A Review on Thevetia peruviana (Pres.) K. Schum
Bhaskar Banerjee, Tanushree
Banerjee and Gourav Shukla*
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, RKDF College of Pharmacy, Bhopal
(M.P.)
ABSTRACT:
The plant Thevetia peruviana (Apocynaceae) common name is yellow oleander is a evergreen shrub native to Central America and West Indies
and a close relative to Nerium oleander. In India, it
is grown throughout the plains. The important pharmacological activities of
plant are HIV-I
Reverse Transcriptase and HIV-I Integrase Inhibitory,
antimicrobial, antipyretic, antifungal, Haematology
and growth and tissue activities. The phytoconstitutents isolated from the plant is Cardiac
glycoside, Thevetins A and B, Peruvoside,
Theveside, Theviridoside
and Terpenoids. Analytical study done
by paper chromatography.
KEYWORDS: Thevetins A and B, Peruvoside, Theveside, Theviridoside and Terpenoids
INTRODUCTION:
Thevetia peruviana are also known as Mexican oleander, yellow oleander,
yellow bell and belonging to family Apocynaceae. The plant
is frequently grown throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the
world, including India. It is a small ornamental tree and an evergreen tropical shrub up
to 10 to 20 feet tall. Useful as a landscaping plant
in warmer climates as it does not need much maintenance. Its fruit is
deep green in color and flowers
are generally yellow color, but there are varieties with red or white color (Nerium oleander). Flower are funnel shaped
with 5 (five) petals. Fruit
is small (3 to 4 cm in diameter) containing two to four flat seeds. The seed has
been reported to contain 63% oil and about 37% protein. Its leaves
are green in color 10 to 15 cm long and lance shaped. Leaves are covered in
waxy coating to reduce water loss. Tip of leafs are pointed with a dark green color. Its stem is
green. In
areas without a seasonal climate Thevetia peruviana flowers
and fruits throughout the year, but with a peak in flowering during the rainy
season. The ripe fruits remain on the plant for a long time. The plant coppices well. It shades out neighboring plants
and its litter is allelopathic. Two common oleanders are Thevetia peruviana (yellow
oleander) and Nerium oleander. The toxins are cardenolides called Thevetin A
and Thevetin B (Cerebroside), others include peruvoside, neriifolin, thevetoxin and ruvoside. Thevetia peruviana contains a
milky sap containing a compound called Thevetin that is used as a heart stimulant1,2,3.
Macroscopical study
Dried root bark pieces
channeled, 2 to 7 mm in thickness externally rough with longitudinally
irregular ridges and fissures, exfoliated at
places exhibiting whitish patches,
internally smooth and transversely corrugated, dark blackish-brown externally
and greyish-yellow internally, fracture short and
brittle. Taste bitter and odour characteristic.
Microscopical study:
TS of root bark shows well developed rhytidoma
composed of zigzaggedly running cambium alternating
with suberized cork and lignified oval to round
parenchyma, multilayered radially arranged suberized cork, narrow cortex consisting of 15 to 20 rows
of tangentially running parenchymatous cells
containing simple and compound starch grains, prismatic crystals of calcium
oxalate and traversed by large number of longitudinally and transversely
running laticiferous tubes, wide phloem consisting of
sieve tubes that are occasionally obliterated, parenchyma, companion cells, uni to triseriate medullary rays filled with starch grains and traversed
throughout by a large number of laticiferous tubes4.
Chemical Constituents and Phytoconstituents:
The leaves of Thevetia
neriifolia were examined, and C-nor-d-homocardenolide glycosides were obtained as in the
preceding study, along with other common glycosides. α-l-Rhamnosides of digitoxigenin, cannogenin and thevetiogenin, and
glycosides of uzarigenin were isolated from the
leaves.5 A new cardenolide, neriifoside, 3β-O-(α-l-acofriosy)-14β-hydroxy-5α-carda-20:22-enolide
has been isolated from the fresh, uncrushed leaves of Thevetia
neriifolia. The structures were determined by 1D
and 2D NMR studies.6 Five third-instar
grubs of Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata
[Epilachna vigintioctopunctata],
starved for 4 h, were fed with bittergourd [Momordica charantia]
leaves of uniform age and size, which had been dipped in fresh or dried leaf
extracts, or seed extracts, of Thevetia neriifolia [T. peruviana].
