N. Arbortristis is a native of India, flourishing wild in sub- Himalayan regions ranges from the chenabs to Nepal, Assam, Burma, Bengal, Central India like Chhatanagpur, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and southwards to Godavari. It is cultivated in many parts of India. It is also planted in Indian gardens for ornamental purposes due to its highly fragrant flowers. Its flowers open at the evening and drops at sunrise. In its natural habitat, it grows gregariously and covers dry deep hillsides and rocky gardens ^2-6.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

Native to Thailand and Indonesia, growing wild in the sub-Himalayan region from the Chenab River to Nepal southwards through Central India to northern Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In its natural habitat it grows gregariously on dry steep hill slides and rocky terrain and is often found in the understorey of dry deciduous forests, sometimes forming dense thickets. It is cultivated in gardens almost throughout India and in many other tropical countries for its flowers, which are valued for making garlands and as votive offerings in temples.

Taxonomical Classification

Kingdom : Plantae

Division : Magnoliophyta

Class : Magnoliopsida

Order : Lamiales

Family : Oleaceae

Genus : Nyctanthes

Species : Arbortristis

Botanical Description

N. Arbortristis is a shrub or small tree up to 10m heights with gray or greenish rough bark with stiff whitish hairs; young branches sharply quadrangular.

Fig 1 Leaf of N. Arbortistis

Leaves

Leaves are opposite, 5 -10 by 2.5 – 6.3 cm, ovate, acute or acuminate, entire or with a few large distant teeth, short bulbous hairs rounded or slightcuneate; main nerves few, conspicuous beneath; petiol 6cm long, hairy.

Flowers

Flowers are small, delightfully fragrant, sessile in pedanculate bracteate fascicles of 3–5; peduncles 4-angled, slender, hairy, auxiliary and solitary and in terminal short trichotomous chymes; bracts broadly ovate or suborbicular, 6- 10 mm long, apiculate, hairy on both sides; Calyx 6-8 mm long, narrowly campanulate, hairy outside, glabrous inside, trunctate or obscurely toothed or lobed, ciliated. Corolla globrous rather more than 13 mm long; tube 6-8 mm long, orange colored, about equaling the limb; lobes white, unequally obcordate, cuneate.

Fig 2 Flower of N. Arbortistis

Fruits

Fruits are acapsule of 1-2 cm diameter, long and broad, obcordate or nearly orbicular, compressed, 2-celled, separating into 2 flat 1-seeded carpels, reticularly veined, glabrous. Seeds are exalbuminous, testa thick; the outer layer of large transparent cells and heavily vascularised ^(2-6).

Fig 3 Various Parts of Nyctanthes arbor- tristis Flower.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY

