Review on Ventilago Maderaspatana

Abstract

The plant Ventilago maderaspatana belongs to the genus Ventilago, within the family Rhamnaceae. It’s commonly known as the “Red Creeper” and in Tamil as “Surulbattaikkoti”. It is a medium-sized plant. Panicles axillary and terminal, to 15 cm long, grey pubescent; pedicels to 3 mm, pubescent; calyx tube obconic, 1 mm, lobes to 2 mm, triangular; petals 1 mm, obovate; stamens 5, opposite to the petals, filaments 1 mm, disc flattened, 5-angled; ovary half inferior, pubescent, style 0.5 mm, stigma shortly bifid. Different qualitative tests for alkaloids, catechin, coumarin, glucoside, flavonoids, saponins, fixed oils, terpenoids, phenols, steroids, anthroquinones, quinines, xanthoprotein and sugar. It exhibits effective pharmacological activity, including antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antihyperlipidemic, antiulcer, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. It contains crucial medical constituent compounds, such as Anthraquinone derivatives Ventinone A and B, chrysophyll, emodine, and islandicin—naphthalene derivatives of naphthalene and maderona. Fruits contain lupeol and sitosterol. Leaf and stem contain their glycosides. Stem bark contains friedelin. The results from this review are quite promising for the use of Ventilago madraspatana, a multipurpose medicinal agent, which has been successfully utilised in Siddha medicine in various countries. More clinical trials should be conducted to support its therapeutic use.