INTRODUCTION:

The genus Lippia belongs to the family Verbenaceae. Itis a large genus of shrubs or undershrubs, rarely herbs, distributed chiefly in tropical and subtropical America. A few species are found in the tropics of the old world. Five species occur in India of which one is ornamental¹. Lippia nodiflora (Linn.) Richsyn. Phyla nodiflora (Linn.) Greene², is a creeping perennial herb, stems rooting at the nodes and is much branched³. It is known for its rampant growth, growing in upper Gangetic plains, Ceylon, all tropical, warm temperate and the Mediterranean regions⁴. L. nodiflora characteristically grows in maritime areas or near rivers, showing a strong preference for wet grassy places⁵. In the present mini review article multiple pharmacological activity of the plant and the phyto-chemical survey of other species of genus Lippia is presented here.

Classification of the Plant:

Kingdom : Plantae

Division : Magnoliophyta

Class : Magnoliopsida

Order : Lamialas

Family : Verbenaceae

Genus : Lippia

Species : Nodiflora

Pharmacological properties:

L. nodiflora is a allelopathic plant, it produces compounds capable of inhibiting the growth of other plants. The extract of the plant reduces the radical length of lettuce seedlings, suggesting the presence of allelochemicals⁶. The plant is acrid, cooling, aphrodisiac, astringent to the bowels, stomachic, vulnerary, anthelmintic, alexiteric; useful in diseases of the heart, the blood, the eye; improves taste; good for ulcers, wounds, burning sensation, asthma, bronchitis, thirst, loss of consciousness (Ayurveda). The plant is hot and dry_;diuretic, maturant; useful in fevers and colds, in urinary concretions (Yunani)⁷. The whole plant is valued as a diuretic and is reported in the indigenous system of medicine to be useful in the treatment of the diseases of heart, asthma and bronchitis^{8, 9}. The tender stalks and leaves are slightly bitter, and prescribed in the form of an infusion to children suffering from indigestion and to women after delivery. The leaves are antispasmodic, expectorant, laxative and febrifuge. A poultice composed of the fresh plant is applied as a good suppurant (maturant) for boils, swollen cervical glands, erysipelas and chronic intolerant ulcers. Honigberger considered it valuable in ischury, stoppage of the bowels and pain in the knee–joint. It is used in Bombay as a demulcent in cases of gonorrhoea. In La Reunion, the plant is used as a diuretic⁷. The plant also considered useful in lithiasis and piles². Chopra and co–workers¹⁰ have reported the presence of a bitter principle and potassium nitrate in the plant which might be responsible for its diuretic property.

The 50 percent ethanolic extract of L. nodiflora (whole plant) showed anti- plasmodic activity in isolated guinea pig ileum. The LD₅₀ 0f the extract in mice was >1000 mg / kg i.p.^{11, 12}. The extract of powdered L. nodiflora (whole plant) revealed a mild degree of CNS stimulation in very high doses, direct myocardial depression in frog^,s perfused heart in situ, and in dog. The extract also had a hypotensive activity in dogs. On the smooth muscles, the extract produced slight relaxation and antagonized the effects of acetylcholine, histamine, posterior pituitary extract and barium chloride. The extract showed significant anti-inflammatory effect in rats as revealed by granuloma pouch, cotton pellet implantation and rat hind pawoedema tests. The extract was devoid of analgesic effect in rats^{13, 17}. The other species L.alba¹⁴ is used as a sage in cookery. Leaves are used as vegetable in Khasi hills. They are considered stomachic and nervine in some parts of Brazil and Paraguay. L.citriodora¹⁵is the source of the true oil of verbena. The leaves are used for flavoring beverages, desserts, fruit salads and jellies, for seasoning food. They are also used in sachets. A decoction of leaves and flowers is given as febrifuge, sedative and anti – flatulent (Mu en sher andRice, 79- 80; Steinmetz, ii, 467).