Different parts of N. Arbortristis are known to possess various ailments by rural mainly tribal people of India (Orissa and Bihar) along with its use in Ayurveda, Sidha and Unani systems of medicines. They have also been investigated for various pharmacological actions. Juice of the leaves is used as digestives ³,antidote to reptile venoms ⁴, mild bitter tonic, laxative, diaphoretic and diuretic ^{2, 4, 6}. Leaves are also used in the enlargement of spleen ⁵. Leaf decoction (one teaspoonful twice a day) is given with honey to cure fever, malaria and blood dysentery by the folk people of Balasore, Orissa ⁷ The tribal people of Orissa use the juice of three to seven leaves as blood purifier to prevent skin infections⁷ . Two ounces of its infusion is useful in fever and rheumatism ^3-7. A decoction of the leaves is a specific for obstinate sciatica ^(3-7)and so given one teaspoonful twice a day for three days to treat body ache in Dhenkanal District of Orissa ⁽⁷⁾ . Upper surface of leaf is used to scratch eczematous patches by the tribal people of Orissa ⁷. Six or seven of the young leaves are rubbed with water and a little fresh ginger and administered in obstinate fever of the intermittent type by the tribal people of Bihar ^4-7 . Leaves are given with honey or sugar mixed with common salt for anthelmintic activity mainly in intestinal worms like round and tape worms mainly in children by the tribal people of Balasore, Orissa ^4-8 . One teaspoonful of leaf decoction with honey is given at bed time as antibilious and expectorant to cure cough by the folk people of Orissa ^6-7 . The extracted leaf juice is acrid and bitter and useful as colagogue andlaxative ^4-7 . The leaves are also used in menorrhea and ulcer ⁸. The powdered seeds are used to cure scurfy affections of scalp ^{4, 6-7} and in piles and skin diseases ⁵ . Traditionally the powdered stem bark is given in rheumatic joint pain, its oil is used for pain in the eye and with Arjuna bark it is rubbed on the body in internal injury ⁵. The bark of the plant is expectiorant ⁶ . About 5 grains of the barks are eaten with betel nut and leaf to promote the expectoration of thick phlegm ^4-7. Bark and flower decoction are usually given in malarial fever ⁷ . Stem bark with Zingiber officinale and Piper longum pounded together and boiled in water. The resultant liquid is taken for two days to treat Malaria by the tribal people of Orissa ⁷. The resulting paste on mixing with the bark with that of Arjuna is rubbed on the body in case of internal injury. It is also used to joint broken bones ⁷ . Its flowers are bitter, astringent, carminative, stomachic and used in ophthalmic purposes ^{2, 4} . The flower juice is used as a tonic to the hair in preventing greying of hairs and baldness ⁷. Decoction of its roots is used in enlargement of spleen ⁵ . Its roots are traditionally used as anthelmintics ⁷ and barks as antidysentric and antidiarrhoeals ⁸ . The corolla tubes are formerly used to dyeing silk ⁽⁶⁾ . The woods form a batten base for tile or grass thatch of the roofs. Young branches are used for making baskets. The bark of the tree may be used as a tanning material and leaves for polishing wood and ivory ⁶ .

PHYTOCHEMICAL REVIEW

R. Kiew and P. Baas showed that leaves of N. Arbortristis contain an alkaloidal principle named nyctanthine, they also contain mannitol, astringent principles, resinous substances, ascorbic acid, alkaloids (nyctanthin), coloring matters, sugar and traces of an oilysubstance, tannic acid, methyl salicylate, carotene, an amorphous resin and trace of volatile oil. Seed kernels yield 12-16% of the pale yellow brown fixed oil, which consists of contain fixed oil containing glucosides of linoleic, oleic, lignoceric, stearic, palmitic acid and -sitosterol ^4-9.

Wealth of India, A Dictionary tells that on keeping the oil several weeks at 0o, a tetracyclic triterpenoid acid named nyctanthic acid is deposited ⁶ .

R.D. Girach et. al. showed that flowers contain essential oils, coloring matter (nyctanthin), mannitol, tannin and glucose. Its roots are composed of alkaloids, tannins and glucosides ^4-8 . The bark contains a glycoside and two alkaloids, one soluble in water and the other in chloroform. The glycoside increase the amplitude of the frog’s heart in small doses, but in large doses diastolic period is decreased till the heart stops with A-V block, it also depresses the CNS. The water soluble alkaloid stimulates the ciliary motility of oesophagus; the chloroform soluble alkaloid has no such

action ⁶.

Nyctoside A

The plant is mainly investigated for flavoniods and iridoid glucosides. Desrhamnosylverbascoside was reported to be present in the leaves by V. Mathuram, R.B. Rao in NMR studies. ⁹.

V. Srivastava et. al. showed presence of new benzoic esters of loganin and 6e-hydroxy loganin ¹⁰ were found to be present in its leaves.

A minor glucoside Arborside D was found out in the leaves of N. Arbortristis and assigned as 10-benzoyl nyctanthoside by K.L. Singh, R. Roy, V. Srivastava and J.S. Tandon ¹¹ .

