Heliotropium indicum L. (Boraginaceae): A common shrub at peripheral parts of Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Forest, Odisha, India

Sanjeet Kumar
sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com

The plant Heliotropium indicum L. commonly known as “Hatisundha” in Oriya belongs to family Boraginaceae, a small fragrant evergreen annual herb. The plant is medicinnaly important which is used to cure various diseases like fever, inflammation, wound, tumour and flatulence in Indian traditional system of medicine. Also it is commonly known as Indian heliotrope, is an annual, hirsute plant that is a common weed in waste places and settled areas. It is native to Asia. Some travel agencies may use the natural attractions like weeds of the Family Boraginaceae for their travel deals as many do for the flights to japan.

Jashipur Gate

Classification:

Kingdom:            Plantae

Sub-kingdom:   Tracheobionta

Division:             Magnoliophyta

Order:                  Lamiales

Family:                                Boraginaceae

Common names:

• Indian heliotrope (English)
• Indian turnsole (English)
• Erysipela plant (English)
• Bigotitos (Spanish)
• Trompa elefante (Spanish)
• Lengua de Sapo (Spanish)
• Elepante (Cebuano)
• Kambra-kambra (Cebuano)
• Buntot-leon (Tagalog)
• Trompa ng elepante (Tagalog)
• Kuting-kutingan (Tagalog)
• Pengñga-pengñga (Ilocano)
• Vòi voi (Vietnamese)
• Siriyari  or Hathsura (Hindi and Urdu)
• Hatisur (BENGALI)
• Thel kodukku (Tamil)
• Chelukondi Gida (Kannada)
• Tournesol indien (French)
• jengking kala (Malaysia)

Botany:

Indian heliotrope is an annual, erect, branched plant that can grow to a height of about 15 to 50 cm. It has a hairy stem, bearing alternating ovate to oblong-ovate leaves. It has small white flowers with a green calyx; five stamens borne on a corolla tube; a terminal style; and a four-lobed ovary. This is an annual herb which grows to a height of 50 cm and can be found along coastlines, in drains and vacant plots. annual, erect herb, up to 75 cm tall. Taproot white or brown. Stems erect, grooved, hollow, hairy. Stipules absent. Leaves simple, not lobed or divided, alternate, spiral, or sometimes basal ones opposite, stalked, ovate, more than 2 cm long/wide, hairy, scabrous, margin entire, apex acute, base obtuse or rounded, pinnately veined. Flowers bisexual, grouped together in a many-flowered, terminal, elongated cyme, blue with a orange throat, petals 5, fused. Fruit nut-like.

Heliotropium indicum

Distribution:

The plant is a native of Asia. A common weed in waste places and settled areas. It is also found in Bangladesh, Tanzania, India.

Medicinal Uses:

·         Decoction of root with honey is taken as vitamin for iron deficiency by woman against anemia during pregnancy period.

·         In the Philippines, the plant is chiefly used as an herbal medicine. The extracted juice from the pounded leaves of the plants is used to cure wounds, skin ulcers and furuncles. The juice is also used as an eye drop for conjunctivitis. The pounded leaves are used as poultice.

·         The plant contains heliotrine, helindicine, lycopsamine, indicine, indicine-N-oxide, acetyl-indicine, heleurine, supinine, supinidine, lindelofidine, trachelanthamidine, retronecine, putrescine, spermidine, spermine, rapanone, C16-C18 fatty acid esters of 1-cyano-2-hydroxymethylprop-1-en-3-ol. It also yields an essential oil which consists mainly 49% phytol, 6.4% 1-dodecanol and 3% β-linalool.

·         In Malaysia, a paste made from the plant is applied to reduce urination, to counteract putrefaction, to treat pyoderma and ringworm infection. In Burma, a decoction of the whole plant is used to treat gonorrhea while in Indonesia, an infusion of the leaves is used to soothe mouth sprue. A decoction of the dried roots is drunk in the Philippines to promote menses, while the seeds are used to treat cholera, malaria, and for wound-healing .

·         The anti-infectious property of the herb is probably due to pyrrolizidine alkaloids (2).

·         In fusion of the leaves and young shoots are used to treat nettle rash. Infusion of the flowers taken in small doses regulates menstruation, where large doses are abortive. Decoction of the leaves are used as a vermifuge. Juice of the leaves is antiseptic and anti-inflammation and applied to wounds, sores, boils, gum-boils and pimples on the face. Boiled with castor oil, it is applied to scorption bites. It is also employed locally in nophthalmia, when the cornea is inflamed or excoriated.

