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A PHARMACOLOGICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL REVIEW OF CERBERA

ODOLLAM A PLANT WITH SIGNIFICANT ETHNOMEDICINAL VALUE

Article  in  EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL RESEARCH · December 2017

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 ejpmr, 2017,4(12), 19-21 SJIF Impact Factor 4.161
Review Article
Siddiqul et al. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL
European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research
AND MEDICAL RESEARCH ISSN 2394-3211
www.ejpmr.com EJPMR

A PHARMACOLOGICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL REVIEW OF CERBERA ODOLLAM

A PLANT WITH SIGNIFICANT ETHNOMEDICINAL VALUE

Md. Siddiqul Islam* and Zebunnesa Ahmed

Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka-1213, Bangladesh.

*Corresponding Author: Dr. Md. Siddiqul Islam

Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka-1213, Bangladesh.

Article Received on 06/09/2017 Article Revised on 17/10/2017 Article Accepted on 08/11/2017

ABSTRACT
Herbal and folklore medicines are achieving popularity throughout the world due to its safety. Herbal medicines
also have nutritional value therefore; it is now the most popular choice for their pharmacological activities too.
Climate and geographical factors of Bangladesh made it vast sources of herbal medicines. The availability and
cost-effectiveness of traditional medicines has also played an important role to make it a popular drug of choice
among developing countries like Bangladesh. In Bangladesh people are using plants to treat various diseases. In
this current review, we have gone through an extensive literature search to find out botanical data, chemical
constituent and pharmacological activities in scientific researches of Cerbera odollam. The featured plant of this
review articles revealed various activities. We intend to do this literature review to find out the potential scientific
value of this plant to justify its traditional uses. We hope, this study will help the researchers to find out potential
drugs in the future according to their pharmacological studies.

KEYWORDS: Herbal medicine; Cerbera odollam; Pharmacological; Phytochemical.

1. INTRODUCTION systems. Healthcare resources are draining a huge

Medicinal plants have enormous value that’s why, it is amount of economy for the treatment of chronic
impossible to measure the importance of medicinal wound.[9,10]
plants in human livelihood due to their inseparable
contribution to the human life. Bangladesh is a land rich The literature review done by researchers revealed that
with plant diversity because of its fertile land and humid there is a significant gap exists between scientific
climate. Majority of the people of Bangladesh are living validation of ethnomedicine and their uses. In this review
in the rural area and these rural and tribal people are article, we have tried to collect information about
greatly dependent on traditional medicine make with Cerbera odollam plant with uses in traditional medicine
plant sources.[1] Bangladesh has used the traditional of Bangladesh and its respective pharmacological effects
treatment system for a long time to treat their ailments. studied through various reputed scientific journals to find
Ayurvedic, Unani, and folk medicinal systems are the out the relation between traditional use and
three main classes of traditional healers of Bangladesh pharmacological effects.
among them a folk medicinal system uses mainly the
plants and plants part in the treatment of diseases.[2] The Description of Cerbera odollam
procedure and process of treating patients with Taxonomic Hierarchy
traditional medicine is usually not stored in a written Domain: Eukaryota
rather it passes from one generation to another through Kingdom: Plantae
verbal contact.[3–6] Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
The interest of research on the traditionally used plant Subphylum: Euphyllophytina
has increased in greater extent due to its availability and Infraphylum: Radiatopses
future potentiality to contribute in medicinal sector, in Subclass: Asteridae
recent years. This type of folklore and traditional Superorder: Gentiananae
medicine make itself as valuable sources to discover new Order: Gentianales
drugs with less side effects and adverse effects.[7] Family: Apocynaceae
Different researches on ethno-medicines have been Subfamily: Rauvolfioideae
performing nowadays based on their various therapeutic Tribe: Plumerieae
effects.[8] Plants have been used for a long time to heal Genus: Cerbera
various types of wound through traditional medicine Specific epithet: odollam.

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Siddiqul et al. European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research

