Plumbago zeylanica L. (Plumbaginaceae)

Abstract

It is a herbaceous plant with glabrous, climbing, prostrate, or erect stems, that grows in the tropical climates of India and Australia. The root is powerfully poisonous and its internal use is attended with great risk. It increases digestive function and promotes appetite, stimulates nervous system in small doses, and in higher doses causes paralysis, leading to death. It causes abortion if used internally, but most commonly employed as local irritant to os uteri. In Ayurveda, roots are used to treat skin diseases, diarrhea, plague and leprosy, and Hindu physicians describe the plant as digestive, light, astringent, hot and appetizing, and use it for the treatment of dyspepsia, piles, leprosy, anasarca, worms, cough, phlegm, flatulence and biliousness. Muslim physicians in India described it as caustic, vesicant, abortifacient, an expellant of phlegmatic humours, and considered it useful in rheumatism and splenic and digestive disorders. Shitraj of Muslim physicians is regarded to be any species of Plumbago, and not necessarily the species zeylanica; however, P. rosea is more powerful and more vesicant. Root and its constituents are also credited with antiatherogenic, cardiotonic, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective properties, and as a GIT flora normalizer. In the Philippines, pounded roots are used for blistering, and their decoction is used as antiscabies remedy, and the Ethiopians also use the root to treat skin disorders and a number of other diseases. Roots are reported to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, terpenoids, quinones, phenols, tannins, steroids and sugars. Both aqueous and alcohol root extracts, and plumbagin exhibit significant antioxidant potentials, and pretreatment of mice with alcoholic root extract protected against CP-genotoxicity and oxidative stress, and cisplatin-nephrotoxicity. Root paste made in water and applied topically exhibited anti-inflammatory activity.