A Comprehensive Review on: The Efficacy of Biocompounds of Leucas Aspera

Review Article

Austin Biomol Open Access. 2022; 4(1): 1014.

A Comprehensive Review on: The Efficacy of Biocompounds of Leucas Aspera

AM Krupanidhi*; Asgar Ali; Amulya K; Ayesha Siddaika S; Aishwarya Kalal

Department of Pharmacology, Bapuji Pharmacy College-Davangere-577004, India

*Corresponding author: AM Krupanidhi Department of Pharmacology, Bapuji Pharmacy College-Davangere-577004, India. Email: dramkrupanidhi@gmail.com

Received: August 17, 2023 Accepted: September 25, 2023 Published: October 02, 2023

Abstract

The plant L. aspera derived biomolecules have potential efficacy against various gram positive and gram negative organisms. In-vitro activity depends on the ability of the antimicrobial agent to reach its microbial target site and to overcome various mechanisms of resistance in the infected bacilli. The effective biocompounds penetrate to the target site of organism must retain and exhibit significant activity at different concentration of the biocompounds. These biomolecules were nontoxic at dose levels and should not be metabolised to toxic intermediates. Are used on these clinical importance focused on review on L. aspera.

Keywords: L. aspera; Active biomoieties; Flavonoids; Glycosides; Antimicrobial activity

Introduction

The L. aspera is a holy plant and have divine value in India. This plant is widely distributed in India and which have there about 80 species of Leucas genus embrace available in Karnataka region. L. aspera plant is mostly looks like shrub, herbs with woody roots. The axillary or terminal inflorescence is usually with indeterminate augmentation. bracteoles are roughly erect and as per the vernacular name in kannada called as thumbe, in hindi called goma madhupati and telugu called as thummichittu which belongs kingdom plantae and belongs to family labiatae and genus Leucas and species aspera which contain secondary metabolites like Leucasperones A and B, alkaloids, alpha sitosterol and beta sitosterol, linifolia, apigenin, Amyl propionate, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, phenolic compound, falconoid and this plant exhibits various pharmacological properties because of huge active biocompounds and it exhibits antimicrobial activity [1-15].

Taxonomical Classification: Kingdom: Plantae; Plant Subkingdom: Tracheobionta; Vascular Plant Super Division: Spermatophyta; Seed Plant Division: Angiosperma; Class: Dicotyledonae; Sub-Class: Gamopetalae; Series: Bicarpellatae; Order: Tubiflorae; Family: Labiatae; Genus: Leucas; Species: Aspera.

Vernacular Names: Sanskrit: Dronapushpi, Chitrapathrika, Chitrakshup; Punjabi: Guldor; Bengali: Darunaphula; Hulkasha; Gujarati: Kulnnphul; Hindi: Goma madhupati; Sindhi: Kubo; Maharashtra: Bahuphul; Bombay: Tumba; Telugu: Thummichittu.

Geographical Distribution

L. aspera commonly known as ‘Thumbai’ is found along roadsides and fallow fields from plains to 400m. It is found in Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands, South America and China. It is distributed throughout India from the Himalayas down to Ceylon [8]. In India and the Philippines L. aspera is a very common weed. It also found in a Bangladesh, Indo-China, and Malesia is a common aromatic herb found in Africa, temperate and tropical countries of Asia.

Morphological Description

L. aspera is an annual herb that erects to a height of 15 to 60 cm and has branches and a sturdy, hispid, abruptly quadrangular stem.

Stem

The stems have four conspicuous furrows, a quadrangular shape, are up to 4 mm thick, taste slightly bitter, and have a pale greenish-yellow surface texture [19].

Leaves

Yellowish-green, ovate or lanceolate, sub-acute, somewhat pubescent, up to 8.0 cm long and 1.25 cm broad, with an entire or crenate margin, serrate, and tasting pungent (Rai et al., 2005), with a sub-sessile or short petiole measuring 2.5 to 6 mm in length and being acute. The leaves are oriented opposite to one another, acute to acuminate, sessile, globose in shape, 2 to 3.5 cm in diameter, and encircled by a profusion of foliaceous bracts.

