Phytopharmacological aspects of Salacia chinensis

Abstract

Salacia chinensis Linn. (Family Celastraceae) commonly known as Saptrangi and commonly used herb in Ayurvedic medicine. The present work is an attempt to compile information on pharmacological and phytochemical aspects of S. chinensis Linn. Its roots have biologically active compounds, such as triterpenes, phenolic compounds, glycosides and coloring agents which show various medicinal properties. The root extract shows various activities like, antioxidant, anticaries, antiulcer, antidiabetic, hypoglycemic, antiobesity and skin lightening agent. This work will help reader with detail understanding of Salacia root's properties.

Full text

Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy Vol. 4(1), pp. 1-5, January 2012
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JPP
DOI: 10.5897/JPP11.006
ISSN 2141-2502 ©2012 Academic Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Phytopharmacological aspects of Salacia chinensis
U. A. Deokate* and S. S. Khadabadi
Government College of Pharmacy, Kathora Naka, Amravati-444604. (M.S.), India.
Accepted 22 September, 2011
Salacia chinensis Linn. (Family Celastraceae) commonly known as Saptrangi and commonly used herb
in Ayurvedic medicine. The present work is an attempt to compile information on pharmacological and
phytochemical aspects of S. chinensis Linn. Its roots have biologically active compounds, such as
triterpenes, phenolic compounds, glycosides and coloring agents which show various medicinal
properties. The root extract shows various activities like, antioxidant, anticaries, antiulcer, antidiabetic,
hypoglycemic, antiobesity and skin lightening agent. This work will help reader with detail
understanding of Salacia root's properties.
Key words: Salacia chinensis, Saptrangi, root, phytochemistry, pharmacology.
INTRODUCTION
Salacia chinensis Linn. (Synonyms: Salacia prinoides)
Family: Celastraceae (Spike-thorn family) commonly
called as Saptrangi, Dimal, Modhupal, Ingli, Cherukuranti,
Nisul-bondi. This is a small erect or straggling tree or
large, woody, climbing shrub found almost throughout
India including Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Mehra and
Handa, 1969).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Three species of Salacia that is, S. chinensis, Salacia reticulate,
Salacia oblonga are used traditionally in Ayurveda, Unani systems
as antidiabetic agent. Preclinical research and isolated clinical trials
studying these effects have been promising. Fruits and Roots are
the useful parts. Ripe fruits are eaten. Roots have been used as an
antidiabetic drug. S. chinensis have been used in India and in other
countries as a tonic, blood purifier and to treat amenorrhea and
dysmenorrhea. Its root bark was used in gonorrhoea, rheumatism
and skin diseases. Its aqueous extract showed significant
hypoglycemic activity. Root bark boiled in oil or as decoction or as
powder is used for the treatment of rheumatism, gonorrhoea,
itches, and asthma, thirst and ear diseases (Encyclopedia of World
Medicinal Plants. Vol.1. 1713: 2418; Almeida and Almeida, 1994;
Singh and Duggal, 2010; Mehra and Handa, 1967). The root is dark
yellow externally and light yellow internally. It has characteristic
odor and bitter in taste. The TS of root (Figure 1) shows wavy cork,
cortex consisting of brown matter, uniserriate and few biserriate
medullary rays and vascular bundle consists mainly of secondary
xylem and phloem. Pith, Pericycle and endodermis is absent.
Starch is present in the cortex region. The standardization
*Corresponding author. E-mail: deokate@yahoo.com.
parameters like ash value and extractive value have been also
studied. The ash value results for this plant are Total ash
4.825%w/w; Water-soluble ash 2.75%w/w, Acid-insoluble ash
3.5%w/w. The extractive value results are found to be 3.275%w/w
in Water-s oluble extractive value and 1.8%w/w in Alcohol-soluble
extractive value (Dholwani et al., 2009). Table 1 is showing
Fluorescence analysis of root powder.
RESULTS
The roots contains the phytoconstituents like alkaloides,
glycosides, polyphenols, flavanoides, coumarins,
proteins, carbohydrates, gums and mucilage, fixed oil
and volatile oil. Triterpenoids like lupanes, hopanes,
friedelanes are abundant in root and stem of plant.
Salacinol from the stems of S. chinensis was found to
alpha- glucosidase inhibitor. Mangiferin showed inhibitory
effect on rat lense aldose reductase. Figure 2 and Table
2 has given idea about chemical composition of salacia
roots.
Recent studies have demonstrated that Salacia roots
are very useful in type 2 diabetes and obesity-associated
hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and related cardiovascular
complications and it may be due to the fact that it
modulate multiple targets (Yuhao et al., 2008) like
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha-
mediated lipogenic gene transcription, angiotensin
II/angiotensin II type 1 receptor, alpha-glucosidase,
aldose reductase and pancreatic lipase. These activities
are due to the constituentslike mangiferin, salacinol,
kotalanol and kotalagenin 16-acetate (Yoshikawa et al.,