Phytochemical survey on the different species of genus Lippia:

A perusal of literature revealed that four species of this genus, viz., Lippia javanica, L. citriodora, L. turbinate, L. nodiflora have been examined phytochemically. The phytochemicals these species of this genus are given below:

1. Lippia alba (Mill.) syn. L. germinate H.B., L. javanica :

Its leaves yielded stearic, palmitic, myristic, oleic, arachidic, behenic and lignoceric acids along with higher hydrocarbons n-nonacosane to n-pentatriacontane. The essential oil of plant showed a high content of citral (64.6%), neral (28.2%) and geranial (36.4%). The oil exhibited strong antifungal activity against Tricophyton mentagrophytes interdigitable and Candida albicans¹⁷. γ-Terpine(46.71%), p-cymene (8.65%), β-caryophyllene (7.23%), myrcene (1.32%), geraniol (0.69%) and neral (0.39%) were also determined in essential oil. From leaf oil camphor (18.20%), 1, 8-cineol (16.5%), and β-cubebene (6.9%)have been isolated¹³. The essential oil of L. alba from Brazil is largely composed of β-caryophyllene (24.3%) 1, geranial (12.9%), neral (9.6%) and 2-undecanone¹⁸. The chemical composition of essential oil from the same species varies from place to place. From Argentina the same species consist of d-limonene and 1-piperitone¹⁹. The iridoid glucoside theveside-Na 2 and theviridoside 3 is also reported in L. javanica and L. turbinate²⁰.

Figure 1: Phytochemicals from Lippia javanica

2. L. citriodora H.B.:

Phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids and mucilage were detected in plant²¹. Stigmasterol, its acetate, β-amyrin, β- sitosterol, their acetates have been isolated from its stem. Its leaves yielded salvigenin, eupatorin, eupafolin, luteolin 4, 6-hydroxy luteolin 5 (Figure 2)luteolin-7-0- β-glucoside, hispidulin, cirsimaritin, diosmatin, chrysoeriol, apigenin, pectolinarigenin and cirsiliol.

Figure 2: Phytochemicals from Lippia citriodora H.B.

3. L. nodiflora (Linn.) Mich syn. Phyla nodiflora (Linn.) Greene :

The flavones nodifloretin²²6, lippiflorin 5, lippiflorin A, lippiflorin B²³, nepetin and 6-hydroxylutiolin-7-o-apioside have been isolated from the whole plant²⁴. The aerial parts of a Spanish collection of L. nodiflora contained 15 flavonoids, 3 flavone aglycones and 12 flavone sulphates. No flavonoid glycoside was detected. The plant yielded free aglycones nepetin (6-methoxyluteolin)7, jaceosidin (6-methoxyluteolin 3’-methyl ether) 8, and hispidulin (6-methoxyapigenin). The flavone monosulphates jaceosidin 7-sulphate, nepetin 7-sulphate, hispidulin 7-sulphate, hispidulin 4’-sulphate, 6-hydroxyluteolin 7-sulphate, 6-hydroxyluteolin 6-sulphate and nodifloretin 7-sulphate have been isolated. Five flavone disulphates 6-hydroxyluteolin and nodifloretin 6, 7-disulphates,nepetin 3’, 4’-disulphate, hispidulin 7, 4’-disulphate and jaceosidin 7, 4’-disulphate were also identified in L. nodiflora⁵.

Figure 3: Phytochemicals from Lippia nodiflora (Linn.) Mich

The crystalline glucosides nodiflorin-A, nodiflorin-B and a number of sugars; lactose, maltose, glucose, fructose and xylose have been isolated from the plant⁹. A quinol glucoside cornoside 10 (Figure 3)has been reported in the plant²⁰.

CONCLUSION:

Lippia nodiflora is a ground cover plant in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world. It is gathered from the wild for local domestic medicinal use. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant. Although it produces allelopathic compounds but it also exhibits multiple pharmacological activities. Flavones and sterols are the characteristic secondary metabolites of the species. These different phyto-chemicals might be responsible for the various pharmacological properties.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Author is thankful to Prof. Pahup Singh (Emeritus Scientist), Department of Chemistry, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur for his kind guidance.

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Received on 13.09.2017 Modified on 04.11.2017

Asian J. Research Chem. 2018; 11(1):176-178.

DOI:10.5958/0974-4150.2018.00036.6