes and decrease in biomarkers of oxidative stress, and might help in the prevention of the opportunist disease by maintaining blood lymphocytes CD4/CD8 rate.
location
egypt