Ichnocarpus Frutescens: A Medicinal Plant with ... - ResearchGate

Indo Global Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2012; 2(1): 63-69 

Ichnocarpus Frutescens: A Medicinal Plant with Broad Spectrum 

Khushboo Chaudhary a* , Babita Aggarwal b , Rajeev K Singla c 

a 

Vaish Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Rohtak-124001, Haryana, India 

b 

Department of Pharmacognosy, HR Institute of Pharmacy, Gaziabad, U.P, India 

c 

Sadbhavna College of Management & Technology, Jalaldiwal(Raikot), Ludhiana, Punjab, India 

INDO GLOBAL JOURNAL OF 

PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 

ISSN 2249- 1023 

Address for Correspondance: khushboochaudhary88@gmail.com 

ABSTRACT: Ichnocarpus frutescens (Black Sariva), an indigenous plant belongs to family Apocyanaceae. According to 

ayurveda, the plant is having a broad spectrum of use as in atrophy, bleeding gums, convulsions, cough, delirium, dysentery, glossitis, 

heamaturia, measles etc.Literature data reveals the presence of phenylpropanoids, phenolic acids, coumarines, flavanoids, sterols and 

pentacyclic triterpenoids and found to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidiabetic, antioxidant and antitumor spectrum of activity. 

This review article tried to critically cover all the necessary aspects related of Ichnocarpus frutescens.© 2011 IGJPS. All rights 

reserved. 

KEYWORDS: Ichnocarpus frutescens; Apocyanaceae; Medicinal Plant; Pharmacological Uses. 

INTRODUCTION 

Ichnocarpus frutescens R. Br., commonly known as Black Sariva, is an important medicinal plant found through out the India, 

belonging to family Apocyanaceae[1]. Ichnocarpus frutescens considered as a substitute for Hemidesmus indicus (Indian 

Sarsaparilla)[2]. 

The botanical identification of plants is the most crucial and basic thing in pharmacognostic investigation of any medicinal 

plant. This will render all further studies on chemistry and pharmacology. 

Review of Plant Ichnocarpus frutescens R. Br. (Family- Apocyanaceae) 

1. Distribution 

This is a climbing plant, found almost in all parts of India, ascending to an altitude of 1200 m [3]. 

2. Vernacular Names [4] 

Assam Lamkandol, Paharukibandan 

Bengal Dudhi, Syamalota 

Dehradun Bel kamu 

Hindi 

Kalidudhi, Siamalata 

Kannad Karehambu 

63

Malayalam 

Marathi 

Oriya 

Sanskrit 

Tamil 

Telugu 

Paalvally 


Krishnasarwa, Kantebhouri 

Syamolota, Madhodi 

Syamlata, Sariva 

Udargodi 

Illukatte, Nalateage 

3. Morphology 

Ichnocarpus frutescens is a climbing shrub with rusty-tomentose branches. Leaves variable, opposite, elliptic-oblong or 

lanceolate, softly tomentose beneath, glabrous above. Flowers are purple or greenish-white, minute, borne in long terminal and 

axillary paniculate cymes. Fruits follicles, slender, cylindrical, curved. Seeds white with a coma [2]. 

4. Reported Phytoconstituents 

Studies on chemical constituents of the plant reveals the presence of phenylpropanoids, phenolic acids, coumarines, flavanoids, 

sterols and pentacyclic triterpenoids i.e. Δ 12 -dehydrolupanyl-3β-palmitate, lupeol acetate, friedelin, friedelinol, Δ 12 -dehydrolupeol, 

oleanolic acid, nonane, 5-hydroxyoctacosan-25-one, dotriacontanoic acid, sitosterol and sitosterol palmitate [5]. 

Stem contains α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-amyrin, 6, 8, 8-trimethylpentacosan-7-one[6], α-amyrin 

and its acetates, lupeol and its acetates, friedelin, epi-friedelinol and β-sitosterol [7], n-butyl oleate, n-octyl tetracontane, 

tetratriacontadiene, n-nonadecanyl benzoate, benzocosanyl arachidate[8] . 

Leaves contain flavones viz. apigenin and luteolin, glycoflavones i.e. vitexin and isovitexin, proanthocyanidin and phenolic acids, 

vanillic, syringic and synapic acid, protocatechuic acid[9]. Ursolic acid acetate, kaemferol, kaemferol-3-galactoside (trifolin) and 

mannitol were also identified from leaves[10]. 

Roots reported to consist of β-sitosterol[11] and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde[2]. 

Flowers contain quercetin and quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside[12]. 

STRUCTURES OF REPORTED PHYTOCONSTITUENTS 

OH 

OH 

HO 

O 

OH 

O 

OH 

O 

Quercetin 

O 

Lupeol 

64


OH 

OH 

HO 

O 

OH 

O 

O 

O 

OH 

H 

H 

H 

OH 

O 

OH 

OH 

H 

Quercetin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside 

Friedelin 

OH 

OH 

HO 

O 

HO 

O 

OH 

OH O 

Apigenin 

OH 

O 

Kaemferol 

OH 

HO 

OH 

OH 

O 

OH 

O 

HO 

OH 

O 

OH 

O 

HO 

Proanthocyanidin 

OH 

Vanillic acid 

65


HO 

O 

O 

O 

OH 

HO 

OH 

O 

O 

O 

Syringic acid 

Synapic acid 

OH 

HO 

O 

Protocatechuic acid 

OH 

HO 

O 

O 

2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde 

OH 

OH 

HO 

OH 

O 

H 

H 

H 

OH 

O 

OH 

O 

HO 

OH 

H 

Vitexin 

Epi-friedelinol 

66

HO 


HO 

O 

OH 

HO 

O 

OH 

OH 

OH 

HO 

O 

OH 

O 

OH 

Iso-vitexin 

OH 

O 

Luteolin 

H 

H 

OH 

OH 

H 

O 

H 

O 

HO 

H 

HO 

Oleanolic acid 

Ursolic acid 

HO 

HO 

H 

α-amyrin 

β-sitosterol 

67


O 

Rham O Glu 

α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-amyrin 

PHARMACOLOGICAL USES 

Leaves and roots of I. frutescens are considered to be an important drug in the indigenous system of medicine, used as a substitute for 

Indian Sarasparilla (Hemidesmus indicus). 

