Chemical Composition, Pharmacological Activities and Biofuel Production of Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth): A Review

Abstract

Eichhornia crassipes is one of the free floating macrophytes with substantial damaging effects on aquatic environment and economic development. It is listed as one of the most productive plants on earth and among the top ten world’s worst aquatic plants. Several metabolites such as vitamins, terpenoids, phenolic acids, lignins, stilbens, alkaloids and sterols have been reported from the plant. This review endeavors to provide a comprehensive and up to date compilation of documented chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and renewable energy profile of water hyacinth. The plant demonstrated wide spectrum of uses including biofuel production, medicinal function, vermicomposting, compost production and bioremediation. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antiaging, DPPH radical scavenging, hepatoprotective and antibacterial functions are well documented medicinal uses of the plant of which tremendous antioxidant and antibacterial activities were noticed. On the other hand, clogging of waterways, breeding grounds for pests and disease, reduction of water quality, loss of biodiversity and economic recession in invaded areas are negative aspects associated with it. The present review therefore discusses the chemical makeups, pharmacological and renewable energy aspects of the weed.

Keywords

• Biofuel
• Eichhornia crassipes
• Pharmacological activities
• Renewable energy

References

1. 1. Maitera O, Khan M, James T. Phytochemical analysis and the chemotherapeutics of leaves and stem-bark of Nauclea latifolia grown in Hong, Adamawa State Nigeria. Asian Journal of Plant Sciences. 2011;1(3):16-22.
2. 2. Thamaraiselvi P, Jayanthi P. Preliminary studies on phytochemicals and antimicrobial activity of solvent extracts of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms. Asian Journal of Plant Science and Research. 2012;2(2):115-22.
3. 3. Lata N, Dubey V. Preliminary phytochemical screening of Eichhornia crassipes: the world’s worst aquatic weed. Journal of pharmacy Research. 2010;3(6):1240-2.
4. 4. Anuja S, Aggarwal NK, Anita S, Anita Y. Beyond biocontrol: water hyacinth-opportunities and challenges. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 2016;9(1):26-48.
5. 5. Lara-Serrano JS, Rutiaga-Quiñones OM, López-Miranda J, Fileto-Pérez HA, Pedraza-Bucio FE, Rico-Cerda JL, et al. Physicochemical characterization of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms). BioResources. 2016;11(3):7214-23.
6. 6. Jayanthi P, Lalitha P, Shubashini KS. Phytochemical investigation of the extracts of Eichhornia crassipes and its solvent fractionates. Journal of Pharmacy Research. 2011;4(5):1405-6.
7. 7. Lalitha P, Sripathi SK, Jayanthi P. Secondary metabolites of Eichhornia crassipes (waterhyacinth): a review (1949 to 2011). Natural product communications. 2012;7(9):1934578X1200700939.
8. 8. Lata N, Huma A, Sumana D, Veenapani D. Antioxidants of Eichhornia crassipes: the world's worst aquatic plant. Journal of Pharmacy Research. 2010;3(9):2105-6.

9. 9. Aboul-Enein AM, Shanab SM, Shalaby EA, Zahran MM, Lightfoot DA, El-Shemy HA. Cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of active principals isolated from water hyacinth against four cancer cells lines. BMC complementary and alternative medicine. 2014;14(1):1-11.
10. 10. Fileto-Pérez HA, Rutiaga-Quiñones OM, Sytsma MD, Lorne IM, Luo W, Pankow JF, et al. GC/MS analysis of some extractives from Eichhornia crassipes. BioResources. 2015.
11. 11. Verma VK, Prakash O, Kumar RSR, Rani KV, Sehgal N. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) leaves enhances disease resistance in Channa punctata from Vibrio harveyi infection. The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology. 2021;82(1):1-11.
12. 12. Bartfay WJ, Bartfay E, Johnson JG. Gram-negative and gram-positive antibacterial properties of the whole plant extract of willow herb (Epilobium angustifolium). Biological Research for Nursing. 2012;14(1):85-9.
13. 13. Lavecchia T, Rea G, Antonacci A, Giardi MT. Healthy and adverse effects of plant-derived functional metabolites: the need of revealing their content and bioactivity in a complex food matrix. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2013;53(2):198-213.
14. 14. Marasini BP, Baral P, Aryal P, Ghimire KR, Neupane S, Dahal N, et al. Evaluation of antibacterial activity of some traditionally used medicinal plants against human pathogenic bacteria. BioMed research international. 2015;2015.
15. 15. Valenzuela B, Imarai M, Torres R, Modak B. Immunomodulatory effects of the aromatic geranyl derivative filifolinone tested by the induction of cytokine expression. Developmental & Comparative Immunology. 2013;41(4):675-82.
16. 16. Vadlapudi V. In vitro antimicrobial activity of methanolic extract of selected Indian medicinal plants. Pharmacophore. 2010;1(3):214-9.
17. 17. Baral B, Vaidya G, Bhattarai N, Baniya R, editors. Bioassay and screening of bio-active compounds of water hyacinth: an invasive aquatic weed of Fewa lake. Abstract in. Proceedings of the International Conference on “Biodiversity, Livelihood and Climate Change in the Himalayas; 2010.
18. 18. Liu CC, Zhao GL, Li YN, Ding ZP, Liu QG, Li JL, editors. Contribution of phenolics and flavonoids to anti-oxidat activity and of ethanol extract from Eichharnia crassipes. Advanced Materials Research; 2011: 156-157: 1372-1377.
19. 19. Aboul-Enein AM, Al-Abd AM, Shalaby E, Abul-Ela F, Nasr-Allah AA, Mahmoud AM, et al. Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) solms: from water parasite to potential medicinal remedy. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 2011;6(6):834-6.
20. 20. Tulika T, Puneet P, Mala A. Qualitative phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity of methonolic extract of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms and Pistia stratiotes L. International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Research. 2017;9(5):632-6.
21. 21. Jayanthi P, Lalitha P, Sujitha R, Thamaraiselvi A. Anti-inflammatory activity of the various solvent extracts of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms. International Journal of PharmTech Research. 2013;5(2):641-4.
22. 22. Lenora L, Kumara JS, Murugesanb S, Senthilkumarb N. Anticancer Activity of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (mart) solms0 on human cervical cancer cell line. Octa Journal of Environmental Research. 2015;3(4):327-31.
23. 23. Ali H, Lata N, Ahi J, Ganesh N. Evaluation of wound-healing activity of Eichornia crassipes: A novel approach. Drug Invention Today. 2010;2(3), 212-214.
24. 24. Thorat LJ, Nath BB. Effects of water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes root extracts on midge Chironomus ramosus larvae: A preliminary note. Physiological entomology. 2010;35(4):391-3.
25. 25. Bote M, Naik V, Jagadeeshgouda K. Review on water hyacinth weed as a potential bio fuel crop to meet collective energy needs. Materials Science for Energy Technologies. 2020;3:397-406.
26. 26. Bayrakci AG, Koçar G. Second-generation bioethanol production from water hyacinth and duckweed in Izmir: A case study. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2014;30:306-16.
27. 27. Shanab SM, Hanafy EA, Shalaby EA. Water hyacinth as non-edible source for biofuel production. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2018;9(2):255-64.
28. 28. Mitan NMM. Water hyacinth: potential and threat. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2019;19:1408-12.
29. 29. Alagu K, Venu H, Jayaraman J, Raju VD, Subramani L, Appavu P, et al. Novel water hyacinth biodiesel as a potential alternative fuel for existing unmodified diesel engine: Performance, combustion and emission characteristics. Energy. 2019;179:295-305.