A Review on Pharmacological Activities of Abutilon Crispum (Linn)

Herbal medicine is the oldest type of healthcare known to mankind. Herbs have been employed by every society throughout history. It was an essential component of the evolution of modern civilization. The plant and its parts are the vital source which supplies nutrients, clothes, shelter, and drugs. Most of the medicinal usage of plants appears to have evolved from observation and application in animals by trial and error. Over time, each tribe expanded its knowledge base to include the medical properties of the herbs in their area. Many medications available today are of herbal origin. Herbal medications are used in a wide range of medical applications, including the treatment for common colds to cancer. The herbal medicinal lore was passed down from generation to generation through word of mouth¹.

Abutilon crispum (Linn) belonging to family Malvaceae is trailing perennial, weak, shrub, The plant common distribution in the shady forest undergrowth on hilly slopes. Found in throughout India, It is known as Nelabenda in local area². The plant finds its application in the traditional system of medicine. In India the Plant is used in the treatment of asthma, piles, ulcers, cough, jaundice and diabetics by tribal people of Andhra Pradesh and fruits are used in the treatment of piles in Tamilnadu³. Since the plant is reported to have many medicinal uses, the authors have taken up the plant Abutilon crispum to give scientific evidence and so was evaluated for anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic activities.

Anti-Oxidant Activity:

Antioxidants are chemicals that prevent oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals, resulting in chain reactions that can harm cells inorganisms. In laboratory trials, antioxidant molecules have been found to reduce oxidative stress. However, it is debatable if taking excessive doses of antioxidants in supplement form is beneficial to one's health. There is also some concern that taking antioxidant supplements in large doses could be dangerous. Fruits and vegetables are antioxidant-rich foods. No concerns have been raised about the safety of any amount of antioxidants in food.

Antioxidants are commonly mentioned in discussions about maintaining good health and preventing disease. These strong chemicals, which are primarily found in fresh fruits and vegetables, inhibit the oxidation of other molecules in the body. Antioxidants are extremely beneficial to good health because if free radicals are not challenged, they can cause a variety of ailments and chronic diseases.

The human body naturally manufactures free radicals and antioxidants to combat their harmful effects. However, in most circumstances, free radicals significantly outnumber natural antioxidants. To maintain the equilibrium, a constant supply of exogenous oxidants is required in order to reap the full benefits of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body by neutralising and eliminating free radicals from the bloodstream.  Nature contains a diverse range of antioxidants, and because of this, different antioxidants help different sections of the body. For example, beta-carotene is highly useful for eye health; lycopene is beneficial for helping preserve prostate health; flavonoids are especially beneficial for heart health; and proanthocyanins are beneficial for urinary tract health.

Antioxidants And Skin Health Benefits

When skin is exposed to high quantities of ultraviolet radiation, photooxidative damage occurs due to the creation of many forms of reactive oxygen species, such as singlet oxygen, peroxide radicals. These kinds of reactive oxygen damage cellular lipids, proteins and DNA are thought to be the principal causes of erythema, premature skin ageing.

Astaxanthin, followed by beta-carotene and vitamin E, has been demonstrated to be one of the most effective antioxidant combinations for protecting the skin from reactive oxygen species⁴.

Anti-Diabetic Activity:

Diabetes :

A condition in which sugars, polymers of amino acids, and lipid metabolism is inadequately regulated as a result of a relative or absolute lack of insulin production, insulin resistance, or both at one or more locations in the complicated hormone action pathways⁵. It is an inherited or acquired inability to transfer sugar from the bloodstream into cells. Without enough insulin, the body's cells are unable to absorb enough glucose from the blood; as a result, blood glucose levels rise, a condition known as hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can harm vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, eyes, nerves, heart, and blood vessels⁶. Diabetes mellitus is a clinically and hereditarily diverse set of illnesses distinguished by abnormally high amounts of glucose in the blood. Hyperglycemia can be caused by a lack of insulin secretion, resistance to insulin, or a combination of both. Carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism are often disrupted. Glucose metabolism involves the small intestine, pancreas, muscle cells, and liver. If any problem with any of these diabetes organs, it can lead to a deficiency in glucose metabolism and the development of diabetes. Polydipsia, Polyuria, and Polyphagia are the characteristic signs of diabetes. Polydipsia, or extreme thirst, is a way of replenishing the water content of tissues that have been depleted by Polyuria. Polyuria is caused by the amount of glucose in circulating blood, and the accumulation of ketone bodies in the blood serves as a diuretic. Insulin- dependent diabetic symptoms can develop quickly in youngsters, but type 2 diabetes symptoms may be modest or absent⁷.

