Bhattacharjee D et. al.

JAPHR, 2011, Volume1, Issue 3 Review article

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Journal of Advances in Pharmacy and Healthcare Research

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ISSN 2231-6817
Clerodendrum Infortunatum Linn. : A Review
Debayan Bhattacharjee*, Arup Das, Sreemoy Kanti Das, G.S Chakraborthy
Department of Pharmacognosy, Himalayan Pharmacy Institute,
Majhitar, Sikkim-737132

Key words: Abstract:

Clerodendron infortunatum Clerodendron infortunatum Linn. (Verbenaceae) is an important and widely used medicinal
Clerodin, plant, reported to contain active bitter substance like clerodin, has been widely used as tonic and
Antidiabetes,
Unani, anthelmintic agent in the country sides of North India. Though, variously used in Ayurveda,
Homeopathy, Unani system of medicine and Homeopathy in case of ailments like diarrhoea, skin disorders,
Clerosterol.
venereal and scrofulous complaints, wounds, post-natal complications, as vermifuge, laxative
and cholagogue, for the removal of ascarids in anus, as external applications on tumours, etc.,
the plant needs thorough investigation for its specific medicinal activity. Leaves and roots are

Corresponding author: used for external applications on tumours are due to the presence of Clerodolone, Clerodone,
Dept. of Pharmacognosy, Clerodol and a sterol now designated as Clerosterol. Leaves and root extract is useful for the
Himalayan Pharmacy
Institute, Majhitar, treatment of fresh wound. Percentage of haemoglobin increased due to leaf extract. Piles patient
Sikkim-737132 treated with leaf extract gives considerable relief. Sugar percentage reduced in diabetic patient.
E-mail-
[email protected] Slightly warm leaves applied with edible oil on the painful part of human body gives
considerable relief within twelve hours. Seven sugars namely raffinose, lactose, maltose,
sucrose, glactose, glucose and fructose were also identified from root extract. Pollen viability
was assessed on the basis of hanging drop method. Reproductive success was assessed on the
basis of fruit and seed set.

Introduction: blunt quadrangular sterns and branches, leaves are

Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. (Family: usually three at a node, sometimes opposite oblong
Verbanaceae), Bhat in Hindi, Ghentu in Bengali, or elliptic, serrate, flowers are blue, many in long
Bhania in Oriya) is a terrestrial shrub having cylindrical thyrsus and the fruits are four lobed
square, blackish stem and simple, opposite, purple durpe, somewhat succulent with one pyrene
(4)
decussate, petiolate, exstipulate, coriacious, hairy in each lobe . The plant is common throughout
(1,2)
leaves with a disagreeable odour The shrub is the plains of India found widely in West Bengal
of 2-4 feet in height(3). Flowers are bluish-purple (5)
.Different species of Clerodendrum genus have
often white in pyramid shaped terminal panicles. been traditionally used over centuries and their
The plant is slightly woody shrub in nature with antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential have

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Bhattacharjee D et. al. JAPHR, 2011, Volume1, Issue 3 Review article

Fig.1: Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn

already been proved. Various parts of the plant are (Jorn.Ind.chem.society.1967,44,549). Previous
used by tribes in colic, scorpion sting and snake phytochemical investigation of the plant revealed
bite, tumors and certain skin diseases. The leaves the presence of alkyl sterols and 2,-(3, 4-
are slightly bitter, cure inflammation, skin diseases dehydroxyphenyl) ethanol 1-O-α-2
and good in small pox(6).The plant parts are also rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-(4-O-caffeoyl)
(5)
used in Indian folk medicine in the treatment of glycopyranoside (acteoside) in this plant . The
bronchitis, asthma, fever, diseases of the blood, plant was also found to contain triterpenes, steroids
(5)
inflammation, burning sensation and epilepsy . and flavonoids (6).
The plant was found to contain triterpenes, steroids Recent pharmacological studies:
and flavonoids. The antioxidant, antimicrobial, Antimicrobial activity:
anti-malaria, anthelmintic and analgesic activities Ethanolic extracts of Clerodendron infortunatum
of the plant have further created an upsurge in showed significant activity against four clinical
investigations on the plant (6). strains of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus
Phytochemical aspect: subtilis, Proteus vulgaris, and E.coli. The standard
Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. leaves on drug used was tetracycline (100 mcg/ml).Three
preliminary chemical analysis were found to strains of fungi namely Aspergillus niger,
contain saponin, clerodin (a bitter diterpene) 4, 6 Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans. In both
and some enzymes. Leaves also contain a fixed oil the cases, the ethanolic extracts at dose
which consists of Glycerides of Lenoleic, oleic, concentration of 500 mcg/ml showed significant
stearic and lignoceric acid.Luperol and β-sitosterol antimicrobial activity (7).
from roots.Clerosterol identified as 5, 25- Anthelmintic activity:
sigmastadien_3β-ol,clerodolone as lup_20(30)-en- Alcohol and aqueous extracts from the leaves of
3β-diol-12-one and clerodone as 3β-hydroxy- cleodendrum infortunatum were investigated for
lupan-12-one and a steroidal glycoside from roots their anthelmintic activity against pheretima

