INTRODUCTION:

Coscinium fenestratum (Gaertn.) Colebr is a woody climbing shrub belonging to the family Menispermaceae.^{1, 2} is a critically endangered dioecious medicinal liana distributed in Western Ghats (frequently in the high rainfall wet and moist evergreen, semi-evergreen and semi-deciduous forests at the altitude of 500-750 m), Tamilnadu and Kerala in India. ³ It is generally known as tree turmeric in English, Daruharidra in Sanskrit and maramanjal in Malayalam. It takes at least 15 years for the plant to flower and fruit. The Dried stem and root part of the plant are used as crude drugs. It is a large dioecious liana up to 10 m long, with yellow wood and sap. Wood is externally yellowish-brown in colour and yellow internally. The drug usually occurs in large woody, cylindrical, straight pieces, occasionally as much as 10 cm in diameter. ⁴The stem and root slices are rigid and timbered. The stem is 15 to 30 cm. or more in length, 2 to 8 cm. in diameter, straight or rarely slightly twisted, pale grey or greyish yellow with a quite smooth surface, marked with longitudinal striations spaced about a mm spaced out, cut surface is yellowish-green to yellow in colour showing wedge shaped areas, fissured with thin vertical slits of varying length; texture hard, acrid in taste.

Root is 5 to 30 cm or more in length, 2 to 5 cm. in diameter, fairly longitudinally grooved with transversely cut smooth surface, yellow; rough and fibrous texture; acrid in taste; no particular odour. The flowers are yellow in divaricately branched unisexual in supra axillary inflorescence, fruits globose drupes, globose seeds, leaves simple, shiny and smooth above, minutely tomentose beneath. The flowers grow during November-December.^{5, 6}

It is one of most significant medicinal plant of our traditional system of medicine and also having a good status in current research and drug system. It is the source of important isoquinoline alkaloids (berberine, palmatine, tetrahydropalmatine crebanine, jatrorhizine, etc.). Among these, berberine has been reported to be the major and active constituent having numerous biological activities.^{7, 8, 9}Several valuable pharmacological activities have been proved for the alkaloids of Coscinium fenestratum. The stem of the plant is used in curing a number of diseases and disorders like diabetes, wounds and ulcers, fever, jaundice, snake bite, piles etc in ethnomedicine. ¹⁰The various solvent extracts of the plant were reported to have antifungal, antiyeast, antibacterial, hypotensive and antiproliferative, Anti-hepatotoxic, antipyretic, dressing wounds, antiulcer, jaundice, antidiabetic, Antioxidant, cytotoxic activities.⁷ The Root of this plant is used as stomachic, diuretic, hypotensive, antidysenteric, antibacterial, antifungal, bitter tonic in dyspepsia and debility. As a consequence the plant has been exploited from the forests, even before flowering and fruiting and its natural population is declining thus making it an endangered species.⁶

This review gives light into the various research aspects undertaken in the past and present for this plant in the area of phytochemistry, pharmacology with its medicinal, ethnobotanical and other uses.

CHEMISTRY:

A variety of constituents have been isolated from Coscinium fenestratum and their structures were elucidated. They belongs to different classes of alkaloids , a total of 32 compounds, including 2 benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, 3 aporphine alkaloids, 12 quaternary protoberberine alkaloids, 10 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, 3 tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids, some minor alkaloid as well as ceryl-alcohol, saponin, hentriacontane, sitosterol glucoside, palmitic acid, oleic acid. Stems of Coscinium fenestratum from Thailand furnished the new protoberberine alkaloids. The active principle of this plant was identified as berberine^{11, 12}(C20H18NO4Cl), an isoquinoline alkaloid. Berberine is present in both vegetative and reproductive parts, indicating that berberine is synthesized in every part of the plant (young root = 0.15%, young stem = 0.10%, petiole = 0.11%, leaf lamina = 0.037%, male flower = 0.02%, female flower = 0.026%, fruit = 0.001%, older part of root (3.1 cm diameter) = 1.65% and older part of stem (6.2 cm diameter) = 1.775% of dry wt., unpublished data).¹³Wood and root of C. fenestratum have some other isoquinoline alkaloids such as palmatine, tetrahydropalmatine, crebanine and jatrorhizine.¹⁴

