Ethnobotanical Characteristics

Description

Densely tufted, aromatic perennial grass; culms erect, 30-60cm high; enclosed at the base by tight bundles of old sheaths. Leaf blades narrowly linear to filiform, up to 30 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, glaucus, asperulous. Inflorescence spathate paniculate spikes, oblong, 10-40 cm long, spikes woolly paired, 1-3 cm long, one with stalk and one without, rachis- internodes and pedicels conspicuously white-woolly with hairs 3-4mm long; pedicel of homogenous pair inflated, barrel-shaped, the lower raceme – base very short, about 1/3 length of the pedicel. Sessile spikelets narrowly lanceolate, pedicelled spikelets 4-7 mm long; lower glume cartaceous, concave between the keels, glabrous or pubescent throughout, unwinged; upper lemma bidentate, the lobes up to 1/3 length of lemma body; awn 4.5-9 mm long, scarcely geniculate, the column weakly defined. Fruit a caryopsis.

Habitat and Distribution

The plant is wide spread in North Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India & Pakistan. The plant is widely spread in U.A.E especially in the Northern Emirates; and found in mountain slopes and valleys with gravely soils.

Part(s) Used

whole plant and oil.

Traditional & Medicinal Uses

The plant is diuretic, carminative, tonic, stomachic, diaphoretic, antirheumatic, antidiarrheal, emmenagogue and antispasmodic. In U.A.E the infusion of the plant is used for fever and stomach problems and the roots chewed as aphrodisiac. In other countries the whole plant is used as mentioned above and infusion from floral parts used as febrifuge; decoction of the leaves for lung and stomach problems and for infertility in women. The roots are used as antispasmodic, carminative, tonic, expectorant and as antidote for snake and scorpion poison. The oil is stimulant, nervine and it is used for rheumatism, backache, nerves and joint pains and uterus diseases; and finally the plant used in perfumery and aromatic purposes. 

Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

Parts studied

Leaves

Microscopical Description

Leaf blade: Both upper and lower epidermises have typical grass ‘long cells’, with sinuous cell walls alternating with ‘short’ and ‘twinned cells’. Stomata having dumbbell-shaped guard cells with crescent-shaped subsidiary cells are almost confined to the lower epidermis. The leaf mesophyll is not differentiated into palisade and spongy tissues but only polygonal and isodiametric cells are present. Vascular tissues are confined to the lower surface and they show a characteristic pattern of distribution. One-celled conical covering trichomes are found on both surfaces but mostly on the lower surface.

Leaf sheath: It is less curled than the leaf blade and has comparatively larger ‘long cells’ with straight cell walls. These cells frequently contain discoid starch grains. Some cells contain volatile oil droplets. The epidermal cells of the leaf sheath also contain one-celled conical covering trichomes (ZCHRTM Pub. 2000).

• (a) TS of the leaf showing involution, upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) epidermises, undifferentiated mesophyll and pattern of distribution of vascular tissues.
• (b) TS of the leaf sheath showing adaxial surface, mesophyll embedding vascular tissues (dark areas), abaxial surface bearing trichomes.
• (c) TS of the growing point showing cells and tissues similar to those of leaf. (Magnifications: All x 100).

Organoleptic characteristics

Appearance: Solid powder
Colour: Brown
Odour : Specific of its own
Taste: Bitter

Physicochemical constants

Loss in weight on drying at 105 °C (%):                        10.40-10.60

Solubilities

Alcohol solubility (%):                                                 1.60
Water solubility (%):                                                   8.00-8.80
10% ethanolic extractive (%):                                    16.60-17.40

Ash values (%)

Total ash:                                                                 9.40
Water soluble ash:                                                  0.60-0.80
Acid-insoluble ash:                                                 6.60

Successive extractive (%)

Petroleum ether (60-80 °C):                                    2.00
Chloroform:                                                             0.60
Absolute alcohol:                                                   15.40
Distilled water:                                                       Not done

pH values

pH of 1% solution:                                              6.50-6.53
pH of 10% solution:                                           5.94-5.96

Chemical constituents

Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids , nitrogen bases, flavonoids, steroids , triterpenes. (Kamil et. al 2000; 2002, DPS, ZCHRTM Unpub. results).

