Phytochemical Investigation of Ethno Medicinal Plants Clerodendrum inerme Linn and Cissus quadrangularis Linn and Related Biological Activity Studies

Abstract

Medicinal plants are considered to be nature s gift and are the cheapest source of medicine. Mainly in the traditional system, medicinal plants parts such as root, bark, wood, stem, leaves and sometimes the whole plant find use for consititutional remedies. Medicinal plants have been the most important source of life saving drugs for thousands of years. There is a wide spread use of herbal remedies and healthcare preparations, as those described in Vedas and Bible. Medicinal plants are a tremendous source for the discovery of new products of medicines of high value in drug development. Today several distinct chemical compounds derived from medicinal plants have become important drugs, which are currently used in one or more countries in the world. Many of the drugs sold today are simple synthetic modifications or copies of the naturally obtained substances. Many of the drugs used in Siddha, Unani, Ayurveda are formulated based on the active principles from medicinal plants. In view of the increasing significance of the use of medicinal plants in the field of medicine, two medicinal were chosen for the phytochemical and pharmacological investigation. newlinePlant I: Clerodendrum inerme Linn of plant family Verbenaceae newlinePlant II: Cissus quadrangularis Linn of plant family Vitaceae newlineBoth the plants have been extensively documented in ethno medicinal literature newlinePlant I newlinePlant Name Clerodendrum Inerme newlineFamily Verbenaceae newlineSynonyms : Volkameria Inermis L newlineVernacular Name Hindi Sankuppi newlineTamil Pinari Canku, Sangupothai newlineTelugu Takkolapu - chettu newlinekannada Vishama dhari newlineBengaly Banajai newlineEnglish Wild jasmin newlineUniversal Name Glory bowar newlinePlant II newlinePlant Name Cissus quandrangularis newlineFamily Vitaceae newlineVernacular Name Hindi : Hadjod newlineTamil : Perandi newlineEnglish : Edible stemmed vine newlineSanskrit : Asthisamdhani newlineMarathi : Kandvel newlineBengali : Harbhanga newlineUniversal Name Edible stemmed wine newlineEthnomedicinal uses newlineClerodendrum inerme is very widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. More than five hundred species of the genus are identified