International Journa l of Multidisciplinary Research and Develo pment

Volume :2, Issue :4, 602-605

April 2015 A Review on Phytochemical and Pharmacological
www.allsubjectjournal.com
e-ISSN: 2349-4182 status of Datura fastuosa Linn
p-ISSN: 2349-5979
Impact Factor: 3.762 Ganesh. S, Radha. R, Jayshree. N
Ganesh. S
Abstract
Department of Datura name derived from Sanskrit word “Dhutra” (divine inebriation) is used for its healing properties.
Pharmacognosy, Various species of Datura are known and widely employed for their medicinal and toxic properties that
College of Pharmacy are based upon more than 30 alkaloids. Traditional system of medicine enlightened the importance of
Madras Medical College, Datura fastuosa to have a great medicinal value. .Datura fastuosa is a much branched shrub cultivated
Chennai for its leaves although flowers, roots, fruits and seeds have also been used in traditional medicine. The
plant has been reported to have anti-microbial activity, anti-spasmodic, antioxidant, febrifuge,
Radha. R anthelmintic, emetic, leucoderma, skin disease, ulcers, bronchitis, jaundice and piles. The plant is
M.Pham, Ph.D. Assistat reported to contain Alkaloids (Scopolamine), triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and fatty
professor College of acids. This review gives an idea mainly on the pharmacognostical characteristics, traditional uses,
Pharmacy, MMC, Chennai Phytochemical and Pharmacological activities of the plant.
Jayshree. N Keywords: Alkaloids, Datuara fastuosa, scopolamine, flavonoids, phenolic compounds
Department of
Pharmacognosy,
1. Introduction
College of Pharmacy
Madras Medical College,
The therapeutic efficacies of many indigenous plants for various diseases have been described
Chennai by practitioners of traditional herbal medicines. Natural products are a significant source of
synthetic and traditional herbal medicine and are still the primary health care system[1]. Datura
fastuosa is also known as devil’s trumpet, angel’s trumpet, thorn apple, Indian apple, Datura
metel, purple Datura, garden Datura. It is a shrub or woody herb up to 2m in height that is
often grown as annual in temperate zones. The root, dried leaves and flowering tops have been
used in India for their narcotic and antispasmodic properties in the treatment of numerous
ailments and conditions. In ayurveda, the plant is considered bitter, acrid, astringent,
germicide, anodyne, antiseptic, antiphlogistic, narcotic and sedative. The leaves and seeds are
used in herbal medicine as antispasmodic, antitussive, bronchodilator and as hallucinogenic,
anodyne, anti-asthmatic. The plant finds itself useful in the treatment of diarrhea, skin
diseases, epilepsy, hysteria, rheumatic pains, hemorrhoids, painful menstruation, skin ulcers,
wounds and burns[2, 3].

Plant Profile
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Subdivision : Angiospermae
Class : Magnoliopsida
Sub class : Asterids
Order : Solanales
Family : Solanaceae
Genus : Datura
Species : Fastuosa