Botanical name: Cerbera odollam Gaertn. smoke. The tree has contained the harmful toxic
chemical ‘Cerberin’, which can stop heart from
General Botanical Data functioning. The seed of this tree have shown poisonous
Growth Form: This is a medium size tree with up to 12 effects in an epidemic way in Madagascar.
m tall have a round and bushy crown with scars on the
leaves. On one occasion over 6000 people died in a single
ordeal.[14] However, it is believed that this practice may
Leaves: Leaves are entirely dark green fleshy still occur in remote areas of the island. Cerbera seeds
oblanceolate apex base tapering, slightly coriaceous. are still used in India as a poison since the taste can be
Petiole is 2 to 5 cm long in size with lateral and reticulate converted with spices and the chemical is hard to detect
vein growth in surfaces. in an autopsy. Though it is mainly used for poisoning
purpose, its different parts are still used in other
Flowers: Flowers of Cerebra odollam are similar for all purposes.
Apocynaceae family which is large, regular, bisexual
corolla funnel shaped with 5 lobed. The seed poisoning symptoms include various symptoms
like, nausea and vomiting. The poisoning may also
Fruits: Round shaped apple like fruits with single causes death by hyperkalemia. In the Philippine, the
poisonous seed, surrounded by thick fibrous husk and a seeds were used as a fish poison in small stream
papery outer pulp. Ripen food converted from green to (Cerbera odollam, RMBR). Investigations have also
reddish purple to brownish black and dropping from tree. been made into the feasibility of converting the seeds
The thin pulp is eaten by birds. The fruits in green form into biodiesel.[15] The seeds contain non-selective oil,
sometimes look like a mango. producing a shining flame with a pleasant nut-like odor.
The Burmese use it for lighting, as cosmetic or mixed
Reproductive biology: Pollination of this tree is usually with other oils as an insecticide or insect repellent.[16]
occurs through insects. The fruits are used for manufacturing bio-insecticide and
deodorants and also used as a cure for hydrophobia.
Ecology: It is mangrove associated tree along with Interestingly, the species available in coastal region of
brackish waters. This tree grows where the sanity is Bangladesh is not too much poisonous and even the local
typically low. people use the fleshy portion of the fruit as food.

Phytochemical Studies on Cerbera odollam The wood produces a fine charcoal that was used for gun
Three compounds i.e. one 14β (H) steroid and two powder by the Thais (Cerbera odollam, RMBR). The
benzoic acid derivatives have been isolated from the wood is also used for non-durable or indoor applications.
carbon tetrachloride soluble fraction of a methanol Medicinally, the wood is used in paralysis.[11] Latex of
extract of the stem bark of Cerbera odollam Gaertn the tree is also used as a emetic and purgative agents.[17]
(Family-Apocynaceae). The structure of 14β (H) steroid
which was detected to be triticusterol on the basis of Pharmacological Activities
spectroscopic data of this compound. This is the second To find out possible cytotoxic activities the leaf extracts
example of a naturally occurring compound with a 14β of Cerbera odollam was studied against two kinds of
(H) steroid skeleton. The benzoic acid derivatives were breast cancer cell lines which are T47D and MCF7 with
tentatively characterized as 2, 6-dihydroxy-4-methoxy two ovarian cancer cells and a normal usual cell line. The
benzoic acid and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-6-methyl crude fraction was further fractionated with butanol,
benzoic acid.[11] The vebioside, Deacetyl-tanghinin, water and ethyl acetate. And all the fractions were
neriifolin, tanghinin and monoacetylneriifolin were exhibited strong anticancer activity with lower inhibitory
identified from the seed total extract of Cerbera odollam concentration value.[18]
by N.G Bisset.[12]
In a study done by Rahman et al. have reported that
In an another study a cardenolide glycoside, 3 beta-O- crude methanolic extract of this plant showed
(2’-O-acetyl-l-thevetosyl)-15(14-- >8) abeo-5 beta-(8R)- antibacterial, antinociceptive and diuretic activity at
14-oxo-card-20(22)-enolide (2’-O-acetyl cereaside A), different dose. This plant extract have also showed
was isolated and identified from a methylene extract of significant activity against various microorganism.
the seeds of Cebera odollam, together with four known Commonly skin bacteria were also used to investigate
compounds: cerleaside A, 17 alpha-neriifolin, 17 beta- antimicrobial activity of Cerbera odollam in a study and
neriifolin and cerberin.[13] the study results suggested that it may be used in skin
preparations to treat various diseases.[19]
Traditional uses of Cerbera odollam
Cerbera is named after Ceberus, the three headed dog of CONCLUSION
Greek mythology that guarded the gate to the Extensive literature study results revealed that our
Underworld, because all parts of the plant are toxic. Even featured plant have potential pharmacological activities
using the wood for a fire can produce a poisonous against various diseases and in various animal models.

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 Siddiqul et al. European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research

Since this plant is significantly active against various ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY STUDIES OF
disease conditions so chemical investigations are needed CERBERA ODOLLAM GAERTN. Int J Pharma
to find out the future lead compound to develop drugs. Bioscience, 2011; 2: 413-418.
Plant sources are being used for a long time to explore 12. Bisset, N.G., The occurrence of alkaloids in the
our medicinal sector because of their less side effects and Apocynaceae. Part II. A review of recent
more effectiveness. developments. In Annales Bogoriensis, 1961; 4:
65-144.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST 13. Laphookhieo, S., Cheenpracha, S., Karalai, C.,
We have no conflict of interest. Chantrapromma, S., Ponglimanont, C. and
Chantrapromma, K., Cytotoxic cardenolide
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT glycoside from the seeds of Cerbera
We would like to give thanks to the Department of odollam. Phytochemistry, 2004; 65(4): 507-510.
Pharmacy, Southeast University for technical support. 14. Heiss, A., Maleissye, D., Tardieu, J., Viossat, V.,
Sahetchian, K.A. and Pitt, I.G., Reactions of primary
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