Stuppner, E.P. Muller isolsted from the leaves of N. Arbortristis, two iridoid glycosides, 6,7-di-O-benzoyl nyctanthoside and 6-Otrans- cinnamoyl-6e- hydroxyloganin have been isolated along with the previously reported iridoid, 7-o-trans-cinnamoyl-6e- hydroxyloganin ¹² . Iridoid glucosides along with nyctanthic acid, oleanolic acid, friedelin, e-sitosterol glucoside, 6 e- hydroxy loganin and arbortristoside- A ¹³ , B ^{14, 15}, C ^14,16 have been proved to be present in its seeds. Prophylactic treatment with the ethanol extracts of the leaves, seeds and roots of N. Arbortristis provided significant protection to swiss mice against Candidia albicans systemic infection.

Z.K. Khan et. al. found that the protective effect of these extracts may possibly due to the stong stimulatory acrivity of arbortristoside-A and C elicited by significant increase in humoral and delayed type hypertensitivity response to sheep red blood cells and macrophage migration index in mouse ¹⁴ .

Arbortristoside-A and C showed significant inhibition of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in a dose dependent manner which proved to be due to its mast cell stabilizing activity ¹⁶ . This fact was reported by P.P. Gupta, R.C. Srimal. Arbortristoside-A, B and C and 6e-hydroxyloganin isolated from the seeds showed antileishmanial activity both in-vitro (against amastigotes and macrophage cultures) and in-vivo (in hamsters) test systems ¹⁷ .

Phytochemical examination of the stem of N. Arbortristis by J.S. Tandon, V. Srivastava and P.Y. Guru resulted in the isolation and identification of e-sitosterol a new glycoside naringenin-4’-O- e-glucopyranosyl-Z-xylopyranoside ¹⁷ . A phenyl propanoid glycoside, nyctoside-A ¹⁸ , water soluble glucomannan ¹⁹ was found in its seeds. After extracting the polysaccharides from its seeds and then acid hydrolysis of fully methylated polysaccharides gave 2,3,4,6-tetra and 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-Dglucose along with 2,3,6-tri and 2,3,-di-O-methyl- D-mannose Two iridoids having trans-cinnamoyl and benzoyl ester groups respectively at C-7 in stead of p-methoxy cinnamoyl ester groups in arbortristoside A were found from the seeds of this plant by M. Venkatanarasimhan ²¹ .

Its flowers have been investigated for anthrocyanin ²² . The chloroform extract and the isolated compound (NCS-2) from its flowers were found to have larvicidal activity against common filarial vector, Culex quinquefasciatus. The results were also showed that the late instar larvae were more resistant to the extracts than the early instars ²³ . The potential cytotoxic effect of a new benzifuran derivative, 4-hydroxy hexahydrobenzofuran-7-one isolated from its flowers was evaluated on Ehrlich Ascite

Cacinoma cells in swiss albino mice. The compound inhibited the cell growth by 43.27% only and found to have no significant cytotoxic effect on mice. A new benzofuran (3-3a- ,7, 7a-tetrahydro 3a-hydroxy-6 (2H) benzofuran) has been reported to be present in its flowers and found to have significant antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria.

The LD50 value of the compound was found to be 8.73 mg/kg in brine shrimp lethality bioassay was established by N.A. Khatune, M.E. Islam, M.A.A. Rahman ²⁴ .

The ethanol extract from the flowers of this plant was fractionated to isolate an antiplasmodial cyclohexylethanoid, rengyolone; a new iridoid glucoside, 6-o-trans-cinnamoyl-7-oacetyl- 6e- hydroxyloganin; and three known iridoid glucosides, arborside C, 6e- hydroxyloganin and nyctanthoside.

Rengyolone and its acetate derivative exhibited antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum which was proved by K.R. Khandelwal et. al. ²⁶ .

Except these 6e- hydroxyloganin, nyctanthoside, arborside-C and Isoarborside-C were also identified in the flowers of N. Arbortristis ²⁹. The ethannolic extracts, various fractions and two pure compounds (arbortristoside A and C) isolated from N. Arbortristis were tested against Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and Semliki Forest virus (SFV). Pronounced in-vitro antiviral activity was observed with the ethanolic and nbutanol fractions as well as with arbortristoside A and C. The ethanolic extracts and n-butanol fraction protected EMCV and SFV infected mice a daily dose of 125 mg/kg body weight ³¹. The ethanolic extracts and the isolated carotinoid from the extract of N. Arbortristis inhibited carrageenan induced rat paw edema significantly.

