Symplocos racemosa Roxb. (Symplocaceae)

Abstract

A small evergreen tree, found throughout the tropical and subtropical countries, especially South Asia, but also in Australia and America. In Indian traditional medicines, the stem bark is mainly used in the treatment of eye, skin and ear diseases, liver and bowel complaints (diarrhea, dysentery), tumors, uterine disorders, spongy and bleeding gums, asthma, fever, snakebites, gonorrhea and arthritis, and for various female disorders, such as menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, leucorrhea, inflammation of the uterus, and as a uterine relaxant. Unani physicians consider it astringent and styptic, and also use it to thicken semen, and externally as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory. Stem-bark is cooling and mildly astringent. In Ayurveda, it is mentioned in Nighantas as hot, alterative, and useful in phlegmatic diseases and leprosy; and in the Bhavaprakasa it is said to be absorbent, stomachic, refrigerant, astringent, expectorant and hemostatic, and useful in eye and liver diseases, fever, dysentery and dropsy. A decoction of the bark is used as a gargle when gums are spongy and bleeding (Sushruta). In Europe, it is known as ‘Lotur bark’ and used in 1.3 g doses mixed with sugar as a remedy for menorrhagia due to relaxation of uterine tissue. Phenolic glycosides with PDE-I and thymidine phosphorylase inhibiting activities, salirepin, symplocuronic acid and sympocemoside; locoracemosides A, B and C with α-chymotrypsin inhibitory activity, and β-amyrin, oleonolic acid, β-sitosterol and β-sitosterol glycoside, triterpenes, betulin and oleanolic acid are reported from the stem bark. Bark also contains alkaloids (loturine, isoloturine, and harmane), flavanol glucosides, flavonol glycoside, and triterpenoids. Ethanol stem bark extract significantly reduced TC, TG, VLDL, and LDL, restored the decreased HDL, and decreased elevated HMG-CoA reductase activity and improved atherogenic index in hyperlipidemic rats, and protected rats against CCl4-hepatotoxicity. Aqueous bark extract increased serum FSH and LH levels and enhanced folliculogenesis in immature female rats.