·         The roots of this herb contain rapanone related to the quinone embelin which is known to be a potential contraceptive agent .

·         Pyrrolizidine alkaloids have antitumor properties but with limited potentials owing to some extent the toxicity of the active constituent, indicine-N-oxide from Heliotropium indicum. It is reported that indicine-N-oxide has reached Phase 1 clinical trials in advanced cancer patients .

·         The essential oil from the aerial parts of the herb showed significant antituberculosis activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra in the Alamar blue assay system with an MIC of 20.8 mg/ml (4).

·         Suspensions of powdered dried leaves of Heliotropiumindicum with 2% gum acacia were evaluated for its anti-inflammatory activity in albino rats. This herb produced significant anti-inflammatory effect in both the carrageenin hind paw oedema and cotton pellet granuloma. However, it was found to be less effective than the standard drug such as phenylbutazone. The study concludes that this herb possesses anti-inflammatory effects in both acute and subacute inflammation (6).

·         Alcoholic extract of Heliotropium indicum was studied for wound healing properties in a rat model (7). Topical application of 10% w/v Heliotropium indicum increased the percentage of wound contraction and completed wound healing by the 14^th day with increased tensile strength indicating rapid epithelization and collagenization. This study suggests that the .

·         Indicine-N-oxide was tested on 37 patients (15 males, 22 females, mean age 53 years) with solid tumours (5). All patients had previously undergone chemotherapy, and 25 had prior radiotherapy. Eighty-four percent had a performance status of 0-3 (Cancer and Leukemia Group B criteria). The drug was given as a short infusion over 15 minutes and repeated with a median interval of 4 weeks with close monitoring of wbc and platelet counts. The patients were given a total of 55 courses starting from 1g/m² to a maximum tolerated dose of 9 g/m². The therapeutic dose was found to be at 7 g/m² and a dose of 5 g/m² was recommended for patients with high risk. Toxic effects were leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, and the toxicity was cumulative with repeated doses. Other toxic effects included nausea and vomiting, anemia, and hepatic dysfunction. The hematologic toxicity have a tendency to be more distinct in patients with hepatic dysfunction, poor marrow reserve, and heavy prior chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Results demonstrated that there were no complete or partial responses. One patient with skin melanoma and another with ovarian carcinoma had improvement lasting 2 months. Dose reductions may be necessary for repeated courses.

·         Ingestion of this herb is dangerous. Fatal accidental poisoning in humans by drinking herbal tea probably contaminated or substituted with the seeds of this plant has been reported (8).

·         Lactating mothers should avoid consuming herbal tea contaminated with the seeds of this herb as it is a toxicity hazard to babies (8).

·         An extract from a solution made from either boiling its roots in water or from its pounded roots in water is drunk twice or thrice a day to treat yaws. An aqueous extract from its dried leaves exhibits gastropropective properties. A Juice extract from its leaves is applied onto wounds, sores, boils, gum-boils and facial pimples due to its antiseptic and anti inflammatory properties as a treatment. The compound alkaloid indicine exhibits anti tumor properties that act against carinosarcoma, leukemia and melanoma tumors, the plant also acts against human breast adenocarcinoma. Volatile oil extracts from its aerial parts exhibits activities that acts against tuberculosis. An infusion made from both its leaves and its young shoots is taken to treat nettle rash. A decoction made from its leaves is taken to expel parasitic worms. A solution made from boiling castor oil together with its leaves' juice extract is applied onto scorpion bites as a treatment. Its stem exhibits analgesic properties. An infusion made from its flowers when taken in large doses induces abortion whereas when taken in small doses it aids in regulating menstruation. It contains repellent properties that act as insecticides and anti feedant agents.

·         Plants are also astringent, emollient, vulnerary and diuretic. It is used as local application for ulcers, sores, wounds, gum boils, skin affections, stings of insects and rheumatism. Leaves are used for ringworm; juice is used in eye disease; decoction is used in fevers and urticaria. Roots are aphrodisiac; used for the cure of night blindness. Decoction of the roots is used in coughs and fevers. Seeds are stomachic. The flowers are considered emmenagogue in small doses and abortifacient in large doses (Yusuf et al. 2009).

Source: From Literature