PHARMACOLOGICAL REVIEW

The claimed traditional medicinal uses have been proved on scientific basis using in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. The ethanolic, aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of the leaves were established for antibacterial activity against both antibiotic resistant and nonresistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus ²⁶ .

The water soluble portion of the alcoholic extract of the leaves was found to have antihistaminic activity by Saxena et. al. ^27-28 .

The water soluble portion of the ethanolic extract of the leaves was investigated for some CNS activities (viz. hypnotic, tranquillizing, local anesthetics). The extract produced general depression of spontaneous motor activity and significantly increased pentobarbitone induced sleeping time ^27-12 . Moreover the extract exhibited hypothermia effect and significant purgative activity.

Ratnasooriya et al., have taken an attempt to establish the sedative effect of hot flower infusion of Nyctanthes arbortristis on rats.

The results showed sedation in rats, which was due to antioxidant and membrane stabilizing effect reported by W.D. Ratnasooriya, W.D. Jayakody, A.D.I. Hettiarachchi and M.G.Dharmasir³⁰ . Deshmukh and Juvekar screened anxiolytic, antistress and nootropic activity of the methanolic extract of the leaves. The results of this study showed that the treatment with the extract ameliorated the stress induced variations in the biochemical levels of corticosterone, glucose, triglycerides, dopamine, 5-HT and norepinephrine. From which it was concluded that a significant anxiolytic, antistress and nootropic activity with utility in oxidative cognitive impairment due to its antioxidant potential ³¹ . Fresh juice of the leaves is proved to have antimalarial activity by Badam et al. and Aminudin et al. ^32-33 . Anti-inflammatory activity of the alcoholic extracts of the leaves, flowers, stem and fruits were studied on carrageenan induced rat paw edema model. All the extracts showed significant anti-inflammatory activity ^(34-37). The water nsoluble fraction of its leaves inhibited the acute inflammatory edema produced by different phlogistic agents viz. carrageenan, formaline, histamine, 5-HT and hyaluronidase. It also inhibited the inflammatory swelling in the knee joint of rats induced by turpentine oil. In subacute models, it was found to check granulation tissue formation significantly in the granuloma pouch and cotton pellet test. Acute and chronic phases of formaldehyde induced arthritis were significantly inhibited. It was also found to inhibit the inflammation produced by immunological methods ³³ .

Saxena et al., investigated the analgesic, antipyretic and ulcerogenic activity of N. Arbortristis leaf extract and observed to have significant analgesic and antipyretic activity. It was also found to produce gastric ulcers following oral administration for six

consecutive days in rats ³⁴.

Gyanchandrani et al., reported that arbortristosides from its leaves modulate murine peritoneal macrophages and intracellular killing of Candidia albicans ³⁴ . Strong stimulation of antigen specific and nonspecific immunity by increases in humoral and delayed typehypersensitivity response to sheep red blood cells and inmacrophase migration index has been demonstrated in mice fed with 50% ethanol extracts of seeds, flowers and leaves of this plant. Maximum activity was found in the seeds in which

the active principles appear to be mainly associated with lipids ³⁴ . Oral administration of the water soluble portion of the ethanolic extract of its leaves in mice showed consistent depletion of factor- Z (TNF-Z) in the plasma of soluble protein A treated mice and interferon-b level without affecting IgM and IgG levels from the host plasma ³⁵ . Gupta et al. screened the alcoholic extract of its seeds, leaves and roots for antiallergic activity and found to have significant effect ¹⁷ . Its antifungal activity of the leaves was established against Alternaria alternata ²² . The antifungal activity of the extracts is evident from their inhibitory effects on mycelial growth of dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi ²³ . The aqueous extracts of the leaves and seeds were proved to have antihepatotoxic activity against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity ²² .

