INTRODUCTION:

Zanthoxylum alatum is a hardy, deciduous, prickly shrub or a small tree growing up to 6m in height with dense globrous foliage and belongs to the family Rutaceae^1-,3. Local names of this plant are: Tejphal (Hindi), Tejowati (sanskrit), Mukthrubi (Manipuri) and Timur (Nepal)¹⁸. It occurs in hot valleys of the sub-tropical Himalayas from jammu to assam and khasi hills at 600 to 1800m. It has an aromatic taste and smell^2,3,5. The prickles often vertically flattened on the trunk and branches the older with corky base, it rapidly changes colour on exposing to light from yellowish brown to dark brown.(Fig. 1), The leaves (Fig. 2) are 4-20cm compound, imparipinnate, with pink prickles and winged rachis, lanceolate, serrate, glabrous, dark glossy green above and pale beneath, the terminal being larger than the laterals and the leaflets 2-6 pairs, flowers (Fig. 3) in sparse panicles with yellowish green colour^2,3.

The flowering season begins in July and ends in August³. The fruits (Fig. 4) are follicles, reddish, glabrous containing black, shining, globose and single seed. The fruits and seeds are edible and used as potherb species. Seeds are used as condiment and flavouring agent¹⁹. Ripe carpels usually solitary, laxly panicled, broadly ovoid, pale red, tubercled. The fruiting season is October to November^2,3. The bark (Fig. 5) contains a better crystalline principle identical with berberine a volatile oil and resins⁴. Bark powder mixed with honey gives relief against gum bleeding²². The seeds of Z. alatum are well known in ayurvedic medicine⁶. The oil is also deeply calming for the nervous system. It can be used daily and is a wonderful tonic for health^20. The fruits, branches and thorn are used to cure tooth ache and other diseases of teeth. Kokate et al reported that the petroleum ether extract of Z. alatum showed significant insecticidal activity against Culexsp²¹. The fruits and seeds are employed as an aromatic, carminative, stomachic, anthelmintic and expelling round worms^8,9. The volatile oil is employed as an anti diarrheal, antiseptic, deodorant and anticataerhal. It contains alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, volatile oil, aminoacids, resins and tannin¹⁰. The ethano medicinal imporatnce of its seeds has been well known for a long time in Indian medicinal system as a stomachic, carminative, disinfectant, antiseptic, and for the treatment of fever, dyspepsia, cholera and general debility^23,24,25.

Fig .1- Whole Plant

Fig.2- Leaves

Fig.3-Flowers

Fig.4- Fruit

Fig.5-Bark

TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION:

Botanical name Zanthoxylum alatum

Family : Rutaceae

Kingdom Plantae

Sub kingdom : Viridaeplantae

Domain : Eukaryota

Phyllum : Tracheophyta

Sub phylum : Euphyllophytina

Infra phylum : Radiatopses

Class : Magnoliopsida

Sub class Rosidae

Super order : Rutanae

Order : Sapindales

Sub order : Rutineae

Genus : Zanthoxylum

PHYTOCHEMISTRY:

Zanthoxylum alatum consists of the following constituents identified from various parts, which are alkaloids, flavonoids, saponin, tannins, steroids, terpenes, glycosides, carbohydrates, phenolic, proteins, essential oil and amino acids, Viz., arginine, aspartic and glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, threonine, tyrosine^2,3,10. Bark contains lignans as sesamin, fargesin, eudesmin, epieudesmin, a neutral lactone as pulvatide, dictamine, 8-hydroxyl dictamine, y-fagarine, magnofluorine, xanthoplanine, triterpenoids as β-amyrin and amyrenone^2,3. The fruit contains flavanoids as tambulinandtambulol; linalool, essential oil containing citral, limonene, sabinene, linalyl acetate, geraniol, methyl cinnamate, cineole, monoterpentriols as 3,7-dimethyl - 1 - octane - 3,6,7 - triol, trans- cinnamic acid, nevadensin, umbelliferone, β-sitosterol and its glucoside. The aerial part contains sitosterol and pinoresinol diethyl ether.

The oil from leaves contain methyl - n- nonyl ketone, linalyl acetate, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, acids, phenols, 1,8-cineole, limonene, citronellal and tricosane. The wood contains magnoflurine and xanthoplanine.