Chloroform and methanolic extracts of whole plant of I. frutescens are reported to posses the hepatoprotective and 

antioxidant activity[13]. 

Methanolic extract of roots of I. frutescens has been reported for anti inflammatory and analgesic activities[14]. Aqueous 

extract of roots posses antidiabetic activity in Streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type-II diabetes in rats[15]. 

Hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of I. frutescens shows anti inflammatory activity[16] and also posses α-Glucosidase inhibitory and 

in-vitro antioxidant activities. Polyphenolic extract of leaves is reported to posses activity against tumors[17]. 

Medicinal Uses 

Whole plant is used as tribal medicine in atrophy, bleeding gums, convulsions, cough, delirium, dysentery, glossitis, heamaturia, 

68


measles, night blindness, relieves pain due to insect bites, splenomegaly and tuberculosis. Plant is also used in abdominal and 

glandular tumors. 

Roots are used as a substitute for Indian Sarasparilla (Hemidesmus indicus) as alterative, antidysentric, antipyretic, 

demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic, hypoglycemic and tonic; beneficial in anorexia, leucorrhea, skin diseases, syphilis and urinary 

calculi. 

Warm leaves are applied by the tribes of Rajasthan, on the swelling to cure guinea worm infection. Decoction of leaves and 

stems is used in fever and skin eruption[1,2,4] 

REFERENCES 

1. The Wealth of India, A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and industrial products’, NISCOM, New Delhi, Vol. 3, pp. 330 (2002). 

2. Chatterjee A. and Pakrashi S. (2003) ‘The Treatise of Indian Medicinal Plants’, NISCAIR, New Delhi, Vol. 4, pp. 110-112. 

3. Medicinal Plants of India’, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, Vol. 2, pp. 62-64, (1987). 

4. Ambasta S. P. (1999) ‘Useful Plants of India’, NISCOM, New Delhi, pp. 283. 

5. Verma R. K., Singh N. and Gupta M. M.(1987), ‘Triterpenoids of Ichnocarpus frutescens’, Fitoterapia, Vol. LVIII (4), pp. 271-272. 

6. Minchona P. K. and Tandon R. N. (1980), ‘A New Triterpene Glycoside from the Stems of Ichnocarpus frutescens’, Phytochemistry, 

19, pp. 2053-2055. 

7. Lakshmi D. K. M., Rao E. V. and Rao D. V. (1985), ‘Triterpenoid Constituents of Ichnocarpus frutescens’, Indian Drugs, 22(10), pp. 

552-53. 

8. Babita Aggarwal, Mohd Ali, Vijender Singh, Rajeev K Singla. Isolation & Characterization of Phytoconstituents from the Stems of 

Ichnocarpus frutescens. Chinese Journal of Natural Medicine. 2010; 8(6):0401-0404. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1009.2010.00401 

9. Daniel M. and Sabnis S. D. (1978), Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 16, pp. 512. 

10. Khan M. S. Y., Javed K. and Khan M. H. (1995), ‘Chemical Constituents of the Leaves of Ichnocarpus frutescens R. Br.’, Journal of 

Chemical Society, 72, pp. 65-66. 

11. Khastir H. N. and Sengupta P. (1960), ‘Investigation on Ichnocarpus frutescens R. Br.’, Journal of Applied Chemistry, 23(2), pp. 111- 

112. 

12. Singh R. P. and Singh R. P. (1987), ‘Flavanoids of the Flowers of Ichnocarpus frutescens’, Journal of Indian Chemical Society, 

64(11), pp. 715-716. 

13. Tapan K. M. et. al. (2007), ‘Evaluation of Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activity of Ichnocarpus frutescens (Linn.) R. Br. on 

Paracetamol-induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats’, Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 6(3), pp. 755-765. 

14. Pandurangan A., Khosa R. L. and Hemalatha S. (2008), ‘Antiinflammatory and Analgesic Activity of Ichnocarpus frutescens’, 

Pharmacologyonline, 1, pp. 392-399. 

15. Barik R., Jain S., Qwatra D., Joshi A., Tripathi G. S. and Goyal R.(2008), ‘Antidiabetic Activity of Aqueous Root Extract of 

Ichnocarpus frutescens in Streptozotocin-nicotinamide Induced Type-II Diabetis in Rats’, Indian Journal of Pharmacology, 40(1), pp. 

19-22 

16. Kumarappan C. T., Rabish C. and Mandal S. C. (2006), ‘Antiinflammatory Activity of Ichnocarpus frutescens’, Pharmacologyonline, 

3, pp. 201-216. 

17. Kumarappan C. T. and Mandal S. C. (2007), ‘Antitumor Activity of Polyphenolic Extract of Ichnocarpus frutescens’, Experimental 

Oncology, 29(2), pp. 94-101. 

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