A Review of Medicinal Uses and Pharmacological Activities of a Siddha medicinal herb Nelumbo nucifera GAERTN.

Suganya A1, Dr. R. Antony Duraichi2

1 PG Scholar, 2Lecturer Grade II, Government Siddha Medical College, Palayamkottai.

Corresponding author email ID: arthanarisugu1994@gmail.com

Abstract

Thamarai (Nelumbo nucifera GAERTN) Nelumbo nucifera also known as Lotus, an aquatic belongs to the family of Nelumbonaceae. It is cultivated throughout the world as an important nutritious herb. Thamarai (Nelumbo nucifera GAERTN) is an important herbal ingredient in all traditional systems of medicine and has been using for several decades because of its varied medicinal properties. In India systems of medicine it is considered as a high medicinal value drug. In Siddha medicine, it is widely used for pregnancy care (antenatal care and post natal care). Different part of plant (leaves, seeds, flower, and rhizome) can be used in traditional siddha system of medicine. Several recent researches revealed that it has hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, antianalgesic, , antifertility, antimicrobial, anti inflammatory properties etc. Documentation of traditional medicinal uses and phyto-pharmacological activities of a thamarai kilangu is essential for the time. This review attempts to cover all the available literature on Nelumbo nucifera with respect to its traditional uses, chemical constituents, physicochemical properties, phytoconstituents with therapeutic benefits.

Key words:

Thamarai kilangu , Nelumbo nucifera, Literature review, Siddha medicine

Introduction

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, commonly known as lotus or sacred lotus is an perennial water based plant belonging to family Nymphaeaceae. N.nucifera is an important aquatic economic plant, not only as a dainty and ornamental flower but also as a source of herbal medicine with strong sedative, cooling, astringent, and nutritive & demulcent properties as per Siddha Materia medica (Gunapadam Mooligai Vaguppu). In other Indian traditional system, past of lotus has been widely used for the treatments.

Traditional siddha literature about Thamarai

There was a largest traditional trait that, lotus is considered as a goddess flower and Lord of Lakshmi denoting as sacred of the flower. The flower has huge pleasant smell and purely aqua based. N.nucifera as cure of numerous diseases considerable efforts have been made by researchers. It is basically four types which are classified based on its color. The parts like flower, seed, petals, tuber has widely used for the medicinal preparations.

1. White flowered lotus

2. Reddish flowered lotus

3. Blue flowered lotus

4. Yellow flowered lotus

Table 1. Parts of Thamarai and its Siddha medicinal actions

Parts of Thamarai Plant

Siddha medicinal actions

Flower

Coolant

Astringent

Expectorant

Sedative

Tuber

Demulcent

Seed

Tonic

Nutritive

Petals

Nutritive

Table 2. Parts of Thamarai and its Siddha Therapeutic properties

Parts of Thamarai

Siddha Therapeutic properties

Flower

Removes eye irritation, fever

Tuber

Toad skin, Cough, Stomach pain

Seed

Abdominal disturbances, Tastelessness

Petals

Deafness, Anxiety, Nervous enchantments

Taxonomic Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants

Sub Kingdom: Tracheobionta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: Magnoliidae

Order: Proteales

Family: Nymphaeaceae

Genus: Nelumbo Adans

Species: Nelumbo nucifera Gaen.

Geographical Synonyms

English: Sacred lotus

Hindi: Kanwal, Kamal

Sanskrit: Ambuja

Bengal: Padma

Manipuri: Thambal

Marathi: Kamal

Gujarat: Suriyakamal

Malayalam : Tamara

Kannada: Tavare

Assamese : Padam

Bengali: Komol

French: Nelumbo

German: Indische lotosblume

Persian: Nilufer

Apart from this, in siddha system of medicine it has few different names based on its usage and geographical origin. The other tamil local names are Aravintham, Ellimanai, Suriyanatpu, Ponamanai, Pundareegam, Padhumam, Kamalam, Nalinam, Mulari, Mundagam, Malunthi, Sarogam, Kokanam, Inadai, Kanjugam, Appusam, Ambhorugam, Salasam, Vasanam, Vaarisam, Saraseerugam, Pangerugam, Saroroogam, Pangasam.

Habitat

Warm-temperate to tropical climates, in a range of shallow (up to about 2.5 m deep) wetland habitats, including flood plains, ponds, lakes, pools, lagoons, marshes, swamps and the backwaters of reservoirs.

Morphology

Leaves

Leaves are large, aerial as well as floating orbicular ranging from 20-90 cm. In diameter, acute to form a short tip, petiolate present, entire glaucous, watery, strong cupped in case of aerial leaves and flat in case of floating ones, radiantly nerved, the fresh leaves are leathery, bout on drying they are nearly membranous and brittle, and more or less brownish red blotching on the lower surface, petioles of the aerial leaves are erect and stout white those of the floating ones are not strong enough. When transversely cut, the petiole of leaf stalk always shows four distinct large cavities in the centre and small cavities in the periphery.

