“UNVEILING THE POTENTIAL OF Alkanna tinctoria: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW”
Keywords:
Alkanna tinctoria, Ethnobotanical, Antioxidant, AntimicrobialAbstract
From ancient times, various human and animal diseases and disorders have been treated and prevented using herbal products. Herbal medicine is still the foundation of about 60%–80% of the entire world population, mainly in developing countries but also in developed countries, for all forms of treatment in primary health care owing to better acceptability, compatibility with the human body, minimal side effects, as well as easy availability and affordability. Alkanna tinctoria is commonly found in India and is known as an important and popular plant. The present article attempts to briefly describe the ethnobotanical and medicinal applications of Alkanna tinctoria in the context of plant description. It is an attempt to compile and document information on the various aspects of Alkanna tinctoria with the potential for its application.
References
1. Metcalfe, C.R. and Chalk, L. (1957) Anatomy of the Dicotyledons. Vol. 2, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 557.
2. Papageorgiou, V. P. (1980). Naturally occurring isohexenylnaphthazarin pigments: a new class of drugs. Planta Medica, 38(03), 193-203.
3. Grover, J. K., Yadav, S., & Vats, V. (2002). Medicinal plants of India with anti-diabetic potential. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 81(1), 81-100.
4. Kamboj, V. P. (2000). Herbal medicine. Current science, 78(1), 35-39.
5. Kathe, W. (2005). The Revision of the" WHO/IUCN/WWF Guidelines on the Conservation of Medicinal Plants". HerbalGram, (66).
6. Bhushan, M. S., Rao, C. H. V., Ojha, S. K., Vijayakumar, M., & Verma, A. (2010). An analytical review of plants for anti diabetic activity with their phytoconstituent & mechanism of action. Int J Pharm Sci Res, 1(1), 29-46.
7. Elisabetsky, E. (1991). Sociopolitical, economical and ethical issues in medicinal plant research. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 32(1-3), 235-239.
8. Jaraine Komlodi M. (1990): Novenyi csodak, Gondolat Konyvkiado. Budapest, p. 90.
9. Assimopoulou, A. N., Karapanagiotis, I., Vasiliou, A., Kokkini, S., & Papageorgiou, V. P. (2006). Analysis of alkannin derivatives from Alkanna species by high‐performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array/mass spectrometry. Biomedical Chromatography, 20(12), 1359-1374.
10. Alkanna tinctoria (L.) Tausch. In: Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Available from: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 9 Mar 2025].
11. Salimikia, I., Yazdinezhad, A. R., Golfakhrabadi, F., & Esfahani, H. R. M. (2015). In vitro antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of four Alkanna species growing in Iran. Pharmacognosy Research, 7(1), 100.
12. Bisset, N. G. (1997). Herbal Drugs and Phytopharrnaceuticals: A Handbook for Practice on a Scientific Basis. International Journal of Pharmacognosy, 35(1), 72.
13. Roeder, E. (1995). Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie, 50(2), 83-98.
14. Sevimli-Gur, C., Akgun, I. H., Deliloglu-Gurhan, I., Korkmaz, K. S., & Bedir, E. (2010). Cytotoxic naphthoquinones from Alkanna cappadocica. Journal of natural products, 73(5), 860-864.
15. Huu Tung, N., Du, G. J., Wang, C. Z., Yuan, C. S., & Shoyama, Y. (2013). Naphthoquinone components from Alkanna tinctoria (L.) Tausch show significant antiproliferative effects on human colorectal cancer cells. Phytotherapy Research, 27(1), 66-70.
16. Pillai, S., Oresajo, C., & Hayward, J. (2005). Ultraviolet radiation and skin aging: roles of reactive oxygen species, inflammation and protease activation, and strategies for prevention of inflammation‐induced matrix degradation–a review. International journal of cosmetic science, 27(1), 17-34.
17. Wang, Z. Y., Agarwal, R., Bickers, D. R., & Mukhtar, H. (1991). Protection against ultraviolet B radiation-induced photocarcinogenesis in hairless mice by green tea polyphenols. Carcinogenesis, 12(8), 1527-1530.
18. Wichtl, M. (Ed.). (2004). Herbal drugs and phytopharmaceuticals: a handbook for practice on a scientific basis. CRC press.
19. Darshan, S., & Doreswamy, R. (2004). Patented antiinflammatory plant drug development from traditional medicine. Phytotherapy Research: An International Journal Devoted to Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Product Derivatives, 18(5), 343-357.
20. Papageorgiou, V. P., Assimopoulou, A. N., & Ballis, A. C. (2008). Alkannins and shikonins: a new class of wound healing agents. Current medicinal chemistry, 15(30), 3248-3267.
21. Kourounakis, A. P., Assimopoulou, A. N., Papageorgiou, V. P., Gavalas, A., & Kourounakis, P. N. (2002). Alkannin and Shikonin: effect on free radical processes and on inflammation‐a preliminary pharmacochemical investigation. Archiv der Pharmazie: An International Journal Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, 335(6), 262-266.
22. Assimopoulou, A. N., & Papageorgiou, V. P. (2005). Radical scavenging activity of Alkanna tinctoria root extracts and their main constituents, hydroxynaphthoquinones. Phytotherapy Research: An International Journal Devoted to Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Product Derivatives, 19(2), 141-147.
23. Bame, J. R., Graf, T. N., Junio, H. A., Bussey III, R. O., Jarmusch, S. A., El-Elimat, T., ... & Cech, N. B. (2013). Sarothrin from Alkanna orientalis is an antimicrobial agent and efflux pump inhibitor. Planta medica, 79(05), 327-329.
24. Papageorgiou, V. P. (1978). Wound healing properties of naphthaquinone pigments from Alkanna tinctoria. Experientia, 34(11), 1499-1501.
25. Ebrahimzadeh, M. A., Enayatifard, R., Khalili, M., Ghaffarloo, M., Saeedi, M., & Charati, J. Y. (2014). Correlation between sun protection factor and antioxidant activity, phenol and flavonoid contents of some medicinal plants. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research: IJPR, 13(3), 1041.