Complications Of Diabetes Mellitus :

Diabetes complications classified as microvascular disease and macro vascular disease, Individuals with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have a stroke. Young people with diabetes have heart disease death rates that are two to four times higher than adults without diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of innovative blindness in persons aged 20-74. Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure, responsible for 45 percentages of new cases in 2009. Diabetes accounted for more than 65 percentages of limb and foot amputations that were not caused by accidents or injuries. Nearly 80% of diabetic patients suffer from hypertension, whereas 5-25% of hypertensive people are diabetes. Diabetics are more likely to have high blood pressure, which has been shown to exacerbate their cardiovascular problems⁸.

Streptozotocin (Stz) Induced Diabetes Mechanism

Streptozotocin enters the B cell via a glucose transporter (GLUT2) and causes alkylation of DNA. DNA damage induces activation of poly ADP-ribosylation, a process that is more important for the diabetogenicity of streptozotocin than DNA damage itself. Poly ADP-ribosylation leads to depletion of cellular NAD+ and ATP. Enhanced ATP dephosphorylation after streptozotocin treatment supplies asubstrate for xanthine oxidase resulting in the formation of superoxide radicals. Consequently, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals are also generated. Furthermore, streptozotocin liberates toxic amounts of nitric oxide that inhibitsaconitase activity and participates in DNA damage. As a result of the streptozotocin action, B cells undergo the destruction by necrosis⁹.

Diabetes Mellitus Treatment And Management :

Diabetes treatment aims to lower and control blood glucose levels, as well as to reduce illness symptoms and consequences. Diabetes is best treated and managed through food and exercise; alternatively, diet combined with herbal or oral hypoglycemic medicines or insulin. It has been demonstrated that weight loss and increased daily energy expenditure reduce insulin resistance and improve glucose tolerance. In reality, guidance on nutrition and exercise are an important element of the treatment for type 2 diabetes¹⁰.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity:

Inflammation:

Inflammation is defined as the local response of living mammalian tissuses to injury from any agent. It is  a body defence reaction in order to eliminate or limit the spread of injurious agent, followed by removal of the necrosed cells and tissuses¹¹.

Moa Of Anti- Inflammatory Agents

The main mechanism of action of NSAIDs is the inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX). Cyclooxygenase is required to convert arachidonic acid into thromboxanes, prostaglandins, and prostacyclins¹². The therapeutic effects of NSAIDs are attributed to the lack of these eicosanoids. Specifically, thromboxanes play a role in platelet adhesion, prostaglandins cause vasodilation, increase the temperature set-point in the hypothalamus, and play a role in anti-nociception.  There are two cyclooxygenase isoenzymes, COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 gets constitutively expressed in the body, and it plays a role in maintaining gastrointestinal mucosa lining, kidney function, and platelet aggregation. COX-2 is not constitutively expressed in the body; and instead, it inducibly expresses during an inflammatory response. Most of the NSAIDs are nonselective and inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2. However, COX-2 selective NSAIDs (ex. celecoxib) only target COX-2 and therefore have a different side effect profile. Importantly, because COX-1 is the prime mediator for ensuring gastric mucosal integrity and COX-2 is mainly involved in inflammation, COX-2 selective NSAIDs should provide anti-inflammatory relief without compromising the gastric mucosa¹³.

Plant Profile

Scientific Classification Of Abutilon Crispum

Kingdom : Plantae

Clade : Tracheophytes

Clade : Angiosperms                                                 

Clade : Eudicots

Clade : Rosids

Order : Malvales

Family : Malvaceae

Genus : Herissantia                                                                     

Species : H. crispa