Hukkeri et al., established that the alcoholic and aqueous extracts showed significant hepatoprotective activity by reducing the levels of SGPT, SGOT and serum bilirubin (total and direct). The results were supported by histopathological studies of liver samples which showed regeneration of hepatocytes by the extracts ⁸ . An attempt had been made to evaluate the antitrypanosomial activity of 50% ethanol extract of its leaves and found to possess significant activity ⁸. Methanolic extract of the leaves was reported to possess anti-influenza activity by Rajbhandari et al ⁹ . Aqueous extract of the leaves was observed to possess antiedema activity by Thane et al ²⁰ . Alcoholic extract of the leaves was reported to prevent the accumulation of Tumor necrosis factor-Z in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The extract was also effective against silica induced early fibrinogenesis reaction like congetio, edema and infiltration of nuclear cells in the intestinal alveolar spaces and thickening of alveolar septa in mouse lungs. This was concluded that the leaf extract of N. Arbortristis helps in bypassing silica induced fibrinogenesis of lungs of mice ²¹ . The 50% ethanolic extracts of the leaves, seeds, flowers and stem of N. Arbortristis showed promising effect in clearing Entamoeba histolytica infections in the caecum of rats ³² . The methanol extract of N. Arbortristis stem bark was evaluated for antispermatogenic activity in male albino rats.

The treatment resulted in impairment of testicular function and affects on the spermatogenesis with the changes in structural activity of Sertoli cell and leybig cell in rats ⁵³ .Osteoinductive property of the aqueous suspension of the Parijata roots was reported by Kumar et al ³⁴ . The ethanolic extracts, different fractions and the pure compound from N. Arbortristis L were tested against Encephalomyocarditis virus and Semliki Forest virus. The results showed pronounced in vitro virus inhibitory activity

with ethanolic extract and n-butanol fraction as well as pure compounds, arbortristiside-A and arbortristiside-C. Ethanolic extracts and n-butanol fraction protected viral infected mice at a daily dose of 15 mg/kg body weight ²⁵ . The acetonesoluble fraction of its ethyl acetate extract showed impressive antioxidant activity as revealed by several in vitro experiments, e.g., DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, as well as H2O2 scavenging assays. Moreover, its preventive capacity against Fe (II)-induced lipid peroxidation of liposomes and b-ray-induced DNA damage also confirmed this. The strong reducing power and high phenolics and flavonoids contents could be responsible for the antioxidant activity ⁵⁶ .

THERAPEUTIC USES

The leaves are considered antibilious and expectorant. These are useful for treating fevers and rheumatism. The young leaves when rubbed with ginger and water are useful for relief of intermittent fever. A decoction of the leaves, prepared over gentle fire, is prescribed for sciatica and malaria among the kondhs of southwestern Orissa, and as a blood purifier (in skin disease) and febrifuge among the tribal inhabitants of southern Bihar. The expressed leaf juice is acrid and bitter. The juice is used as a cholagogue, laxative, diaphoretic and diuretic.

The leaf paste is used as an external application to treat ringworm, scabies and eczema among the rural inhabitants of Bhavnagar district of Gujarat and in southern western Bengal. Mixed with honey, the fresh leaf juice is taken to relieve chronic fever, and mixed with sugar it is given to children for expulsion of intestinal threadworms and roundworms The bark is used as an expectorant by residents of Konkan (coastal districts of Maharashtra) and in Ayurvedic practice.

A decoction of the bark, leaves, roots and flowers are used in Ayurveda for treating excessive diuresis and enlargement of spleen. The powdered seeds are used as an application to relieve dandruff. Among the tribal inhabitants of eastern Bihar, the seed paste is applied for baldness; mixed with honey, the powdered seeds are given in the treatment of malaria¹⁹. The leaves are bitter, acrid, thermogenic, antibacterial, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, digestive, anthelmentic, depurative, sudarific, diuretic and tonic. These are used in vitiated conditions of kapha and vata, inflammation, dyspepsia, asthama, cough, pruritis, helminthiasis, dermatophy, constipation, hepatopathy, haemorhoids, greyness of hair and baldness. Leaves are also used as an antidote to reptile venoms. About 5 grains of the bark are eaten with betel nut and leaf to promote expectoration of thick phlegm.

