a
Fruit and Vegetable Technology, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India
b Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
b Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological
relevance There are more than 3000 officially documented plants in the
Indian subcontinent that hold great medicinal potential. One such
under-explored plant is an evergreen tropical tree Neolamarckia cadamba
(Roxb.) Bosser (Rubiaceae). It is widely distributed in tropical and
subtropical regions of the world and has therapeutic potential against
many diseases such as diabetes, anaemia, stomatitis, leprosy, cancer and
infectious diseases. Neolamarckia cadamba has historical existence in
India and it is mentioned in mythical stories. There are several reports
on medicinal values of root, bark and leaves of N. cadamba; but the
literature on its fruits is scanty. Therefore, the present review aims
to provide updated comprehensive information on the phytochemistry and
pharmacological properties of different parts of N. cadamba tree with
special reference to its fruit, in order to open new perspectives for
future food and pharmacological research. Materials and methods A
literature search was performed on N. cadamba using ethnobotanical
textbooks, published articles in peer-reviewed journals, unpublished
materials, government survey reports and scientific databases such as
Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar and other
web search engines (Google, Yahoo). The Plant List, International Plant
Name Index and Kew Botanical Garden Plant name databases were used to
validate the scientific names. Results and discussion Neolamarckia
cadamba is one of the economically important trees, which is being
exploited for paper, pulp and wood industry. In folk medicine, various
parts of N. cadamba are used in the treatment of various ailments such
as fever, uterine complaints, blood diseases, skin diseases, tumour,
anaemia, eye inflammation and diarrhoea. Other reported uses of N.
cadamba include antihepatotoxic, antimalarial, analgesic,
anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, diuretic and laxative. Various
phytochemicals such as cadambine and its derivatives (dihydrocadambine
and isodihydrocadambine) and indole alkaloids (Neolamarckines) were
isolated from the leaves; whereas the presence of quinovic acid
derivatives have been reported in the bark of N. cadamba. Conclusion The
present review compiles information on an ethnopharmacologically useful
plant N. cadamba. Bioactive compounds responsible for its various
medicinal properties and their effects at the molecular level need to be
investigated in more detail. Furthermore, the detailed study of
toxicity and pharmacological properties of extracts as well as molecules
in N. cadamba is required to confirm the ethnomedicinal claims of N.
cadamba for food and pharmaceutical applications. © 2016 Elsevier
Ireland Ltd.
Author keywords
Ethnomedicine; Neolamarckia cadamba; Nutritional value; Pharmacology; Phytochemical constituents
ISSN: 03788741
CODEN: JOETDSource Type: Journal
Original language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.01.036Document Type: Review
Publisher: Elsevier Ireland Ltd
