Wedelia trilobata

                                 Wedelia trilobata

The manufacture and clinical evaluation of herbal remedies and/or their constituents have made it possible to transform traditional medicine into a modern industry capable of making a significant contribution to the delivery of healthcare [1]. Many medicinal plants contain large amounts of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds such as phenols and flavonoids. Phenolic compounds are a
group of plant metabolites that have numerous beneficial activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti- bacterial, antimutagenic, anti-viral and antioxidant properties [2]. This revival of interest in plant derived drugs is mainly due to the current widespread belief that “green medicine” is safe, and clinically effective, better tolerated by patients, less expensive and globally competitive [3,4]. Use of
medicinal plants is becoming popular in United States and Europe [5] and in most of the developing world, plants or herbal products have forever played important roles in the treatment of wounds, intestinal problems, coughs and sneezes, general torpor etc [6].

Ethnopharmacological Uses

The aerial parts of this plant are used in traditional medicine in the Caribbean and Central America against bronchitis, colds, abdominal pains, dysmenorrheal [13], and even as a fertility enhancer [14].
In folk medicine, it is employed to treat backache, muscle cramps, rheumatism, stubborn wounds, sores and swellings, and arthritic painful joints [15]. The Miskito Indians of eastern Nicaragua use leaves for treatment of kidney dysfunctioning, cold, stingray wounds, snakebite, purge and
amenorrhea [16,17]. Coe and Anderson (1996) reported that fruits, leaves and stem are used in childbirth and in the treatment of bites and stings, fever and infection [14]. W. trilobata, was utilized in Hong Kong as a substitute for W. chinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment
of the common cold, hepatitis, indigestion and infections [18]. In Trinidad and Tobago, used for reproductive problems, amenorrhea, dysmenorrheal [19]. It is used for the treatment of fever and malaria in Vietnam [20]. Unpublished reports indicate that aqueous infusion has been employed locally and empirically in Southern part of Brazil in the management of diabetes. In fact, it is popularly referred to as insulina due to its observed antidiabetic properties [20]. Flowers and leaf part of the plant were used in the ladies for the purpose of amenorrhea, childbirth, abortion and to clear the placenta after birth [21,22]. The literature review reveals that the fresh entire plant is used as molluscicidal activity, antibacterial and antimycobacterial activity [21].

Pharmacological Activities

Several is  the pharmacological activity of W. trilobata.

Antidiabetic Activity

Male albino rats with diabetes induced by the administration of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg, i.v.) were treated with oral administration of W. trilobata (50 mg/kg). was found to reduce blood glucose levels and improved weight gained which was accompanied by a marked restoration of this.

Antileishmaniasis activity

 Kaurenic acid (ent-kaur-16-in-19-oic), isolated from the Venezuelan plant W. trilobata was evaluated on Leishmania (V) braziliensis both in vivo and in vitro. The compound had a lethal effect on axenic amastigotes and promastigotes with LD50 of 0.25 and 0.78 μg/ml, respectively, in 24 h. Additionally, a 70% reduction was observed in the size of the skin lesions in Balb/c mice with no evident toxic effect. The results indicated that this compound has a potent leishmanicidal effect on L. (V.) braziliensis [34].

Anti-inflammatory activity

Ethanol extract of leaf, stem and flower (0.5 mg/ml) of W. trilobata was evaluated for its in vitro anti-inflammatory using albumin denaturation, membrane stabilization assay and proteinase inhibitory assay.
All the three extracts were effective in inhibiting heat induced albumin denaturation. Maximum inhibition 87.14% was observed from leaf extract followed by stem (86.76%) and flower (61.63%). All the extracts were effective in inhibiting the heat induced hemolysis. The extracts inhibited the heat induced hemolysis of RBCs to varying degree. The maximum inhibitions 78.11% from the leaf extract followed by the stem (74.17%) and flower (58.74%). The W. trilobata ethanolic extract exhibited significant antiproteinase activity from stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (94-80%) [35].

Antioxidant activity

Ethanol extract of leaf, stem and flower (0.5 mg/ml) of W. trilobata was evaluated for its antioxidant activity by measuring the scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. It was observed that ethanol extract of the leaf of W. trilobata offered higher different parts. The maximum inhibition was observed from leaf ethanolic extract (84.19%), in decreasing order was stem (81.84%) and flower ethanolic extract (67.17%) [27]. The ethyl alcohol and water extracts of W. trilobata flowers were used to treat RAW 264.7 macrophage, which induced inflammation by LPS. In the nitric oxide assay, the extracts of W. trilobata flower had better inhibitory ability against LPS
induced inflammation [45].

Wound healing activity

An ethanolic extract of W. trilobata leaves was subjected to column chromatography. Hexane, ethyl acetate (WEA) and chloroform:methanol (50:50) (WCM) fractions were obtained. The fractions were tested using relevant in vitro wound healing assays. WEA (3 μg/mL) promoted fibroblast L929 viability up to more than 90% before and more than 85% after hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress. WEA (3 μg/mL) induced a 70% migration rate in the in vitro scratch assay and the collagen content was increased to 261 μg/mL compared to the control (57.5 μg/mL) [47].