A widespread use in various geographic regions needs standardization of the raw materials and extracts of C. fenestratum. Quantitative analysis of berberine was done in the extracts from stem and roots pieces by HPLC, TLC identity test, TLC fingerprints and TLC-densitometric method.⁷ Maceration with 80% ethanol gave the highest content of berberine in the extract. An enzyme tetrahydro berberine oxidase (THB) involved in final step of berberine biosynthesis, has been partially purified from the plant tissue and cell cultures. Supplementation of copper sulphate in the production medium also showed increased activity of the enzyme along with increase in berberine production.¹⁵ This information is helpful as a management for setting a specification of raw materials and extracts of C. fenestratum for pharmaceutical preparations.

MEDICINAL ACTIVITIES:

It is used in over 62 ayurvedic preparations like Aswagandharishtam, Khadirarishtam, Anuthailam, Katakakhadiradi kashayam, Elaneer kuzhampu, Mahapanchagavyam etc. ²³The stem of coscinium fenestrtum have more medicinal values. The literature survey revealed that the stem is bitter, thermogenic, ophthalmic, anodyne, antiinflammatory, depurative, stomachic, antiseptic, febrifuge, sudorific and tonic useful in vitiated conditions of kapha, vita, inflammation, wounds, ulcer, skin diseases, abdominal disorders, jaundice, diabetes. ²⁴Decotion of stem is used for snack bite. The ethanolic extract exhibit hypotensive, diuretic, antibacterial, anti fungal activities. The roots are used in dysentry, debility. The aqueous extracts have exhibited inhibitory action of clostridium tetani.

Wound Healing Activity:

The wound healing activity of Coscinium fenestratum was evaluated for its wound healing potential in two types of experimentally induced in wound models in albino rats excision wound model and incision wound model. The results suggested that Ethanol extract of Coscinium fenestratum was examined in the form of 5% w/w extract and 10% w/w extract in the excision wound extracted on the dorsal side of the experimental animals, the 10% w/w extract ointment showed considerable difference in wound models and the result were compatible to that of the standard drug povidone iodine (5% w/w) in terms of wound contracting ability, epithelisation period and tensile strength.²⁵

Hypotensive action:

A 50% ethanol extract of Coscinium fenestratum stem material (AECF) has been found to possess hypotensive action in anaesthetised dogs, rats and guinea pigs in a dose-related pattern. The fall in blood pressure was not modified by alpha and beta adrenergic blockers, cholinergic and histaminergic antagonists or by ganglion blocking agents. The effect was more pronounced in spinal-transected animals. AECF non-specifically inhibited the presser responses to epinephrine, norepinephrine, DMPP and depressor responses to acetylcholine and histamine. ²⁶

Antigonococcal activity:

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD), is still one of the major health problems worldwide in both men and women. Among many medicinal plants Coscinium fenestratum extract showed the most effective activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226 with MIC value of 47.39 μg/ml. Bioautographic assay revealed that berberine was the active compound of Coscinium fenestratum against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The average MIC values of purified berberine against Neisseria gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226 and 11 clinical isolates were 13.51 and 17.66 μg/ml, respectively. There was no acute toxicity detected at the dose of 5 g of Coscinium fenestratum crude extract per kilogram. ²⁷

Anti-hyperglycemic activity:

C. fenestratum ethanolic extract exerted anti-hyperglycemic activity by stimulating insulin secretion and a-glucosidase inhibition.In oral glucose, maltose and sucrose loading tests, the extract (250 - 1,000 mg/kg) significantly decreased plasma glucose concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. The extract (1,000 mg/kg) was most effective in decreasing plasma glucose concentrations and the response was closed to those of glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) and acarbose (3 mg/kg). In perfused rat pancreas, the extract (10 µg/ml) stimulated insulin secretion in a biphasic pattern. However, the berberine at the same dose as the extract slightly increased insulin secretion by 1.33-fold over the basal control group. ²⁸