2 J. Pharmacognosy Phytother.
Figure 1. A, B and C: Salacia roots microscopy showing vascular bundles, medullary rays, and annular
rings.
Table 1. Fluorescence analysis of root powder.
Treatment
Day light
UV light (254 nm)
Powder as such
Yellow color
Light green
Powder + 1N NaOH(Aq.)
Brown
Dark brown
Powder + 1N NaOH(Alc.)
Yellowish brown
Light yellow
Powder + 1N HCL
Green
Light green
Powder + Iodine
Dark brown
Brown
Powder + Ammonia
Yellow
Greenish yellow
Powder + 5% FeCl3
Dark yellow
Dark brown
Powder + 1N H2SO4
Black
No color
2001; Matsuda et al., 2002; Nadagouda et al., 2010).
Clinical trial studies have also been carried out to confirm
the effects. Table 3 is explaining the all activities of
salacia roots.
Conclusion
S. chinensis is a traditional South and Southeast Asian
herb medicine and has been reported to have an
antidiabetic function through α-glucosidases inhibitory
activity. The various active constituents have been found
to affect multiple targets in diabetes, obesity and
associated cardiovascular diseases through modulating
PPAR-α-mediated lipogenic gene transcription and
angiotensin II/angiotensin II type 1 receptor, inhibiting α-
glucosidase, aldose reductase and pancreatic lipase.
Although toxicological studies have suggested minimal
adverse effects of this plant in rodents, a clinical trial is
crucial to further confirm the safety of Salacia roots. In
addition, mechanistic studies are necessary in order to
know drug interaction of Salacia root with other

Deokate and Khadabadi 3
Figure 2. Chemical constituents of S. chinensis.