Although the English name of Parijat is ‘Tree of Sorrow’ but for the natives and traditional healers of Chhattisgarh it is a ‘Tree of Joy’. For them it is a valuable medicinal as well as ornamental plant. The natives have rich traditional medicinal knowledge about Parijat and they use this herb very frequently in the treatment of many diseases.

Parijat is an integral component of home gardens in Chhattisgarh. It is common belief among the natives that the presence of this herb in the home gardens keeps the family tension free. The natives also plant this herb to reduce the harmful effects of Mango tree in home gardens.

The natives use fragrant flowers in many ways. The flowers are strung and worn as half ornaments and necklaces. It is having an industrial use also. An orange colored dye, obtained from the flowers, is used for coloring silk and cotton. The natives use the flowers in their daily bath by adding fresh flowers in water. The use of flowers for bath, keeps the skin smooth and free from all troubles. It is also considered good for hair growth.

The natives of Chhattisgarh are aware of medicinal uses of all parts of Parijat. They use the seeds in treatment of Bavasir (Piles). Daily one seed with water is recommended for treatment. This treatment is continued upto complete cure. The seeds are crushed and aqueous paste is prepared. In treatment of gout, the natives use the decoction of Parijat flowers. This decoction is given upto one week during the time of attack.

The natives of Sarguja region use the leaves of Parijat juice with honey internally for the treatment of dry cough. The aqueous paste of leaves is used externally in treatment of skin related troubles specifically in the treatment of ringworms. The natives of Bastar region prepare special herbal oil by boiling fresh leaves in Sarson (Mustard) oil and use it externally in treatment of same troubles.

The natives of Chhattisgarh plains use the leaf juice with common salt in treatment of intestinal worms. According to them seven regular doses (once in a day) can flush out all the worms effectively. The young leaves of Parijat are used as female tonic. The patients having gynaecological troubles are advised to take three fresh leaves of Parijat with five Black Pepper (Kali Mirch). This combination is recommended upto three days in a month.

The natives of Bagbahera region use the decoction of Parijat seeds as hair tonic and wash the hairs daily in order to get rid from dandruff and lice²¹.

The natives of Durg region specifically from Patan region use the leaf juice as a safe purgative for infants and they also use it with combination with other herbs in treatment of chronic fevers.

The flowers are bitter, astringent, stomachic, carminative, trichogenous and are useful in the inflammations, opthalmopathy, flatulence, colic, dyspepsia, splenomegaly, greyness of hair and baldness²⁰.

CONCLUSION

The plant N. Arbortristis is one of the most important sources of medicinally important phytochemicals widely experimented by scientists. So far most of the scientific works have been conducted on the leaves and seeds of N. Arbortristis plant although there are reports about using bark powder and root extract in folk medicine. From these studies it reveals that the main active constituents in those plant parts are 6e- hydroxyloganin, propanoid lucosides (nyctoside- A), iridoid glucosides (arbortristoside-A, B and C0 along with other glucosides like arborside-C, arborside-D and isoorside-C. The main initiation to such a huge number of investigations on this plant came from Ethnopharmacology where a number of uses of all the parts of this plant have been sited. So far major uses have been found on the extracts of leaves of N. Arbortristis which include from bitter tonic to digestive, laxative, diaphoretic, diuretic, in spleen enlargement, to cure malarial fever, blood dysentery, blood purifier, obstinate sciatica, body ache, anthelmintic, expectorant, menorrhea, ulcer even as antidote to reptile venom. Powdered seeds have been i9n use to cure scurfy affection of scalp and in piles and skin diseases. Powdered stem bark are used traditionally in rheumatic joint pain and internal injury. The bark is also used as expectorant along with other adjuvants. The flowers as such are bitter, astringent, carminative, stomachic and so used in some of the ophthalmic purposes. The juice of theflowers is used to prevent graying of hairs and baldness.

