1. INTRODUCTION:

Nowadays there is an increasing demand on natural product research because of people associated with natural materials since ages. They take responsibility on their own health thus the demand for natural food, herbal medicines and nutraceuticals is growing significantly. This work emphasized on the traditionally used and clinically potential plant viz Chenopodium album Linn. Furthermore this review summarizes the pharmacological work on the plant and other important aspects. Through this review, authors wish to create a center of attention on natural product researchers throughout the world to explore this potential plant analytically.

Scientific reports from around the world indicated that C. album may be one of the disease preventive herbs. The genus Chenopodium encompasses 120 species, 10 of which are distributed in Egypt^1,2. Chenopodium album is an odourless, branching, annual weed, diffused in cultivated fields and commonly known as ‘lambs quarters’. The Greek name Chenopodium means "goose" and "foot," which refer to the shape of the leaves of some species. The Latin species name album means white and alludes to the waxy covering on the plant³.

2. Botanical description of plant:

Chenopodium album Linn is a cosmopolitan weed of winter crop and described as one of the five nutritious vegetables in ancient literature (Gherand Samhita). It is an odourless, branching, annual weed, diffused in cultivated fields and commonly known as ‘lamb’s quarters (Family: Chenopodiaceae, Goosefoot). In Ayurvedic, Unani and in Siddha system, the plant is known as Vaastuuka, Bathuaa and Paruppukeerai respectively⁴. Lamb's-quarters is an erect, tap rooted, summer annual .The maximum height is about 2 m. The entire plant is covered with varying amounts of a waxy substance giving the plant a light green appearance. The branches are angular or ridged, ascending, and usually striped with purple, pink or yellow color. The leaves are 3-7 cm long and 2-4 cm broad. The leaves on the upper part of the flowering stems are entire and lanceolate-rhomboid, 1-5 cm long and 0.4-2 cm broad which are waxy-coated, unwettable and mealy in appearance, with a whitish coat on the underside. Flowers are wind-pollinated having lax paniculate with mealy spikes. Sepals are 1.5 - 2 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, keeled, closing over the thinly membraneous urticle. Seeds are 1.5 mm in diameter, orbicular, compressed, with an acute margin, smooth, shining^5-9.

3. Traditional potential of plant:

In Folk medicine C. album Linn reported to have wide applications as a laxative, anthelmintic against round and hookworms, blood-purifier, antiscorbutic. An infusion is used for hepatic disorders, spleen enlargement, biliousness, and intestinal ulcers. According to Ayurvedic system of medicine, the plant is used to treat vata and kapha. The plant also having the potential of improving appetite, abdominal pain, eye disorders, throat troubles, piles, and diseases of blood. The leaves of the plant were used as an anthelmintic and cardiotonic. The juice of leaves is used for treating burns. Decoction of aerial parts mixed with alcohol is rubbed on the body parts affected by arthritis and rheumatism¹⁰.

4. Pharmacognostical aspects:

4.1 Habits and habitat:

The species was introduced from Europe^{11, 12}.Its current distribution is worldwide, including Africa, America, Australia, Hawaii, Greenland, and Norway. In India, The plant is widely grown in Madhya-Pradesh, West- Bengal and in Andhra-Pradesh.

4.2 Climatic condition:

It is widely distributed throughout the world from sea level to 3,600m in elevation and from the latitudes 70°N to 50°S except in extreme desert climates. It is more prevalent at higher altitudes. It occurs on disturbed sites and thrives on all soil types and over a wide range of soil pH values¹³.

5. Factors influencing germination of lamb’s quarters seed:

A number of factors may influence germination of common lambs quarters seed.

5.1 Germination requirements: Seeds must be in the top1 inch of soil to germinate.

5.2 Growth requirements: Lambs quarters have rapid growth, requiring moderate soil moisture. It grows best on disturbed, highly organic soil¹⁴.

5.3 Temperature:

Temperature of 0-5°C can increase germination rate up to 64% in reticulated and smooth seed¹⁵.Environmental temperature to 25 C/21 C initiates more intensive early growth of Chenopodium album Linn. It increases sprout length and quality of the accumulated biomass. However, under the conditions of 25°C/21°C, the 700ppm concentration of CO₂ had a negative impact on the early growth of C album Linn¹⁶.

5.4 Effect of salts:

Germination of C. album Linn decreases with increase in salinity and with decrease in osmotic potential. The inhibition of germination by salt solutions was in the order of MgCl₂ > Na₂SO₄ > Na₂CO₃ > NaCl >Soil extract > MgSO₄.Maximum germination was obtained in distilled water¹⁷.

5.5 Light:

The Influence of light intensity on the synthesis of oxalic acid was reported to be high initially under different intensity of light and dark but gradually after one or two weeks of plant growth, it gradually decreases with the decrease in intensity of light.

5.6 Effect of fertilizer:

Super phosphate, urea, and calcium ammonium nitrate increased level of the dry matter. Calcium ammonium nitrate slightly depresses the concentration of oxalates. Soil nutrients only partly regulate the oxalic acid production. Chloride and other anions can also depress the oxalate synthesis¹⁸.

5.7 Plant Growth Regulators:

Seed germination was increased with the following plant growth regulants: Gibberellin A3 (promoted germination to over 96%), thiourea (promoted germination to over 95%), CEPA [(2-chlorethyl phosphoric acid) increased germination to over 86%], NAA (promoted germination to over 74%).

6. Phytochemical aspects:

In general, plants of the family Chenopodiaceae contain different groups of secondary metabolites of which the most important are alkaloids and coumarins¹⁹, lipids, essential oils^20,21, flavonoids^{22, 23}, sterols and steroidal oestrogen-like substances²⁴.