History
Correspondence:
The plant has a rich history of medicinal use and has been valued for centuries in Ayurvedic
Ganesh. S
Department of
and Unani systems of medicine. The plant is considered bitter, acrid, astringent, germicide,
Pharmacognosy, anodyne, antiseptic, antiphlogistic, narcotic and sedative. The leaves and seeds are used in
College of Pharmacy herbal medicine as antispasmodic, anti-tussive, bronchodilator, anodyne, anti-asthmatic and
Madras Medical College, hallucinogenic.
Chennai Datura is probably a native of America, but it has long been introduced and neutralized in
Asia, it is found in tropical, warm temperature regions of the old world, throughout the hill of
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India, up to an altitude of 8000 ft, and it is common in the as a standard drug for measurement of anti-inflammatory
north –western Himalayas[4]. Navajos chewed dried roots activity. All extracts showed significant activity at 200
reduce fever. Zunis made poultice from it to treat mg/kg dose as compared to Indomethacin (10 mg/kg) against
inflammation and bruises[5] carrageenan induced rat paw edema. The percentage
1966. In china it is known as “yangjinhua” and used for the inhibition was calculated and compared with all doses of
treatment of asthma, convulsions, pain and Rheumatism and different extracts, so it was concluded that ethanolic extract
psoriasis for clinical use [6]. In Italy it is used to remove lice having the higher significant anti-inflammatory activity [13].
from hen bundles. D.stramonium seeds are used for acne and
bronchitis. In sakarya province of North- West Turkey and Wound healing activity
locally called “Tatala” [7]. The ethanolic extract of Daturafastuosa Linn was evaluated
for the wound healing activity using Wistar Albino rats.
Plant Chemicals Daturafastuosa Linn commonly known as Karu-ummattai
The plant mainly contains alkaloids hyosyamine, hyoscine (Tamil) is distributed throughout India especially in wild
and atropine. The total alkaloid content of the leaves is places. It is official Datura herb in Indian pharmacopoeia.
0.426% mainly atropine. The seeds contain 0.426% The medico ethno botanical review of the plant Datura
hyoscyamine. The flower contains 0.43%. The whole plant fastuosa Linn reveals that in Siddha system, leaf extract was
of D. fastuosa contains scopolamine and atropine that used in skin disorder. As there is no systematic record on its
increases gradually with the progress of developmental wound-healing efficacy, the present work was taken up, to
growth, and are most pronounced when the plant is at the end justify the folklore claim in the treatment of wounds. The
of its reproduction stage. The root contains highest amount of wound healing study was carried out by Excision wound
atropine compared to the other parts. The aerial parts usually model. The extract is formulated as simple ointment at two
accumulates relatively higher amount of scopolamine and concentrations (5%w/w, 10%w/w). Nitofurazone ointment
relatively lower amounts of atropine as compared with the (0.2%w/w) is used as standard. The parameters analyzed are
root of the plant [8]. percentage wound closure, mean epithelization time,
A novel withanolide, daturilin, has been isolated from the hydroxyproline, DNA and protein level. The
alcohol soluble extract of the fresh leaves of Datura metel histopathological studies were also carried out on wound
and its structure established as 1-oxo-21, 24 s-epoxy- tissue. The result suggests that 10%w/w Daturafastuosa
(205,225) - with 2, 5, 25-trienoside through spectral studies ointment exhibit significant wound healing activity as that of
including 2DNMR [9].A new pentahroxywithanolide called the standard [14].
fastuosin F and several other known withanolides have been
isolated from the flowers of Datura fastuosa [10]. The Neuropsychopharmacological effect
structure of the new compound has been elucidated as The neuropsychopharmacological effects of aqueous extracts
5alpha, 6beta, 12delta, 21,27-penthahepdroxy-1-oxopwitha- of leaves and seeds of D.fastuosa, a solanaceae recently
2,2-dienol from comprehensive spectral analysis. The introduced in Congo as ornamental plant, were studied in rat
structure of two new C-21 oxygenated withanolide, and mice by oral administration using classical methods. The
withafastuosinD (1a) and (2a), isolated from the leaves of extracts of D. fastuosa were well tolerated by rats. No
Datura fastuosa, has been fully classified from chemical and mortality was observed up to 3200 mg kg -1. The leaf and
detailed spectral analysis. The isolation of fastusine seed extracts at doses of 400 and 800 mg kg -1 increased
scopolamine and betasitosterol has been isolated from fruits motor activity, reduced slightly the duration of barbituric
of D. fastuosa [11]. sleeping, antagonized catalepsy and ptosis induced by
haloperidol and the immobility induced by forced swimming.
Pharmacological potential D. fastuosa exhibited analgesic effect in acetic acid test with
Anti microbial test tolerance phenomenon in the leaf but not in the seed extracts.
The antimicrobial test of hydro-alcoholic and methanolic Only the leaf extract reduced rectal temperature,
seed extracts of Datura fastuosa L. was evaluated against apomorphine hypothermia and increased water intake. These
three clinical bacterial strains ( Escherichia coli, results showed that, at low doses, D. fastuosa has some
Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and two clinical antidepressant profile [15].
fungal strains ( Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger) by
tube dilution method. Both the plant extracts were found to Analgesic activity
be active against the tested micro-organisms. The methanolic The aqueous extracts of Datura fastuosa leaves and seeds
extract of D. fastuosa was found to inhibit bacterial strain, E. were evaluated for the analgesic effect on acetic acid-induced
coli effectively with minimum bactericidal concentration writhing and hot plate reaction in mice. According to the
(MBC) of 25 g/ml. The hydroalcoholic extract of D. fastuosa results, D. fastuosa leaves and seeds extracts at oral doses of
seeds was found to be more potent in terms of its bactericidal 400 and 800 mg/kg are effective as analgesic. The analgesic
concentration for B.subtilis with both minimum inhibitory activity of leaf extract is reduced by naloxone but not that of
concentration (MIC) and MBC values as 25 g/ml. Also, seed extract [16].
methanolic extract was found to be more efficient in
inhibiting S. aureus having MIC 12.5 g/ml [12]. Hypoglycemic activity
The seeds of D. fastuosa were evaluated for hypoglycemic
Anti-inflammatory activity and antihyperglycemic activities in normal wistar strain
The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated with the use of albino rats against diabetic rats and results were compared
carrageenan induced rat paw edema method by using Digital with gliclazide (0.56 mg/kg). a dose dependent
Plethysmometer. The study was carried out by using hypoglycemia was observed in animals treated with D.
administered dose of 50, 100, 150, 200 mg/kg of ethanolic fastuosa seed powder. A significant reduction in blood
and ethyl acetate extracts by orally. Indomethacin was used glucose of 22, 35, 31.89 and 34.26% was observed with