Flowers

Bracts are 6 mm long, linear, sharp, bristle-tipped, and ciliate with long, slender hairs. Flowers are white, sessile, small, dense terminal or axillary whorls. dense axillary, less frequently terminal, and typically distant whorls inflorescence.

Corolla

Corolla Upper lip: 3 mm long, thickly white-woolly, erect, concave, villous externally; tube: 5 mm long and pubescent above, annulate in the middle; lower lip: about twice as long, 3 fid, spreading, mid-lobe, bigger and the middle lobe absent, rounded; lateral lobes short, sub-acute. Four didynamous stamens, climbing under the upper lip, connivent anthers, divaricated cells, and lastly confluent stamens. A disc that is completely lobed, uniformly lobed, or occasionally expanded up front. (Khanam and Hassan, 2005) Nutlets are ovoid, triquetrous, obtuse to truncate, and rounded at the apex.

Root

The roots are long, smooth, cylindrical, and zigzag, and they have numerous wiry, tiny rootlets. The size varies, there are few cracks, and the fibrous material has a distinctive taste [19].

Fruits

Nutlets, also known as Schizocarpiccarcerules, are 2.5 mm long, brown, smooth, with an angular inner face and a rounded outer face (Hooker et al., 1984).

Seeds

The seeds are oblong, triangular, smooth, and dark brown in color, measuring 0.3 cm length by 0.1 cm wide.

Calyx

Calyx variable, tubular, 8 to 13 mm long; tube curved, contracted above the nutlets; mouth small, very oblique, not villous, the upper part produced forward; teeth small, triangular, bristle-tipped, ciliate, with the upper tooth being the largest. Ten nerved, frequently striate, mouth equal or oblique teeth 6–10 abnormally uneven, pubescent to hirsute teeth (Khanam and Hassan, 2005).

Pharmacological Activity

Hepatoprotective20:

The cold methanolic extract of the whole plant of L. aspera was reported to have significant hepato-protection in CCl4induced liver damage (Mangathayarau, et al., 2005). L. aspera leaves fresh juice was tested against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver damage. The evaluation markers used were GOT, GPT, Alkaline phosphate, glucose, bilirubin, cholesterol and total protein. Silymarin was used as a standard for comparison. The fresh juice showed good result against liver disorders (Shirish and Pingale, 2010) hydroalcoholic leaf extract of L. aspera on male albino wistar rats was investigated, and shown significant hepatoprotective property.

Antioxidant Activity21:

Antioxidant property of L. aspera was reported by many researchers. The ethanol extract of L. aspera showed very potent antioxidant activity. Better antioxidant activity was observed in the petroleum ether extract of L. aspera leaf, and the order of the activity is petroleum ether > ethanol > isopropyl alcohol > ethyl acetate > chloroform. They also suggested ethanol or isopropanol (polar solvent selection) and petroleum ether (non-polar solvent selection) for better extraction of phytochemicals and phytoconstituents. Moreover, better antioxidant activity was observed in wild leaf extracts when compared to in-vitro callus extract.

Antibacterial Activity22:

It was observed that the chloroform and petroleum ether extracts of L. aspera Its root, flower, leaf, and stem exhibits good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella choleraesuis, and Shigella flexneri [16]. The earlier study reported that the ethanolic and methanolic decoctions contain more active phytoconstituents than the water and these organic solvents showed better antimicrobial properties against various bacterial strains.

Central Nervous Activity23:

The root ethanolic extract of L. aspera was assessed employing pentobarbitone induced sleeping time test, the hole cross test and the open field test on Swiss albino mice for its impact on Central Nervous System (CNS). The results supported that L. aspera root may possess biologically active constituent (s) having CNS activity [30]. Furthermore, ethanolic extract of roots exhibited noteworthy peripheral antinociceptive activity at the concentration of 400 mg/kg.

Antihyperlipidemic –Activity24:

L. aspera leaves exhibit antihyperlipidemic action in an in- vivo animal model. Dexamethasone can be used to produce hyperlipidemia in rats, which results in a notable rise in TG and serum cholesterol levels as well as an increase in the atherogenic index. As a result of keeping serum levels of cholesterol and TGs close to normal levels, the ethanolic extract of leaves from L. aspera Linn. (200 and 400 mg/kg) therapy significantly inhibited dexamethasone-induced hyperlipidemia in rats.