6.1 Non Polar lipids Composition:

Its non polar lipid composition showed the pronounced amount of linear hydrocarbons such as hexadecane, eicosane, heneicosane, nonacosane, pentatriacontane, tetracontane, and tritetracontane analyzed by High performance thin layer liquid chromatography, capillary and capillary GC-EI-MS²⁵.

6.2 Phenols and Lignins:

C. album Linn is reported to contain phenols and lignins on the basis of spectroscopic data, including two-dimensional NMR analysis namely cinnamic acid, 4-hydroxy-cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, methyl ferulate, sinapic acid, methyl 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propanoate, 4-(1-hydroxyethyl)-2methoxyphenol, vanillyl alcohol, 4-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxyphenol, 4-hydroxy- 3-methoxybenzoic acid, 4-vinylphenol, 4-methylbenzaldehyde, N-[2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]acetamide, pinoresinol, syringaresinol, lariciresinol, 5,5′-dimethoxy-lariciresinol, threo-guaiacylglycerol-β-O-4-syringaresinol ether and two new sesquilignans, namely, threo-guaiacylglycerol-α-O-methyl-β-O-4-syringaresinol ether and threo-syringylglycerol-α-O-methyl-β-O-4-syringaresinol ether²⁶.

6.3 Alkaloids:

Chenoalbicin, a novel cinnamic acid amide alkaloid from C. album was characterized by extensive spectroscopic investigation, especially 1Dimensional and 2Dimensional NMR spectroscopy²⁷.

6.4 Glycosides:

C.album seeds were reported to contain oleanolic acid as glycon and glucose & glucuronic acid as monosaccharide which has the sperm-immobilizing effects.

6.5 Saponins:

Three saponins from the roots of C. album namely calenduloside E, chikusetsusaponin IVa and 3-O-[39-O-(20-O-Glycolyl)-glyoxylyl b-D-glucuronopyranosyl] oleanolic acid were reported²⁹.

6.6 Flavonoids:

Eight flavonoidal compounds were isolated from Chenopodium album linn namely kaempferol-3-O-(4-β-D-xylopyranosyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-α-Lrhamno pyranoside,3-O-(4-β-D-apiofuranosyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, 3,7-di-O-α Lrhamnopyranoside, 3-O-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3,7-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, 3-O-glucosylglucuronide, 3-O-α Lrhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside, 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside³⁰.

7. Pharmacological aspects:

7.1 Sperm immobilizing and Contraceptive action:

Aqueous decoction of C. album seeds was reported to be sperm-immobilizing and contraceptive agent by spermicidal action. It was assessed by a modified Sander–Cramer test and its mode of action was assessed by (a) supravital and double fluoroprobe staining of sperm, (b) hypo osmotic swelling tests and (c) transmission electron microscopy. Contraceptive efficacy was evaluated by intrauterine and vaginal use of C. album decoction in rats and rabbits, respectively, followed by their mating and evaluated pregnancy outcomes. Later they reported that the sperm death mediated by C. album is due to oxidative damage of cellular macromolecules by in situ generation of Reactive oxygen species³¹.

7.2 Anthelmintic action:

In vitro and In vivo anthelmintic potential of Chenopodium album Linn was evaluated by using mature Haemonchus contortus and their eggs in adult motility assay and egg hatch test, respectively in sheep. The results of the studies demonstrated that the plant is having dose and time dependent anthelmintic action³².

7.3 Antipruritic and antinociceptive action:

The ethanolic extract from the fruits of Chenopodium album L. (FCAL) was reported to Possesses antipruritic and antinociceptive activities³³.

8. Impacts on Ecological System:

8.1 Impact on community composition, structure, and interactions:

Plants are reported to be poisonous to sheep and pigs. It is an alternate host for a number of viral diseases of barley, beet, potato, turnip, and tobacco.

8.2 Impact on ecosystem process:

It is unlikely that measurable impacts to ecosystem processes occur due to lambs quarters presence.

9. Biology and Invasive Potential:

9.1 Reproductive potential: A Lambs quarter is an annual that reproduces completely by seeds. Each plant can turn out over 500,000 seeds. Seeds remain feasible in the soil for up to 40 years (Royer and Dickinson 1999).

9.2 Role of disturbance in establishment: Buried seeds germinate on sites that have been re-disturbed several decades after the last human disturbance.

9.3 Potential for long-distance dispersal: Seeds can be carried by wind, but lack morphological adaptations for wind or animal dispersal.

9.4 Potential to be spread by human activity: Lamb’s quarters can contaminate grass and cereal seed. It also can be spread as contaminant of the topsoil and horticultural stock³⁴.

10. CONCLUSION:

C. album has been traditionally used in various disorders like laxative, anthelmintic against round-and hookworms, blood-purifier, antiscorbutic, improving appetite, abdominal pains, eye disorders, throat troubles, piles, and diseases of blood. A close scrutiny of the available literature reveals that only limited pharmacological studies have been carried out while this plant contains a number of important chemical constituents like saponins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds which may be responsible for various kinds of activities. Additionally no work has been carried out for standardization of the plant. This plant can also be exploited for the isolation of bioactive compounds of reported activities. Thus, it can be concluded that this plant may be explored as a important functional food by keeping in view the traditional uses, clinical applications, and cited activities of C. album.

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Received on 03.11.2009 Modified on 10.03.2010

Research J. Pharm. and Tech.3 (4): Oct.-Dec.2010; Page 960-963