These extracts were obtained by crude or soxhlet
extraction using acetone, benzene, ethanol, hexane, methanol or water as extractants. The comparative efficacy of the different
plant parts, extractants and method of extraction was
evaluated in terms of leaf protection and larval starvation. Seed extracts
provided the highest mean leaf protection (61.73%) and larval starvation
(72.27%) compared to both fresh and dried leaf extracts.7
Thevetia peruviana seeds cake were defatted
and then treated with varying concentrations each of hydrochloric acid, sodium
hydroxide and calcium hydroxide solutions. Each product of hydrolysis was
extracted with chloroform to isolate aglycones.
Various concentrations of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solution
effected complete detoxification. Only 0.4 M and 0.5 M of calcium hydroxide
solution detoxified the seeds completely. Albumin and globulin determination by
biuret method confirmed that various concentrations
of the hydrolyzing agents increased the quantity of extractable albumin and
globulin in the cake. The study suggests that calcium hydroxide at high
concentrations appear to be the best detoxicant8. The seed of the plant contains about 60%
oil, which hydrolyses to give about 64.3% oleic acid, 6.3% linoleic,
17.1% palmitic, 11.8% stearic
and 0.4% arachidonic acid. The defatted seed cake is
about 30% protein but rich in toxins. The low alkyl esters have found wide
applications as oleochemicals - as textile fibre lubricants, rolling oils and cutting oils. 9 The proximate fatty acid, amino acid and physicochemical
properties of raw and processed. Thevitia peruviana were analyzed. The methods employed in
processing are heat treatment and soaking. The seed contained crude protein,
and the level of ether extract also varies from 687.4 g kg -1 to
712.2 g kg -1. The two of the major cardiac glycosides were assigned
to thevetin A and B on the basis of molecular mass
and fragmentation10.
Fractionations of chloroform
extract of the stem bark of Thevetia peruviana Juss.(Apocynaceae) led to the
isolation of ursolic acid, acetyl ursolic
acid, 6-keto acylic geranilane
type monoterpene, oleanolic
acid, and ellagic acid. Their structures were
determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods such as IR, NMR and LCMS11.
Morphological studies on leaves:
The histology of the xeromorphic
leaves of Allamanda nerüfolia, Thevetia peruviana and Vinca minor have been examined by LM and SEM.
A considerable variation occurs in characters not considered xeromorphic. The oxalate crystals in A. nerüfolia and T. peruviana
differ conspicuously from each other both in shape and location. The nonarticulated laticifers are
branched and located on both sides of the vascular strands in A. nerüfolia and T. peruviana,
while they are unbranched and confined to the abaxial side of thehveins in V.
minor. In addition attention was paid to the petiole appendages observed in
the three species12.
Traditional and Medicinal Uses:
The plant has been reported to
have urethral discharges, worms, skin diseases, leucoderma,
wounds, piles, eye troubles, itching, fevers, bronchitis, purgative
activity13.
Activities:
Plant regenration and Somatic
embryogenesis:
Cell suspension cultures, which
retained embryogenic potential for almost 2 years,
were established from young, expanding, juvenile leaves of a mature Thevetia peruviana L.
tree. CaUi were obtained by culturing young leaf discs
on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D)
and 0.1 mg/L kinetin. 14
Cell Suspension Cultures:
Cell suspension cultures of T. peruviana were
established in four different culture media: Murashige–Skoog
(MS), half Murashige – Skoog
(half MS), Schenk–Hildebrandt (SH), and Gamborg (B5)
to study their effect on cell growth. Cell growth kinetics were studied in SH
medium, and the extracellular peruvoside production
during the culture time was determined. The cell growth kinetics showed the
four characteristic growth phases of a cell culture (lag, exponential,
stationary, and death), and during none of these phases was it possible to
observe peruvoside production. The current results
are the first report of an in vitro peruvoside
production system15.
Juvenomimetic Activity:
Ethanol extracts of fresh leaves and seeds of Thevetia neriifolia were
tested for juvenomimetic action on red cotton bug, Dsydercus cingulatus,
an important pest of cotton and okra. Conspicuous activity, based on larval
mortality, duration of ovipositional period,
emergence of malformed adults and reduced fecundity of the bugs, were noticed
in 40% leaf and 10% seed extracts. Although moderate activity was seen in 20%
leaf and 5% seed extracts, no significant effect was observed for the 10% leaf
and 2.5% seed extract treatments16.
Pharmacological Activities and Clinical Trials:
HIV-I Reverse Transcriptase and HIV-I Integrase
Inhibitory Activities:
Ethanol extract of Thevetia peruviana showed high anti HIV-1 (IC100
= 1.56 ug/ml) and HIV-1 integrase
inhibitory activity (IC50 = 12.0 ug/ml).