Flowers

Solitary cyme and large, 10-25 cm in diameter, white pink or pinkish white fragrant peduncles arising from the nodes of the rhizomes, sheathing at the base, 1-2 cm long. The color may green or blackish green, hard and stout, smooth or rough due to the presence of numerous small scattered prickles, sepals, petals and stamens are spirally arranged passing gradually one into another.

Fruits

Fruit is an aggregate of indehiscent nut-lets. Ripe nutlets are ovoid, roundish or oblongish up to 1.0 cm long 1.5 cm broad, with hard smooth, brownish or greyish black pericarp which is faintly longitudinally striated, pedunculated and one seeded. Seeds fill in the ripe carpel.

Rhizomes

The rhizomes are 60-140 cm long 0.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter, yellowish white to yellowish brown in colour, smooth longitudinally striated with brown patches, Nodes and internodes are present. When freshly cut is exudes mucilaginous juice and show a few large cavities surrounded by several larger ones, fracture is tough and fibrous. Odour is indistinct

Nutritional value of Nelumbo nucifera

Lotus seed is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and also contains particularly large amounts of trace elements, including calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B, C, E.

Chemical constituents

The nelumbo nucifera contains chemical constituents like nuciferine, roemerine, anonaine, pronuciferine, N-nornuciferine, nelumboside, flavonoids, quercetin, leucoanthocyanidin, leucocyanidin, leucodelphinidin, nelumboroside A and nelumboroside B, Betulinic acid, kaempferol 3-O- β –Dgalactopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-β-D glucopyranoside, kaempferol 7-O-β –D glucopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-( 1-6)-β -D-glucopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)- β -D-glucopyranoside.

Table 3. Chemical structure for major compounds of Nelumbo nucifera

Chemical name

Formula

Structure

nuciferine

C19H21NO2

Nelumboside

C27H28O18

Quercetin


C15H10O7

Betulinic acid


C30H48O3

Traditional uses of Nelumbo nucifera

Lotus is used in traditional medicine by people for its tremendous health benefits in many parts of the world. It is used to treat sunstroke, diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhoids, dizziness, vomiting of blood, uterine bleeding disorders, promoting conception, improving the skin condition, controlling burning sensation, against infections, cough, hypertension, fever, urinary problems, hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematuria, and metrorrhagia etc.

Table 2. List of medicine prepared with Thamarai parts as Ingredients

Medicine name

Part of the plant

Indications

Reference

Arugampul Ghritham

Thamarai poo

Raktha pitham

Thanjai vaidya raja Sindhamani Part-2

Pooshanuga Chooranam

Thamarai poo

Moola rogam, Yoni rogam, Pramiyam

Thanjai vaidya raja Sindhamani Part-2

Kana ennai

Thamarai valaiyam

18 vagai kanam

Anuboga vaidhya navaneetham Part-2

Satchiyathy kashayam

Thamarai kilangu

Vatha suram

Anubhoga vaidhya brama ragasiyam

Elathi chooranam

Thamarai kilangu

Pandu, kamalai, vikkal, unmaatham

Anubhoga vaidhya theva ragasiyam part 3

Prasarini thailam

Thamarai ithal

Vatham, Pitham, Kabham

Anubhoga vaidhya theva ragasiyam part 3

Kamatheva Ghritham

Thamarai vithai, Thandu

Pandu, Soolai, Kamalai

Anubhoga vaidhya theva ragasiyam part 3

Thurva ghritham

Thamarai ithal, thandu

Raktha vanthi

Anubhoga vaidhya theva ragasiyam part 3

Sathavari rasayanam

Thamarai kilangu

Thathu boshti, 20 megam

Anubhoga vaidhya theva ragasiyam part 3

Indhiriya pusti thambanathi legyam

Thamarai vithai, parupu

Thathu viruthi

Kanusamy Parambarai vaithyam

Abrakach sanjeevi chooranam

Thamarai kilangu

Pitham, Megam, Irumal

Thanjai vaithya raja sinthamani

Pharmacological activities

Anti-microbial activity

The antibacterial activity of the seeds of Nelumbo nucifera was tested in a study which included 7 different bacterial strains and it was observed that it was equally effective against the majority of gram positive and gram negative microbes. Thus it proves enough data for its antimicrobial potency.

Anti-ischemic activity

The Plant extract of N. nucifera shows potent anti-ischaemic effects in the isolated rat heart. The effective amount of Plant extract against ischaemia induced in the isolated rat heart was assessed by measuring cardiac output; doses of 0.1–30 mg/ml were tested by the researchers. Maximal recovery was seen at a dose of 10 mg/ml, and normalize the cardiac output was Thus, the 3 mg/ml dose was determined to be the optimum dose for anti-ischaemic effects in the rat.