Therapeutic uses:

The bark and fruits are useful in asthma, colic, cough, convulsion, cephalalgia, cardiac debility, diabetes, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, fever, flatulence, general debility, goitre, difficult micturition, eye and ear diseases, helminthiasis, hepatopathy, leprosy, leucoderma, odentalgia, otopathy, paralysis, pharyngopathy, skin disease, splenopathystrangury, stomach disorders, tumours, ulcers and wounds^2,3,16.The seeds are useful in cholera, expulsion of intestinal worms to strengthen the liver to remove foul smell from mouth and in brain disease and insanity. The branches is used as a brush to keep teeth hygienic and to strengthen the gum. The flowers are used as antidote for snake bite. The seed powder is smoked in asthma and bronchitis.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF TOOTHACHE TREE

Anthelmintic activity:

The anthelmintic activity of the seeds extracted with methanol and water by maceration process. The assay was performed on adult Indian earthworms Pheretima posthuma due to its anatomical and physiological resemblance with the intestinal round worm parasite of human being. The extract were tested with different concentrations 10, 25 and 50mg/ml. Piprazine citrate (10mg/ml) was used as the standard reference drug. Results showed that the aqueous extract is more potent as compared to other extract as it took less time to cause paralysis and death of the earthworms as compared to standard reference drug⁷.

Anti-inflammatory activity:

Anti inflammatory and anti – oxidant activities of ethanolic extract of steam bark of Zanthoxylum alatum was evaluated. In vivo anti inflammatory activity was carried out in wistar species of rats by using carrageenin induced paw edema, where as in vitro antioxidant activity was done by DPPH free radical method. The plant extract exhibited significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities¹¹.

Anti-microbial activity:

Antimicrobial efficacy of Zanthoxylum alatum DC (Rutaceae) evaluated against four different microorganisms viz., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteusvulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Present investigation is an attempt to reveal the antibacterial activity of the chloroform, methanol and acetone extracts of Zanthoxylum alatum bark using the well diffusion method against four different bacterial strains. Highest ZOI was observed in acetone extract against S. aureus (42.3 mm) followed by methanolic extract against S. aureus (28.7mm) while highest chloroform extract against were found P .vulgaris (28.3 mm). Overall the methanol and acetone extract of bark was found to be more effective for S. aureus and chloroform extract for P. vulgaris. The results of the extracts were compared with the standard antibiotics¹².

Anti-diabetic activity:

Hydro methanolic extract of the bark of Zanthoxylum alatum was evaluated for its antidiabetic activity in streptozotocin (60mg/kg) induced diabetic in rats. Glibenclamide (5mg/kg) was used as the standard refrence drug. Oral administration of HMZA for 21 days (200and400mg/kg)resulted in significant reduction in blood glucose ,total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, VLDL. The bark of Zanthoxylum alatum posess significant antidiabetic effect on diabetic rats and suggests that the plant may have therapeutic value in diabetes and related complications¹³.

Hepatoprotective activity:

The hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic extract of Zanthoxylum alatum was evaluated in vivo against chemical induced toxicity with ccl₄ in rats. The results obtained from the present study indicated that the EEZA exhibited hepatoprotective effect against CCl4-induced liver damage by normalizing the elevated levels of the hepatic enzymes. This study suggested that, EEZA is able to condition the hepatocytes, protecting against membrane fragility and decreases the leakage of the marker enzymes into the circulation as compared to silymarin, reported to have protective effect on the plasma membrane of hepatocytes (Ramellini et al 1976). The results supported the use of this plant for the treatment of hepatitis in oriental traditional medicine¹⁴.

Anti-spasmodic activity:

The ethanolic and n-hexane extracts were performed for their antispasmodic potential using rabbit ileum. The ethanolic and n-hexane extract of the leaves (ZLE and ZLH), bark (ZBE and ZBH) and fruits (ZFE and ZFH) demonstrated a dose dependant antispasmodic effect. In all tested extracts, the action of ethanolic extract was found more pronounced than the other. The most significant antispasmodic effect was observed with fruit extracts. The phytochemical studies of the leaves, barks and fruits were carried out in all parts, showed that it contains good source of alkaloids, saponin, tannins and flavonoids. The current study, strongly recommended the traditional uses of the plant as antispasmodic¹⁵.

Antinociceptive and anti convulsant activity:

Hydrosteam distillation of essential oils of the leaves of Zanthoxylum alatum (ZEO) was evaluated for acute toxicity, antinociceptive and anticonvulsant activities. ZEO significantly relieve the pain in both neurogenic (first phase) and inflammatory (late phase) phases in formalin induced noxious animal and found free of convulsive effects in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced anticonvulsant¹⁷.

CONCLUSION:

Zanthoxylum alatum is extensively used in the Indian system of medicine. Common name is timur. The Bhotiya tribal community uses timur as medicine than any other ethinic group in Uttaranchal. They used timur fruit in the form of condiments, spices and medicine. In the preparation of certain traditional dishes, timur is used as a flavouring agent or spice.The presence of chemical constituents like alkaloids, saponin, tannins, flavanoids, steroids, terpenes, glycosides, carbohydrates, phenolic, proteins, aminoacids and essential oil. The plant posseslarvicidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antibiotics, anthelminthic, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anti-spasmodic, hepatoprotective, anti-fungal and anti-viral activity. However more detailed study of the plant is required to establish the active constituents responsible for various pharmacological activities.