The reason for the recent scientific work on the leaves of this native plant may be due to presence of number varied chemical constituents right from alkaloids to resinous substances, sugars, ascorbic acid, traces of oily substances, coloring matter, tannic acid, methyl salicylate, carotene and traces of volatile oil. Seed kernels are reported to yield 16%of the pale yellow fixed oil which is glucosides of linoleic, oleic, lignoseric, stearic, palmitic acids along with e- sitosterol. The flowers contain essential oils, coloring matter (nyctantthin), mannitol, tannins and glucosides, while the barks contain alkaloids and glucosides mainly. The major pharmacological works worth mentioning on the various chemicals like iridoid glucosides and alkaloids. Pharmacological properties of the plant parts have been studied from different perspectives like amoebicidal, antifubgal, anthelmintic, antitrypanosomal to antidepressant, antiviral, immunomodulatory to antidepressant, tranquillizing, antiedematous and anti-inflammatory. Of all these activities, by far the most potent one may be the anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf extracts. Thus it is worthwhile to reveal the mechanism of action of the phytochemicals present in the leaves in order to disclose it as a potent medicinal agent.

From the above study it is revealed that the leaves of the plant Nyctanthes Arbotristis are extensively exhausted for the study purpose but there is need to pay attention on the flowers and stem.

REFERENCES

1. a.) D. Sasmal et. al. Phytoconstituents and therapeutic potential of nyctanthes, Journal of Pharmacognosy Review. 2007;1(2). 344-349

b)Evans WC, Trease and Evans’ Pharmacognosy, (W.B. Saunders Company, Singapore, 2002), p 1.

2. Kiew R. and Baas. P. Nyctanthes is a member of Oleaceae. Proc. Indian Acad. Sc. (Plant Sc.). 93(3): 349-358 (1984).

3. Varier PS et. al. Indian Medicinal Plants, Vol.IV, (Orient Longman Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, 1995) p. 149.

4. Nadkarni AK et. al., Indian Materia Medica (Dr. K.M. Nadkarni’s), Vol.I, 3rd ed. (Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., 1982) pp. 857-858.

5. Kirtikar KR and Basu BD, Indian Medicinal Plants, Vol.VII, (Sri Satguru Publications, New Delhi, 2000) pp. 2110-2113.

6. Wealth of India, A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products, Vol.VII, (National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR,New Delhi, 1997) pp. 69-70.

7. Girach RD et. al., Aminuddin, Ethnomedicinal studies on Harsinghar (Nyctanthes arbortristis L)- A less known medicinal plant in Unani medicine. Hamdard Med. 37(2): 60-66 1994).

8. Jain SK et. al. , Dictionary of Indian Folk Medicines and Ethnobotany, (Deep Publications, 1991) p. 132.

9. Mathuram V et. al., Occurrence of Desrhamnosylverbascoside in Nyctanthes arbortristis and NMR studies of its acetate. Indian J.Chem. Soc. 71: 215-217 (1994).

10. Srivastava V et. al. ,New benzoic esters of loganin and 6_-hydroxy loganin from Nyctanthes arbortristis, J. Nat. Prod. 53(2): 303-08 (1990).

11. Singh KL, Arborside D, a minor iridoid glucoside from Nyctanthes arbortristis. J.Nat. Prod. 58(10): 1562-64 (1995). H.

12. Muller EP et. al., Iridoid glucosides from Nyctanthes arbortristis. Phytochemistry. 32(2): 375-78 (1993).

13. Rathore A et. al.,. An iridoid glucoside from Nyctanthes arbortristis. Phytochemistry. 28(7): 1913-1917 (1989).

14. Khan ZK et. al., Immunomodulatory effect of plant extracts and Iridoid glucosides from Nyctanthes arbortristis against systemic candidiasis in mice. Int. J. Pharmacog. 33(4): 297-304 (1995).

