Antiestrogenic and toxicological evaluation of methanolic extract of Saraca asoca and Cynometra travancorica

Year 2022, Volume: 26 Issue: 5, 1261 - 1271, 28.06.2025

Pattilthodika Suhail , Sheron Joseph Ajeesh V Sreelakshmi Ss Krishnapriya Anil

Abstract

Saraca asoca, a member of the Caesalpinaceae sub-family, is a native plant utilized extensively in ayurvedic medicine. Excessive menstrual bleeding, bleeding hemorrhoids, bleeding ulcers, and hemorrhagic dysentery can all be treated with the tannins found in the bark of S. asoca. Due to the scarcity of S. asoca, the ayurvedic formulation business was forced to use barks of comparable origin. Until recently, the pharmacological potential of frequently substituted Cynometra travancorica was unknown. The purpose of this research is to investigate and evaluate the antiestrogenic and toxicological effects of two Caesalpiniaceae members, S. asoca and C. travancorica, on Wistar female rats. Methanolic bark extract of both plants (600 mg/kg) was shown to be significantly effective in reducing the elevated estrogen (20 μg/animal) levels in Wistar female rats. The C. travancorica treated group showed an 85.63 ± 11.38 pg/ml reduction. In the toxicological evaluation, even at high concentrations of 800 mg/kg, neither of the extracts was fatal to Swiss albino mice. Food and water consumption, body weight, and the weight of organs such as the liver, kidney, spleen, heart, and lungs did not change significantly. The hematological parameters also stagnated. The study concluded that C. travancorica had shown a substantial and comparable anti-estrogenic effect to S. asoca in Wistar female rats and, similarly, the toxicological evaluation of the former plant was analogous to the latter. As a result, C. travancorica has a comparable therapeutic and safety profile in a wide range of ayurvedic formulations.

Keywords

Saraca asoca , Cynometra travancorica , Caesalpinaceae , anti-estrogenic activity , toxicological evaluation

References

• [1] P. C. Glimpses under the history of medicine. Arch Med Heal Sci. 2014 Jan 1;2:100.
• [2] Kumar A, Singh RP, Singh NP. Analysis of nutritional elements in Indian medicinal herbs used to cure general weakness. Nat Sci. 2012;04(04):211–5.
• [3] Dhawan BN, Patnaik GK, Rastogi RP, Singh KK, Tandon JS. Screening of Indian plants for biological activity: part VI. Indian J Exp Biol. 1977 Mar;15(3):208–19.
• [4] Pradhan P, Joseph L, Gupta V, Chulet R, Arya H, Verma R, et al. Saraca asoca (Ashoka): A Review. J Chem Pharm Res [Internet]. 2009;1(1):62–71. Available from: www.jocpr.com.
• [5] Kumar Y, Haridasan K, Rao Shillong (India)) RR (North-EHU. Ethnobotanical notes on certain medicinal plants among some Garo people around Balphakram sanctuary in Meghalaya [India]. Vol. v. 22, Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India (India).
• [6] Middelkoop TB, Labadie RP. Evaluation of Asoka Aristha, an indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. J Ethnopharmacol. 1983 Sep;8(3):313–20.
• [7] Singh S, Anantha Krishna TH, Kamalraj S, Kuriakose GC, Valayil JM, Jayabaskaran C. Phytomedicinal importance of Saraca asoca (Ashoka): An exciting past, an emerging present and a promising future. Curr Sci. 2015;109(10):1790–801.
• [8] Bhandary MJ, Chandrashekar KR, Kaveriappa KM. Medical ethnobotany of the Siddis of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India. J Ethnopharmacol. 1995 Jul;47(3):149–58. [CrossRef]
• [9] Srivastava GN, Bagchi GD, Srivastava AK. Pharmacognosy of Ashoka Stem Bark and its Adulterants. Int J Crude Drug Res [Internet]. 1988 Jan 1;26(2):65–72. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3109/13880208809053892. [CrossRef].
• [10] Nadkarni KM, Nadkarni AK, Nadkarni KM, Nadkarni AK. with Ayurvedic , Unani-Tibbi , Siddha ,. :2–3.
• [11] Sasidharan N, Muraleedharan PK. Survey on the Commercial Exploitation and Consumptiion of Medicinal Plants By the Drug Industry in Northern Kerala. 2000;(December).
• [12] Farnsworth NR, Akerele O, Bingel AS, Soejarto DD, Guo Z. Medicinal plants in therapy. Bull World Health Organ [Internet]. 1985;63(6):965–81. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3879679
• [13] Cragg GM, Newman DJ, Snader KM. Natural products in drug discovery and development. J Nat Prod. 1997 Jan;60(1):52–60. [CrossRef]
• [14] Patwardhan B. Ayurveda: The “Designer” medicine: A review of ethnopharmacology and bioprospecting research. Indian Drugs. 2000 Jan 1;37:213–27. [CrossRef]
• [15] Poornima B. Adulteration and substitution in herbal drugs a critical analysis. Int J Res Ayurveda Pharm. 2010 Sep 1;1.
• [16] Tripathi K D. Essentials of medical Pharmacology. 8 th ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical publishers (p) Ltd;2019. Chapter 22, Estrogen, Progestins and Contraceptives; p 330-39.