Therefore, the ethanol extract of this plant was fractionated further into
n-hexane, chloroform and water soluble fractions. The structure elucidation of
new compounds from the water fraction and the inhibitory activities against
HIV-1 Integrase and HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase
associated DNA polymerase [RNA-dependent DNA polymerase and DNA-dependent DNA
polymerase] of the isolated compounds17.
Antimicrobial
Activity:
The
antimicrobial activity of ethanol extract obtained from Thevetia
peruviana was tested against bacterial species of
Escherichia coli ATCC
69314, Streptococcus lactis NCIM 50038, Enterobacter aerogenes NCIM
2340, Alcaligenes faecalis
ATCC 15246, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM
2200, Proteus vulgaris ATCC 6380 and fungal species of Fusarium oxysporum NCIM 1008, Alternaria
helianthii ATCC 201540, Curvularia
lunata ATCC 34477, Aspergillus
niger NCIM 1207 and Penicillium
spp NCIM 741. Better antimicrobial
activity was observed with the extracts showed maximum activity against E.
coli, Enterobacter aerogenes,
Alcaligenes faecalis18.
Antifungal
Activity:
Seeds
of Thevetia peruviana
were screened for their antifungal photoactivity.
Extracts obtained either with n-hexane or
dichloromethane were fractionated by column chromatography and further analysed by thin-layer chromatography. All seed extracts
and fractions were tested for inhibition of the fungus Cladosporium
cucumerinum for the evaluation of photoactive
inhibitory effects. The most photoactive fraction was analysed
by capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometry in order to identify its
constituents19.
Haematology, Growth and Tissue:
The
effect of two inclusion levels of raw and processed. Thevetia peruviana seed
cake as replacement for soyabean in the diets on
growth, haematology and tissue pathology of 50 New Zealand x Chinchilla crossbred rabbits was
studied20.
Paper-Chromatographic Study21
A paper-chromatographic study has
been made of the cardenolides from various parts of a
yellow-flowered specimen of Thevetia peruviana (Pres.) K.Schum.
The proportion of monoglycosides was low and
acetylated monosides were present in traces only. The
composition of the glycosides mixture from other parts of the
plant were in general similar to that of the seed total extract. The
glycosides extract from the seeds of an orange-flowered specimen was
essentially the same as that from the yellow-flowered one.
Toxicological
Studies:
A
comparative study of the toxic effects of extracts from stem bark, leaf and
seed kernel of yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) in albino rats was carried out. Male and
female albino rats weighing 150-200 g were administered crude aqueous
extracts of stem bark, leaf and seed kernel of the plant by intra-peritoneal
injection or exposed to baits prepared with the dry
extracts of the plant parts22. The Thevetia peruviana
seed produces gastrointestinal and uterine toxicity in humans and urinary
retention in experimental animals. This work was to identify the effects of
ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous extracts upon smooth muscle of bladder,
uterus and intestine obtained from Wistar rats23.
Side Effects:
Eating
the leaves, flowers, or bark of common oleander may cause nausea, vomiting,
stomach cramps, pain, fatigue, drowsiness, unsteadiness, bloody diarrhea,
abnormal heart rhythms, seizures, liver or kidney damage, or unconsciousness.
Safety and
Measure:
Peruvoside,
a heart-active substance in yellow oleander kernels (similar to the drug digoxin), has been studied at 1.8 to 3.2 milligrams by
mouth, as an initial dose, followed by an average daily dose of 0.6 milligrams
per day for congestive heart failure. People with allergy/hypersensitivity to
oleander or other cardiac glycosides such as digoxin
or digitoxin may have reactions to oleander. Skin
contact with sap from oleander leaves may cause rash24.
CONCLUSION:
Major trust by whole of the pharmaceutical industry
is focused towards design and development of new innovative/indigenous plant
based drugs through investigation of leads from traditional system of medicine25.
In recent years, ethno-botanical and traditional uses of natural
compounds, especially of plant origin received much attention as they are well
tested for their efficacy and generally believed to be safe for human use. It
is best classical approach in the search of new molecules for management of
various diseases. Thorough screening of literature available on Thevetia peruviana
depicted the fact that it is a popular remedy among the various ethnic groups,
Ayurvedic and traditional practitioners for treatment of ailments. Various
researchers have elaborated its important pharmacological actions viz antimicrobial, skin disorders, antipyretic, swelling, antifungal.
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Received
on 24.05.2010
Accepted on 12.06.2010
© A&V Publication all right reserved
Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
and Phytochemistry. 2(5): Sept.-Oct. 2010, 343-346