15. Purushothaman KK et. al., Arbortristoside A and B, two iridoid glucosides from Nyctanthes arbortristis. Phytochemistry. 24(4): 773-776, (1985).

16. Gupta PP et. al. Antiallergic activity of arbortristosides from Nyctanthes arbortristis. Indian J. Pharmacog. 33(1): 70-72 (1995).

17. Tandon JS et. al., A new class of leishmanicidal agents from Nyctanthes arbortristis. J. Nat. Prod. 54(4): 1102-04 (1991).

18. Mathuram V et. al., A Phenyl propanoid glycoside from Nyctanthes arbortristis. J. Indian Chem. Soc. 74: 653-55 (1997).

19. Singh BR et. al.. Structural study of water soluble glucomannan from Nyctanthes arbortristis seeds. Pol. J. Chem. 65(2-30): 353-59 (1991).

20. Singh BR et. al.. Structure of non-ionic seeds polysaccharide from Nyctanthes arbortristis. Acta Ciencia Indica. 18(1): 57-60 (1992).

21. Venkatanarasimhan M et. al., Occurrence of two new esters of 6_-hydroxyloganin in Nyctanthes arbortristis . J. Indian Chem. Soc. 68: 581-84 (1991).

22. JS Chauhan A new glycosides from Nyctanthes arbortristis. J. Indian Chem. Soc., 55, 1049-51 (1978).

23. Khatune NA et. al. Laboratory evaluation of Nyctanthes arbortristis L, flower extract and its isolated compound against common filarial vector, Culex quinquefasciatus say (Diptera : culicidae) Larvae. Pakistan J. Biol. Sc. 4(5): 585 (2001).

24. Khatune NA. et. al. In vivo cytotoxic evaluation of a new benzofurane derivative isolated from Nyctanthes arbortristis L. on Ehrlich Aschite Carcinoma Cells (EAC) on mice. J. Med. Sc. 3(2): 169-173 (2003).

25. Khatune NA et. al., A benzofuranone from the flowers of Nyctanthes arbortristis and its antibacterial and cytotoxic activities. Dhaka Univ. J. Pharma. Sc. 4(1): 102 (2005).

26. Khandelwal KR et. al., Antibacterial acivity of the leaves of Nyctanthes arbortristis Linn. Indian J. Nat. Prod. 15: 18-20 (1999).

27. Singh RC et. al. On some more Pharmacological properties of Nyctanthes arbortristis Linn.- the plant known for anti-inflammatory actions. Indian J. of Pharmacol., 16(1): 47(1984).

28. Saxena, RS et. al. Tranquillizing, antihistaminic and purgative activity of Nyctanthes arbortristis leaf extract. J. Ethnopharmacol. 81(3): 321-325 (2002).

29. Saxena RS et. al. ,. Hypnotic and tranquillizing activities of Nyctanthes arbortristis. Conference of Pharmacol. Symp. Herb.Drugs. 19: (1991).

30. Ratnasooriya WD et. al.,. Sedative effects of hot flower infusions of Nyctanthes arbortristis on rats. Pharma. Biol. 43(2): 140-146 (2005).

31. Deshmukh VK and Juvekar AR. Antianxiety and nootropic activity of Nyctanthes arbortristis leaves. Planta Medica, 72 (2006).

32. Badam L et. al., In vitro, Antimalarial activity of fresh leaf juice of Nyctanthes arbortristis Linn. In vitro, Indian J. Parasit. 11(1): 13-17 (1987).

33. Aminuddin treatment of malaria through herbal drugs from Orissa, India. Fitoterapia. 64(6): 545-548 (1993).

34. Patel UM, et. al.. Anti-inflammatory activity of Nyctanthes arbortristis. Indian J. Nat. Prod, 15: 18-20 (1999).

35. Saxena RS, et. al.. Study of anti inflammatory activity in the leaves of Nyctanthes arbortristis Linn.-an Indian medicinal plant. J. Ethnopharmacol. 11: 319-330 (1984).

Received on 26.03.2009

Accepted on 10.08.2009

Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 1(2): Sept. - Oct. 2009, 91-97