CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

this chapter contains the review of existing literature relevant to the study: chemistry Journals
and textbooks and the internet. It outlines the composition of the trachodesma zeylacium
plant
Flavonoids are a large group of natural phenolic compounds that occur as different subclasses
(including flavones, flavonols, flavanones, isoflavones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanidins);
they exist as free aglycones or with sugars attached to the chemical structures to form
glycosides. A wide range of flavonoids with various chemical structures have been associated
with different anti-inflammatory mechanistic effects (Gomes et al., 2008), although their
efficacy against specific inflammatory diseases has not been extensively investigated.
Trichodesma species has been examined for a variety of chemical constituents, viz.,
monocrotaline, supinine as pyrrolizidine alkaloids; hexacosane, α-amyrin, lupeol, non-
steroidal and fatty constituents. Trichodesma species have hepatotoxic, antitumor, anti-
inflammatory and anti-diarrhoeal activities.
The family Boraginaceae comprised of 100 genera and about 2000 species. The plants of this
family are widely distributed in temperate, especially mediterranean and tropical regions
Traditional medicinal uses
In the modern time, more than 80% world’s population depends on the traditional system of
medicines. The knowledge of traditional system of health care is widely threatened in the
whole world due to revolutions in traditional philosophy. The native people of the area in
which the plants occur, used 90% of natural products. Traditional and native knowledge of
medicinal plants, still remain exist world widely.
FLAVONOIDS
Flavonoids are a large group of natural phenolic compounds that occur as different subclasses
(including flavones, flavonols, flavanones, isoflavones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanidins);
they exist as free aglycones or with sugars attached to the chemical structures to form
glycosides. A wide range of flavonoids with various chemical structures have been associated
with different anti-inflammatory mechanistic effects (Gomes et al., 2008), although their
efficacy against specific inflammatory diseases has not been extensively investigated. The
chemical structures of some flavonoids associated with anti-inflammatory activity are shown
in Figs. 28.128.4. However, since flavonoids occur in numerous medicinal plants used as
phytopharmaceuticals and have been considered as the active components of many
nutraceuticals, they have been of much interest to maintain human health, although their oral
bioavailability and metabolism may influence their efficacy.
TERPENOIDS
Monoterpenoids and Sesquiterpenoids
Plant-derived volatile oils consist of highly complex mixtures of phytochemicals and main
components include monoterpenoids (monoterpenes) and Sesquiterpenoids
(sesquiterpenes). Volatile oils (also known as essential oils) are distributed in around 50
different plant families, including the Asteraceae, Rutaceae, and Lamiaceae, with the latter
including many herbs that are used for culinary and medicinal purposes. A range of volatile
oil constituents have been associated with mechanistic effects associated with anti-
inflammatory activity (examples are presented in Table 28.1 and Fig. 28.5). It should also be
considered that many monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes may occur in nutraceuticals,
phytopharmaceuticals or culinary herbs as a mixture with other plant constituents, and their
relevance to health via these routes of administration requires further understanding. Of
the volatile monoterpenes investigated for anti-inflammatory effects, 1,8-cineole (also
referred to as cineole), has shown some promising results in respiratory disorders.
STEROIDAL AGLYCONES AND SAPONINS
Steroidal saponins are less widely distributed in the plant kingdom, compared to terpenoids,
although their chemical structures have been useful for the development of pharmaceuticals
with steroidal activity, such as diosgenin (Fig. 28.8) from yams (Dioscorea species) and
hecogenin from sisal leaves (Agave sisalana), with saponins derived from the latter useful for
partial synthesis of anti-inflammatory corticosteroid drugs. Steroidal saponincontaining
plants have therefore been of greater interest for use as phytopharmaceuticals, rather than as
nutraceuticals. Steroidal saponins that have shown anti-inflammatory activity against ear
edema in vivo, include dioscin, gracillin (from Dioscorea species) and smilaxins A and B
from Smilax species, although they were less potent than indomethacin and hydrocortisone
(Kim et al., 1999). However, cantalasaponin-1 from Agave americana and a

A diverse array of phytochemical classes (as illustrated in Figs. 28.128.10) have been
associated with a myriad of mechanistic effects that target inflammatory processes, although
the evidence for their efficacy is often variable. Although the use of phytochemicals as single
chemical entities (e.g., curcumin) as nutraceuticals or phytopharmaceuticlas, or indeed as
pharmaceuticals, may be one approach to maintain health or alleviate disease symptoms, the
use of phytochemicals as mixtures in the form of extracts is still valuable.