4 J. Pharmacognosy Phytother.
Table 2. Phyotochemistry of roots of S. chinensis Linn.
Constituents
Plant part
Triterpenes foliasalacins D1 (I), D2 (II), and D (III), Phenolic glycosides named foliachinenosides A1 (1), A2 (2), A3 (3), B1 (4), B2 (5), C (6),
and D (7); Foliasalaciosides A1,A2, B1, B2,C and D; megastigmane glycosides named foliasalaciosides E1 (I)-I (1-7)
Leaves (Yoshikawa et al., 2008).
Megastigmane glycosides foliasalaciosides A1 (1) (I), A2 (2), B1 (3), B2 (4), C (5), and D (6)
Leaves (Pongpiriyadacha et al.,
2003). (Methanolic extract)
Triterpenes like 28- hydroxy –3- oxo- 30- lupanoic acid, 29- nor-21α- H- hopane- 3,22- dione, 21α- H- hop- 22(29)- ene- 3β, 30- diol, and
betulin, 3 – oxo- lupane- 30 – al; Betuline, 29- nor- 21- αH- hopane- 3, 22- dione and 21- αH- hop- 22 (29)- ene- 3β,30- diol
Stems (n-hexane extract)
(Krishnan and Rangaswami,
1967a,b).
α-glucosidase inhibitor salacinol, Dimer(II), octaacetate, hexamethyl ether, Friedelane-type triterpenes, salasones D and E, norfriedelane-type
triterpene, salaquinone B, polyacylated eudesmane-type sesquiterpine, salasol B; Two new friedelane-type triterpenes, salasones D and E, a
new norfriedelane-type triterpene, salaquinone B, and a new polyacylated eudesmane-type sesquiterpene, salasol B,
Stems (Joshi et al., 1973).
Two new triterpenoids, named 7α,21α-dihydroxyfriedelane-3-one (1) and 7α,29-dihydroxyfriedelane-
3-one (2) and 21α,30-dihydroxyfriedelane-3-one
Stems (Rogers et al., 1974).
(ethyl acetate extract)
Friedelane-type triterpenes, salasones A, B, and C, norfriedelane-type triterpene, salaquinone A, acylated eudesmane-type sesquiterpine,
salasol A
Stems (80% of methanolic
extract) (Tran et al., 2008).
3β,22β-dihydroxyolean- 12- en- 29- oic acid, tingenone, tingenine B, regeol A, triptocalline A, and mangiferin
Stems (80% of methanolic
extract) (Kishi et al., 2003).
1,3-diketofriedelane derivatives : six closely related triterpenes, P, Q, R, S, T and V
Root bark (Yoshikawa and
Morikawa, 2003; Masayuki et al.,
2008).
Table 3. Pharmacology of roots of S. chinensis Linn.
S/no.
Activity
Model
Plant part
Conclusion
1
Antidiabetic activity
(Yoshikawa et al.,
2003).
Maltose or sucrose loaded rats
Methanolic extract of stems
Inhibitory effects on intestinal alpha-glucosidase, rat lens aldose
reductase, formation of Amadori compounds and advanced
glycation end-products, nitric oxide production from
lipopolysaccharide-activated mouse peritoneal macrophage, and
radical scavenging activities.
2
Antidiabetic activity
(Govind et al., 2010)
Streptozotocin (STZ) - induced
diabetic rats.
Salacia chinensis and Coccinia
indica and Hipophae rhamnoides
Found to be effective
3
Antihyperglycemic
activity (Sellamuthu
et al., 2009).
Streptozotocin (STZ) - induced
diabetic rats.
Mangiferin purified from methanolic
root ext. of S. chinensis mangiferin
possess antidiabetic activity
against STZ-induced diabetic rats.
Mangiferin is found responsible for antidiabetic activity.
4
Hypotensive activity
(Jansakul et al.,
2005).
Hypotensive activity in anesthetized
female rats in estrus, and for
vasodilator activities on isolated
thoracic aortic rings in vitro.
Stem ethanolic extract
n-butanol extract from stems of Salacia chinensis possesses a
hypotensive effect. The mechanism involved may be an indirect
effect by stimulated release of nitric oxide from vascular endothelial
cells and causes vasodilatation.

Deokate and Khadabadi 5
Table 3. Contd.
5
Hepatoprotective activity
(Asuti, 2010).
Wistar strain of albino rats of either sex
against CCl4 induced
Root extract
Found to be effective
6
Anticaries activity (Vuong
and Hoover, 2010)
Prevents glucan adhesion on tooth plane and
inhibits glucosyltransferase activity, and can
be used for preventing caries.
Salacia extract
Salacia extract inhibit sucrose-dependent biofilm formation by MS, similar to
acarbose, and have potential as anti-plaque anti-caries agents
7
Reproductive function
activity (Yang et al.,
2011)
Sprague–Dawley male and female rats
S. chinensis
extract
No effects on the reproductive outcome such as estrous cycle of F0 females
or any parameters for reproductive function or survival, growth, sensory
reflex or function development of F1 pups even at a remarkably high
dosage level, 2000 mg/kg/day,
8.
Anticancer activity (Tran
et al., 2010)
Against the four cancer cell lines Hep-G2, LU,
KB, and MCF-7.
Eight
triterpenoids from
this plant
The new compound showed good activity against all four tested cell lines.
therapeutic interventions.
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