INTRODUCTION:

Plants provide foods raw material, medicine and various other requirements for the very existence of life from the origin of human beings. Even the current conventional medicine is using. A lot of plant derived chemicals as therapeutic agents it should be noted that in the present day also the majority of the global population utilizes medicinal plants for their health care. Therefore there is a compiling need for detail scientific validation of all traditional, medicinal plant drugs to establish their efficacy and safety in modern science¹.

In order to need the rising demand for raw drugs, adulteration and substitution have became frequent which in turn results in compromised quality of herbal medicine. Among the plants known for medicinal value the traditionally used plant with the name Narvelia zylenica are important for their theoretical potentials. The plant is available throughout the India and it is used for cough, inflammation, skin disorders, fever, and pain2. The roots and stems have a strong penetrating smell, and are used by tribes for cephalalgia³.Hence we made an attempt to evaluate its antipyretic, analgesic and anti microbial activity of stem of Narvelia zeylenica.

Synonym:

Naravelia pilulifera , Atragene zeylanica

Common name:

Telugu- Pulla bachala, Hindi- Vatanasini, Tamil –Neendavalli

Flowering:

October -April

TAXONOMY:

Domain - Eukaryote.

Kingdom - Plantae.

Subkingdom - Viridaeplantae.

Phylum - Trachophyta.

Subphylum - Euphyllophytina.

Infraphylum - Rasiatopses.

Class - Magnoliopsida.

Subclass - Ranunculidae.

Superorder - Ranunculanae.

Order - Ranunculales.

Family - Ranunculaceae.

Subfamily - Ranunculoideae.

Tribe - Anemoneae.

Genus - Naravelia.

Species - zeylanica - DC.

Botanical name - Naravelia zeylanica DC⁴.

MORPHOLOGY:-

Distribution throughout India, common in hedges and thickets strong tendril; leaves 3 –foliats ,opposite, terminal leaflet modified in to a 3-branches tendrils, leaflet ovate-lanceolate, seerate or crenate, prominently nerved, flower, fragrant, in axillary and terminal panicles, sepals downy, petals linear-cravate, elongate, fruits aggregate of aches, ending in twisted feathery tails⁵.

Figure 1: Leaves of Naravelia zeylanica

Figure 2: Fruit (Achenes) of N zeylanica

Figure 3: plant of N zeylanica

PHYTOCHEMISTRY:

The main constituents of Naravelia zeylanica include carbohydrates, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phytosterols, fixed oils, fats, gums, mucilages, proteins, terpinoids ⁶. The ethanolic extact of Naravelia zeylanica yielded three important benzamides i.e., 3, 4-methylenedioxybenzamide, 4-methoxybenzamide and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzamide. Beriberine, an alkaloid is isolated from methanolic extract of leaves of Naravelia zeylanica which has antimutagenic, anticancer, antimicrobial activity, diarrhea, intestinal parasite infections, and ocular trachoma infections and lowers low density lipoproteins ⁷

TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USES:

In Indian system of medicine ayurveda, the plant Naravelia zeylanica (Linn) DC has been used in the treatment of pitta, helminthiasis, dermatopathy, leprosy, rheumatalgia, odontalgia, colic inflammation, wounds and ulcers⁸. From the ethnomedical reviews, it has been observed that the aerial parts of Naravelia zeylanica traditionally used in vitiated vata, pitta, inflammation, skin diseases. The leaves when crushed give a pungent odour which is inhaled to cure cold, all type of headaches including migraine. While root and stem paste is applied externally for psoriasis, itches and skin allergy. In Kerala, it is used as a source of drug for intestinal worms, skin disease, leprosy and toothache. The traditional medicine practitioners residing in Karnataka are using the leaf and stem juices for treating psoriasis and dermatitis. The root and stem have a strong penetrating smell and is used to relive malarial fever and headache. For treating wounds and worm infections, whole plant paste is applied externally on affected part for 2-3 days⁹. In case of rhinitis, the stem is dried, powdered tied in a clean cloth and the aroma from the cloth bag is gently inhaled¹⁰. For treating rheumatism leaves are boiled in water and used for bathing ^11.Many pharmaceutical industries in India are engaged in the production of skin ointments from this plant.

NARAVELIA SPECIES:

Naravelia antonii, Naravelia Axillaris, Naravelia Dasyoneura, Naravelia Eichleri, Naravelia Finlaysoniana, Naravelia Laurifolia, Naravelia Lobata, Naravelia Loheri, Naravelia Pauciflora, Naravelia Philippinensis, Naravelia Pilulifera, Naravelia Siamensis.

PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES:

Anti ulcer activity:

Anti ulcer activity of ethanol extract of leaves of Naravelia zeylanica (300mg/kg) against aspirin plus pylorus ligation induced gastric ulcer in rats, HC-Ethanol induced ulcer in mice and water immersion stress induced ulcer in rats. Ranitidine used as a standard drug. The extract showed significant reduction in gastric volume, free acidity and ulcer index compared to control in Pylorus ligation model, 89.71% ulcer inhibition in HCl-Ethanol induced ulcer and 95.3% ulcer protection index in stress induced ulcer which indicates that Naravelia zeylanica leaves extract have potential anti ulcer activity in the three models tested.¹²

Antibacterial activity:

The antibacterial activity of chloroform and ethanolic extract of Naravelica zeylanica by disc diffusion method and Minimum inhibitory concentration assay method (MIC) using 4 microbial strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. From the MIC study, it was observed that the chloroform and ethanol extract showed significant inhibitory activity¹³.

Antihelmintic activity:

The petroleum ether, chloroform and aqueous extract of N zeylanica (50mg/ml) for antihelmintic activity using adult earthworms. Piperazine citrate was used as a standard drug The result shows that the petroleum ether, chloroform and aqueous extract possesses wormicidal activity and thus, may be useful as an antihelmintic¹⁴ .

Anti-inflammatory activity:

The effect of lyophilized aqueous extract of Naravelia zeylanica leaves in various in vitro and in vivo inflammatory models. N zeylanica was studied for its in vitro inhibitory activity against 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), cyclo-oxygenase (COX), leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). At doses 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o. The chloroform extract of aerial part of Naravalia zeylanica DC possessed significant anti-inflammatory activity¹⁵

Anxiolytic activity:

The anxiolytic activity of chloroform and ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Naravelia Zeylanica (200mg/kg) in swiss albino mice using Holeboard test, Light and dark model and Elevated plus maze test. These results revealed that both chloroform and ethanolic extract showed significant anxiolytic activity in all three methods. This anxiolytic activity may be due to the presence of flavonoids in the Naravelia zeylanica extract¹⁶.

Antifungal activity:

The antifungal property of methanol, acetone and petroleum ether extracts of Naravelia zeylanica (L.) DC against five phytopathogenic fungi commonly involved in the post harvest diseases of ginger using agar cup diffusion method. the obtained results hints on an existing potential of N. Zeylanica extracts in the control and management of post harvest fungal pathogens of ginger^17.

Antioxidant activity:

The anti oxidant activity of chloroform and ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Naravelia zeylanica by various method such as DPPH free radical scavenging activity, Nitric oxide scavenging activity, FRAP assay (Ferric reducing antioxidant power) activity, Ferric Thiocyanate (FTC) Method and Thiobarbituric Acid (TBA) Method. Anti-oxidant activity but ethanolic extract showed moderate activity. The presence of flavonoids, Phenols and high concentration of tannin in this plant cause greater reducing power¹⁸.

Wound healing activity:

The effective dose (ED50) was assigned as 200mg/kg. Wound healing activity of Naravelia zeylanica was screened by excision wound model inalbino rats. Ethanolic extract ointment and Povidone Iodine 5% w/w ointment treated animal showed decreased wound area from day to day when compare to control¹⁹.

Antiarthritic activity:

The antiarthritic effect of chloroform and ethanolic extracts of aerial parts of Naravelia zeylanica (200mg/kg) in swiss albino rats using Freud’s adjuvant induced arthritis model. The results revealed that the reduction in paw volume in the right and left paw of rats treated with chloroform extract (69.86 ± 3.39% and50.88 ± 2.51%), ethanolic extract (66.99 ± 3.85% and 49.040 ±2.87%) and Prednisolone 10 mg/kg p.o. (63.82± 1.86% and 34.90 ± 3.00%) were moderately reduced when compared with control (147.94± 5.84% and 111.97 ± 8.45%) group animals²⁰.

CONCLUSION:

It is very essential to have proper documentation of medicinal plants and to know their potential for improvement of health and hygiene through an ecofriendly system. Thus importance should be given to the potentiality of ethnomedicinal studies as these can provide a effective strategy for the discovery of medicinally active identity. The present review reveals that the plant Naravelia zeylanica is used for treating various ailments. The shrub is of immense medicinal value. It is used in pitta, helminthiasis, dermatopathy, leprosy, rheumatalgia, odontalgia, colic inflammation, wounds and ulcers, cure cold, headaches, migraine, psoriasis, itches and skin allergy, dermatitis, malarial fever and headache, rhinitis. The plant Naravelia zeylanica shows many pharmacological activities like antibacterial, antifungal, anxiolytic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, antihelmintic, antiulcer and still more research is needed. It elicits on all aspects of the herb and throws the attention to set the mind of the researchers to carry out the work for developing its various formulations, which can ultimately be beneficial for the human beings as well as animals.

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Received on 08.12.2016 Modified on 20.12.2016

Res. J. Pharmacology & Pharmacodynamics.2017; 9(1): 35-38.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5836.2017.00007.6