Table 1: Chemical constituents of Coscinium fenestratum

Types of chemical constituents	Active principle	Part in which mainly present
Major Alkaloids	Berberine(I)^16, ¹¹, protoberberine [protoberberine alkaloids, oxypalmatine ¹⁷ (II), (−)-8- oxotetrahydrothalifendine (III)¹⁸, isocorypalmine (IV) and either (−)thaicanine (V)or (−)-8-oxo-3-hydroxy-2,4, 9,10-tetramethoxyberbine] and jatrorrhizine (VI)¹⁹, palmatine (VII)^{16, 19}, tetrahydropalmatine, magnoflorine(VIII)¹⁶, berberrubine (IX)²⁰, thalifendine(X),²⁰oxyberberine (XI)²¹ (I) (II) (III) (IV) (V) (VI) (VII) (VIII) (IX) (X) (XI)	stem root
Minor Alkaloids	12,13-dihydro-8-oxo-berberine, 5,6,13,13a-tetrahydro-9,10-dimethoxydibenzo(a,g)1,3-benzodioxolo(5,6a)quinalizine-8-one, tetrahydroberberine (canadine) (XII)²³, N,N-dimethyllindacarpine, -8-oxo-3-hydroxy-2,4,9,10-tetramethoxyberberine, Berlambine (XIII), dihydroberlambine and noroxyhydrastinine(XIV)²² (XII) (XIII) (XIV)	stem root
Miscellaneous	ceryl-alcohol, saponin, hentriacontane, sitosterol glucoside, palmitic acid, oleic acid,	Stem and root

Antiacne:

Acne is a common disorder of pilosebaceous follicle Modern acne therapy which includes comedolytic agents, antibiotics and various anti-inflammatory agents has many side effects due to prolonged therapy. Excessive and prolonged use of antibiotics has lead to the development of resistance in acne causing bacteria, viz , Propionibacterium acne and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Coscinium fenestratum (Wood turmeric), and Quercus infectoria (Nut galls), were chosen based on their antibacterial activity against other Gram+ve and Gram-ve bacteria. Coscinium fenestratum was found to be effective against S. epidermidis and Quercus infectoria showed good activity against P. acne. ²⁹

Anti-Cancer activity:

The methanol extract of C. fenestratum showed the most cytotoxic activity, and contained a major compound of berberine with 3.68%. Cytotoxic screening of berberine against ten cancer cell lines and one normal cell (PMBC) showed the most cytotoxic activity against HL-60 leukemia cells with an IC50 of 1.41 0.7 μg/mL. The selective index (SI) value of berberine against HL-60 cells and PBMC cells were 0.142, indicating the selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells. Berberine, the effective compound from C. fenestratum, appears to possess anticancer potential. ³⁰

Neurotoxicity:

The plant alcoholic extract at dosages of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg BW for 14 days increased the rats body weight and decreased the neuron density in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum. The plant extract significantly increased stereotyped behavior in licking but did not cause anxiolytic activity, anti-depression, sensory motor co-ordination impairment and ataxia. It is concluded that the plant possesses neurotoxicity and is able to induce neurobehavioral changes in rats. ³¹

Antioxidant activity:

Antioxidant effect of methanol extract of Coscinium fenestratum stem powder was examined using carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated rat liver as the experimental model. They were treated with the methanol extract for 90 days (daily, orally at the dose of 60 mg/kg body weight). Lipid peroxidation in carbon tetrachloride administered rats was evidenced by a clear elevation in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and diene conjugates, and also a reflective decrease in glutathione content in the liver. Rats co administered with the methanol extract retained an approximately normal level of these constituents and the decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase revealed the effectiveness of Coscinium fenestratum in combating oxidative stress due to hepatic damage. ³²

Anti-hepatotoxic activity:

Anti-hepatotoxic activity of methanol extract of Coscinium fenestratum stem (MEC) was investigated against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatopathy in rats. Hepatotoxic rats were treated with MEC for a period of 90 days (60mg/kg body weight, daily, orally by intubation). Anti-hepatotoxic effect was studied by assaying the activities of serum marker enzymes in liver. The activities of all the marker enzymes like aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, lactate dehydrogenase etc. and glucose (6) phosphate dehydrogenase registered a significant elevation in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats, which were significantly recovered towards an almost normal level in animals co administered with MEC.³³

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Received on 01.12.2011 Modified on 20.12.2011

Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 5(2): Feb. 2012; Page 198-202