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posthuma and five concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20 Swiss albino mice. SN1 was administered ip at
and 25 mg/ml) of each extracts were studied in doses of 30, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg and standard
activity, which involved the determination of time drug used were aspirin, paracetamol and morphine
of paralysis and time of death of the worm. Both sulphate. In hot plate method, SN not only
the extracts exhibited significant anthelmintic produced analgesia in mice but also potentiated the
(5)
activity at highest concentration of 100 mg/ml . analgesic action of pentazocine and aspirin (8).
Hepatoprotective activity: Anticonvulsant activity:
Methanolic extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum Saponin (SN) was isolated from Clerodendrum
Linn. were studied against carbon tetrachloride infortunatum leaves also showed anticonvulsant
induced hepatotoxicity in rats. This study was activity.The anticonvulsant activity was tested by
evaluated by assaying the serum biochemical leptazol induced seizures. SN was administered ip
parameters like glutamate pyruvate transaminase in different doses (20-100) mg/kg body weight. It
(ALT), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase was observed that SN decreased the duration of
(AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin and seizures and gave protection in a dose dependent
total protein. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, as manner against leptazol induced convulsions. The
well as reduced glutathione (GSH) content and results suggested that the saponin (SN) has
catalase activity (CAT) was determined. The significanant anticonvulsant effect (8).
substantially elevated serum enzymatic levels of Wound healing activity:
AST (SGOT), ALT (SGPT), ALP and total Chloroform and ethanolic extracts of
bilirubin were restored towards normalization Clerodendrum infortunatum were prepared and
significantly by the extract. The hepatoprotective assessed to evaluate its wound-healing potency in
activity of the methanolic extract was further experimental rats. For topical application, 4%
supported by histological studies as the normal rats (w/w) ointment cream bases of petroleum ether,
did not show any abnormal state in their liver chloroform and ethanolic extracts were prepared
architecture. The results of this study revealed that and investigated for the wound healing activity.
methanol extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum Significant wound healing was observed in animals
has moderate hepatoprotective activity. The treated with chloroform and ethanol extracts,
hepatoprotective activity of the methanolic extract similar to the reference standard drug
of Clerodendrum infortunatum may due to the Nitrofurazone. The chloroform and ethanol extracts
presence of flavonoids,terpenoids and saponins in showed significant results compared with the
the extract. (6). control. The presence of bioactive constituents,
Analgesic activity: including flavonoids, is thought to promote the
Saponin (SN) isolated from Clerodendrum wound-healing process due to their antioxidant and
infortunatum leaves exhibited protection from antimicrobial activities (9).
writhing induced by 1.2% v/v acetic acid in Adult

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Antioxidant activity: Compound from Clerodendrum viscosum Vent. Assam

University Journal of Science & Technology: Biological
Ethanolic extract of leaves of Clerodendrum Sciences Vol. 4( I), 2009, pp: 29-34.

infortunatum were examined for their antioxidant 5. Ashish Modi J., Khadabadi S. S., Deore S. L, In vitro
Anthelmintic Activity of Clerodendrum infortunatum,
effects at various concentrations(0.020-0.10)mg/ml International Journal of PharmTech Research,Vol.2(1), Jan-
in the DPPH radical scavenging assay, (20-100) Mar 2010, pp: 375-377.

mcg/ml in FRAP assay (Ferric Reducing 6. Sannigrahi Santanu, Mazumder Upal Kanti, Pal
Dilipkumar, Mishra Silpi Lipsa Hepatoprotective potential of
Antioxidant Power) in comparison to Vitamin C in methanol extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. against
CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats, Vol : 5( 20), 2009, pp:
same conc. Respectively. The ethanolic extracts 394-399.
were also examined for the Hydrogen peroxide 7. Modi Ashish J., Khadbadi S.S., Farooqui I.A., Ghorpade
radical scavenging assay. The results of the study D.S., Studies on antimicrobial activity of Clerodendrum
infortunatum, Argyreia nervosa and Vitex negundo: A
revealed that the plant extract has significant comparison, Scholars Research Library, Der Pharmacia
Lettre,Vol: 2(1),2010,pp: 102-105
antioxidant activity (10).
8. Analgesic and anticonvulsant effects of saponin isolated
from the leaves of Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. in mice.
Pal Dilipkumar, Sannigrahi Santanu & Mazumder Upal kanti,
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