Antiproliferative activity

The ethanolic extract of N. nucifera seed has dormant the cell cycle progression, cytokine gene expression and cell proliferation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In this study, the effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferation, resting cells or cells activated with phytohaemaglutinin (PHA) were treated with 100 mg/ml of N. nucifera seed ethanolic extract. Cell proliferation was determined based on the uptake process of tritiated thymidine. The proliferation was not affected by DMSO treatment. Ethanolic extract of N. nucifera seed (100 mg/ml) significantly suppressed human peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferation stimulated with phytohaemaglutinin.

Antioxidant activity

The ethanol extract of the Nelumbo nicifera seed has evaluated for its antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical assay. Potent free radical scavenging effects was found in this method with a median inhibition concentration (IC50) of 6.49 mg/ml. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of seed has also shown sufficient antioxidant activity using the DPPH and nitric oxide methods.

Hepatoprotective activity

The hepato-protective effects was studied carbon tetrachloride and aflatoxin B1-induced hepatotoxicity models. Cell death caused by carbon tetrachloride was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the ethanolic extract at concentrations between 10 and 500 mg/ml. The same extract reduced the genotoxicity of aflatoxin B1, showing complete inhibition at a concentration of 250 mg per plate. Hence they concluded the hepatoprotective action of Nelumbo nucifera.

Anti-inflammatory activity

The anti-inflammatory activity of Nelumbo nucifera was evaluated in carrageenan-induced edema in rats and acetic acid induced vascular permeability in mice. It was observed that the anti-inflammatory effect was approximately the same as that of Indomethacin. The results propose that nelumbogenin present in drug is responsible for anti-inflammatory action.

The anti-inflammatory property of nelumbo nucifera might be due to inhibition of chemokines, cytokines, nitrous oxide and growth factors in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) stimulated macrophages via the calcium pathway. The methanol extract from seeds of nelumbo nucifera used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases also had inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production.

Aphrodisiac activity

The aphrodiasic activity of 50% ethanolic extract Nelumbo nucifera was given to various groups of male Swiss mice to study their mating activity, mounting behaviour and short-term toxicity against those being given 50% sildenafil citrate. The 50% ethanolic extract of the seeds of Nelumbo nucifera and showed an increase in the mating performance and the mounting performance of mice without showing any short-term toxicity.

Conclusion

In this review we explore the phytochemical and pharmacological knowledge about this well known plant species as well as several emerging aspects for research on Nelumbo nucifera. Different parts of N. nucifera, including the leaves, rhizomes, seeds and flowers, have been reported to have therapeutic potential in traditional system of medicine for the treatment of various diseases. Pharmacological activities of different extracts have been studied throughout the world. This needs to be explored further through clinical studies on human volunteers to provide evidence-based method.

References

1. Murugesa Mudhaliar, GunapadamMooligai vaguppu .5th ed. Indian. Medicine and Homeopathy, Chennai: 62, 213.

2. Liu C, Tsai W, Lin Y, Liao J, Chen C, Kuo Y(2004), The extracts from Nelumbo nucifera suppress cell cycle progression, cytokine genes expression, and cell proliferation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Life Sci 75:699–716.

3. Lu L, Chen F, Tan Y (2013) Lotus seed Fe-SOD extraction and high temperature resistant ability. Biotechnol World 2:65–66.

4. Ma Z, Wang H, Liu L, Xin D, Zhang H, Shen J (1995) Experimental study on the antiaging effect of powdered Hindu lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) seed. Chin Tradit Herb Drugs 26:81–82.

5. Tian, N., et al. Isolation and preparation of flavonoids from the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn by preparative reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography, Chinese journal of chromatography 25.1 (2007): 88-92.

6. Rudgley R (1998). Thomas Dunne Books. St. Martin’s Griffin. The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Substances.

7. Santos FA, Rao VSN, Silverira ER (1997). Antiinflammatory and analgesic activities of the essential oil of Psidium guianense, Fitoterapia 68:65-68.

8. Tsuchiya, T., and Nohara, S. 1989. Growth and life span of the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. in lake Kasumigaura, Japan. Aquatic botany, 36(1): 87-95.

9. Mukherjee PK. et al. Pharmaceutical application of starch isolated from Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Fam. Nymphaeaceae). Ind J Pharm Sci 1996; 58: 59–66.

10. Zheng B, Zheng J, Zeng C (2004) Study on three functional components of Chinese main lotus seed varieties. Acta Nutr Sin 26:158–160.

11. Wu J, Zheng Y, Chen T, Yi J, Qin L, Rahman K, Lin W (2007) Evaluation of the quality of lotus seed of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. from outer space mutation. Food Chem 105:540–547.

12. Cultivation of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ssp. nucifera) and its utilization in China". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 56 (3): 323–330.

13. Khare CP. Indian Herbal Remedies: Rational Western Therapy, Ayurvedic, and Other Traditional Usage, Botany, 1st edn. USA:Springer, 2004: 326–327.