REFERENCES:

1. Khare CP, Indian Medicinal Plants, Springer, reprint. 2007: 730.

2. Deshpande DJ, A Hand Book of Herbal Remedies, AGROBIOS (India). 2008: 408-409.

3. Asimachatterjee, The Treatise of Iindian Medicinal Plants.vol-3, 1994: 115-116.

4. Nadkarni’s A.K, Indian Materia Medica. vol-1, 2009: 1302.

5. The Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia of India. vol-4, 2004: 130-131.

6. The wealth of India: Raw material-vol. XI. publication and information directorate, council of scientific and industrial research, New Delhi (CSIR). 1976: 18-21.

7. Dinesh Kumar Mehta, Rina Das, Anil Bhandari. In-vitro anthelmintic activity of Zanthoxylum alatum DC. against Pheretima posthuma. International Journal of Green pharmacy,2012.

8. Ramachandran R, Ali M, Chemical composition of fruit oil of Z Zanthoxylum alatum. Hamdard Med. 1996: 42:51-4.

9. Chopra RN. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants.1:87, 1956: 423.

10. Burett R, Morikawa B. Zanthoxylum propagation study in Northern Thailand. Thailand: 2006.

11. Sati SC, Sati MD, Anti-inflammatory and anitioxidant activities of Zanthoxylum alatum stem bark, GLOBAL Journal of Researches in Engineering. vol-11, 2011.

12. Nidhi Srivastava, Anupkainthola. In-vitro Antimicrobial Activity of bark extract of an ethnic plant Zanthoxylum alatum DC. Against selected Human pathogens in Uttarakhand Himalayas. International Journal of Herbal Medicine. 1(3); 2013.

13. Himanikarki, Kumud Upadhayay. Anti diabetic potential of Zanthoxylumarmatum bark extract on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. International Journal of Green Pharmacy.2 (8); 2014.

14. NitinVerma and Rattan Lalkhosa. Hepatoprotective effect of Zanthoxylumarmatum DC. Indercmedicus for South-east Asia Region. 2010.

15. Barakat Barq Barkatullah. Anti spasmodic potential of leaves,bark and fruits of Zanthoxylumarmatum DC. African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.vol.7 (13); 2013.

16. Chandra Prakashkala, Nehal A. Traditional uses and conservation of Timur through social institution in Uttaranchal Himalaya,2015.

17. Muhammad I, Naveed M, Barkatullah, Haroon K, Faryal J, Nadeem A. Antinociceptive and anticonvulsant activities of essential oils of Zanthoxylum alatum. Phytopharmacology, 3(1); 2012: 191-198.

18. Singh TP, Singh OM, Phytochemical and Pharmacological profile of ZanthoxylumarmatumDC. an overview. indian J Nat Prod Resour.2 (3); 2011: 275-85.

19. Barkatullah, Ibrar M, Ikram N, Rauf A, and Khan H, Toxicological profile of ethanolic extract of leaves and barks of Buddleja asiatica Lour. Middle-East Journal of Science and Research 21; 2014: 1655-1658.

20. Sun H.D., S. X. Qiu, L. Z. Lin, Z. Y. Wang, Z. W. Lin,T. pengsuparp, J. M. Pezzuto, H. H. Fong, G. A. Cordell, and N. R. Farnsworth. Nigranoic acid, a triterpenoid from Schis and rasphaerandra that inhibits HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. J. Nat. Prod 59; 1996: 525-527.

21. Cortez DAG, Young MCM, Martson A, Wolfender JL, and Hostettmann K, Phytochemistry 47 (7); 1998: 1367.

22. Lehankar MA, Rehman MK, Preliminaryclinical study of some ayurvedic medicinal plants on gum bleeding. Deerghayu International 6:5, 960.

23. Chopra RN, Nayar SL, Chopra IC, Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (including the supplement). New Delhi, Council of scientific and Industrial Research; 1986.

24. Jain N, Srivastava SK, Aggarwal KK, Ramesh S, Kumar S, Essential oil composition of Zanthoxylum alatum seeds from northern India. Flavour Fragr J. 16 (6); 2001: 408-10.

25. Prakash B, Singh P, Mishra PK, Dubey NK. Safety assessment of Zanthoxylum alatum Roxb. essential oil, its antifungal, antiaflatoxin, antioxidant activity and efficacy as antimicrobial in preservation of Piper nigrum L. Fruits. Int J Food Microbial.153 (1); 2012: 183-91.

Received on 21.09.2015 Modified on 04.10.2015

Res. J. Pharmacognosy & Phytochem. 7(4): Oct-Dec. 2015; Page 223-226

DOI: 10.5958/0975-4385.2015.00034.5