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doses of 25, 50 and 5mg/kg body weight, respectively. The Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi. The compound
dose dependent antihyperglycemic activity was also observed isolated from D.fastuosa leaves showed antibacterial activity
with D. fastuosa inalloxan- induced diabetic rats. The finding against Staphylococusaureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
results showed that D. fastuosa seed powder possessed blood Proteus mirabis, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis and
glucose lowering effect in normal glycemic and in alloxan- Klebsiella pneumonia but could not inhibit Escherichia coli
[21]
induced hyperglycemic rats. Thus the folk usage of the seeds
of D. fastuosa for controlling diabetes may be validated by
this study and the seeds offer promise for the development of Herbicidal activity
potent phytomedicine for diabetes [17]. D.fastuosa has been evaluated for herbicidal activity against
the noxious weed parthenium (Partheniumhysterophorus L.).
Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity The effect of aqueous, methanol and n-hexane shoot and root
D.fastuosais being traditionally used for the treatment of extracts of 5, 120, 15 and 20%w/v (on a fresh weight basis)
gout and related symptoms y the indigenous people of india. concentration of D.fastuosa were tested against the
The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity was evaluated for germination and seedling growth of P.hysterophorus. Both
D.fastuosa. More than 50% xanthine oxidase inhibitory aqueous and methanol extracts markedly suppressed the
activity (in vitro) was seen in the methanolic extracts germination and seedling growth of P.hysterophorus [22].
ofD.fastuosa when compared with the standard antigout
drug, allopurinol, and showed 93.21% inhibition at 100 Conclusion
µg/ml concentrations. In general, the methanolic extract was The present study shows the Phytochemical,
found to be more active compared to the aqueous and hydro pharmacological status of D.fastuosa. This extensive survey
alcoholic extracts. D.fastuosa was found to be safe up to of literature revealed that D.fastuosa is highly regarded as a
dosage of 2000 mg/kg body weight with no symptoms of remedy for most diseases in the herbal medicine with great
toxicity or mortality. The methanolic extract was also pharmacological activity spectrum. This versatile medicinal
screened for in vivo hypouricaemic activity against plant is the unique source of various types of chemical
potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricaemia in mice, but not compound, which are responsible of the various activities of
showed significant activity compared to the methanolic the plant. Hence extensive investigation is needed to exploit
extract of coccinia grandis and vitex negundo [18]. their therapeutic utility to combat diseases.

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