A REVIEW ON THERAPEUTIC AND PHARMACOGNOSTIC PROPERTIES OF VELLARUGU (ENICOSTEMMA LITTORALE BLUME)

Vellarugu {Enicostemma littorale Blume (E. littorale)} (Gentian family) is a highly nutritious perennial medicinal plant and used as a medicine in Siddha Medical System to treat several disease conditions such as diabetes mellitus, rheumatism (Vata diseases), skin diseases (Pitta diseases), constipation, abdominal ulcers, swelling, obesity and insect poisoning. It is a rainy season herb, growing on moist, damp and shady ridges and slopes of the borders of cultivated fields and widely distributed in India, Eastern and Southern Africa, South America, and Asia. Whole plant, Leaves, Flowers, stem and Roots are mostly used for the treatment. Although there are numerous scientific studies related to multiple usage of Vellarugu plant, this study attempts to collect all available information and prepare a monograph about the E. littorale for documentation purpose. E. littorale has a number of anti-oxidative phytochemicals which include five alkaloids, catechins, saponins, two sterols, triterpinoids, phenolic acid, flavonoids, xanthones and volatile oil, swetiamerin, and gentianine. Higher percentage of total ash, water soluble ash and acid insoluble ash also were found in this plant. E. littorale has very low toxicity and is a safe and the presence of heavy metals was below the WHO/FDA permissible limits. Numerous studies stated that E. littorale has the therapeutic pharmacological actions such as anti-diabetic, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-arthritic, anti-microbial, anti tumour, and etc. This monograph may provide and confirmed the documentary evident for multiple medicinal and therapeutic uses and pharmacological effects of the E. littorale.

BIOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF ANTIDIABETIC PROPERTIES OF SWERTIAMARIN, A SECOIRIDOID GLYCOSIDE OF ENICOSTEMMA LITTORALE LEAVES, STUDIED IN HIGH-FAT DIET–FED LOW-DOSE STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED TYPE 2 DIABETIC RATS

Objective: Swertiamarin, a secoiridoid glycoside present in the leaves of Enicostemma littorale, is reported to be responsible for its pharmacological and beneficial properties. The present study was aimed to biochemically evaluate the antidiabetic properties of Swertiamarin in high fat diet fed - low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-treated diabetic rats.Methods: High-fat diet-fed low-dose STZ was used to induce experimental type 2 diabetes in rats. Diabetic rats were orally treated with swertiamarin (50 mg/kg b.w./rat/day) for 30 days. The physiological criterions such as food and fluid intake were recorded. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed. The levels of fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), hemoglobin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were estimated. The activities of key enzymes involved in carbohydrate and glycogen metabolism in the liver and kidney tissues were assayed. The glycogen content in liver tissue was estimated.Result: Oral administration of swertiamarin to diabetic rats established a significant decline in the levels of fasting blood glucose, HbA1c as well as HOMA-IR values and an increase in plasma insulin and hemoglobin levels. The altered activities of key enzymes of carbohydrate and glycogen metabolism in liver and kidney tissues of diabetic rats were restored to near normalcy by swertiamarin treatment.Conclusion: Swertiamarin treatment maintains normoglycemia in diabetic rats by modulating the activities of key carbohydrate and glycogen metabolizing enzymes in the hepatic and renal tissues.