Pharmacological and Toxicological studies

Cymbopogon schoenanthus has been reported to possess the severely toxic oil for same species of parasites . The oil is used to reduce density of parasitoid populations and increase seed losses (Ketoh et. al., 2002). Observation on the animals for behavioral changes, administered i.p., with ethanolic extract, a mild sedation accompanied by slow and deep respiration were observed. The ethanolic extract produced a mild depression followed by mild stimulation of force of contraction of the isolated rabbit heart. The heart rate was also increased during stimulation. The extract failed to produce significant effect on blood pressure of anesthetized rabbits. Biochemical studies showed no significant changes in the serum glucose, cholesterol and sodium levels. However, a significant rise, in serum potassium level of rats treated with ethanolic extract, was observed. Haematological studies and blood coagulation studies also revealed no significant changes in RBC and WBC counts, hemoglobin level, prothrombin time and fibrinogen level as compared to the control animals (Al-Yahya et. al., l983). The pharmacological and toxicological studies carried out in our laboratory and the results in brief, on Cymbopogon schoenthus (10% ethanolic extract) have been given below. The results presented without references showed unpublished data (ZCHRTM, DBMS):

Summary of the results

Cymbopogon schoenanthus 10% ethanolic extract showed significant antiinflammatory activity. The plant extract has also shown diuretic activity. Acute administration of the extract showed no abnormal signs and symptoms at the dose tested (LD50 = 6.4 g/kg, p.o.).

References

• Al-Yahya, M.A., tariq, M., Al-Meshal, I.A., and Mossa, J.S. (l983) Chemical and biological studies on Saudi Medicinal plants. Proc. 43rd Int. Comg. Pharmaceut. Sci. (FIP)., Montreux, 18.
• Batanouny, K.H. et al, Wild Medicinal Plants in Egypt: an Inventory to Support Conservation and Sustainable Use. (1999) Palm Press, Egypt, ISBN 977 5089 247.
• Department of Biomedical Sciences, Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and Traditional Medicine, Unpublished results.
• Department of Pharmacognostic Sciences, Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and Traditional Medicine (ZCHRTM ),unpublished results.
• El-Ghonemy, A. A. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants of the United Arab Emirates. (1993) 1st Edition, University of UAE.
• Elsheikh,M,O., Kamil, M., Ahmad, F., Jayaraj, A.F., Gunasekhar.C, Thomas S.,Attas,A92000). Morphoanatomic studies of Cymbopogon schoenanthus. J. Phar.& Pharmac.52(suppl.):262.
• Jongbloed, M.V. The Comprehensive Guide to the Wild Flowers of the united Arab Emirates, Erwda, (2003) Emirates Printing Press, Dubai, U.A.E.
• Kamil M, Ahmed F, Jayiraj A F, Gunasekar C, Thomas S, Chan K & Attas A. Chemical and Pharmacognostic Standardization of Cymbopogon schoenanthus speng. 2nd Arab Conference of Pharmacology, Sept. 5-8 2002, Fez, Morocco.
• Ketoh GK, Glitho AI, Huignard J. (2000) Susceptibility of the bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) and its parasitoid Dinarmus basalis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to three essential oils. J Econ Entomol. 95(1):174-82.
• Kotb, T. F. Medicinal Plants in Libya.(1985) Arab Encyclopedia House. Tripoli-Libya.
• Mandaville, J.P. Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia. (1990) Kegan Paul International Ltd. England.
• Miller A.G., Morris M. Plants of Dhofar, The southern Region of Oman: Traditional, Economic and Medicinal Uses.(1987) Office of the Advisor for conservation of the Environment, Sultanate of Oman.
• Western, A. R. The Flora of United Arab Emirates, an introduction. (1986) Publication of the UAE University.
• كریم، فوزي .الأعشاب في دولة الإمارات العربیة المتحدة،( 1995 ) مطبعة جامعة الإمارات