TRIDAX PROCUMBENS: A NOVEL MEDICINE FROM NATURE

Sangram Keshari Samal
Assistant Professor in Biotechnology, Kalinga University, Naya Raipur

India is renowned for its diverse medicinal plant species, and the practice of Ayurveda has been prevalent in the country since ancient times. Traditional medicine has played a crucial role in the development of numerous therapeutic agents in recent times, numerous contemporary medications have been extracted from natural sources. However, certain species remain undiscovered. Therefore, it is important to discover their applications and thoroughly examine their pharmacological properties. Among these, Tridax procumbens is a widely distributed herb in India with significant medicinal properties. However, the specific medicinal applications of this plant remain unknown, and is imperative to investigate various applications of this plant, as it has the potential to benefit humanity greatly.
         Tridax procumbens, in Sanskrit, is known as ‘Jayanti veda’ or ‘Avanti’, in Hindi it is known as ‘Ghamra’, ‘Ghajadvu’ or ‘Ghaburi’ in Gujurati, ‘Bikhalyakarani’ in Assamese, ‘jayanthi’ in Kannada, ‘Gayapaaku’ or ‘Balapaaku’ in Telugu, ‘Kambarmodi’, ‘Jakhamjudi’ or ‘Tantani’ in Marathi, ‘Tridhara’ in Bengali and in Odisha it is commonly referred to as ‘Bisalyakarani’. This belongs to the Asteraceae family, also known as the Daisy family, and the origin of this plant is from tropical America and is generally found in Australia, Africa, and tropical Asia. This is also a common plant in all Indian regions along roadsides, waste grounds, riverbanks, and meadows and is known for its medicinal uses. It possesses numerous therapeutic benefits including wound healing, headache relief, dysentery treatment, diarrhea management, and other ailments. The leaves and flowers possess antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial characteristics. Additionally, it has several pharmacological properties such as immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and significant depressive effects on respiration.
Chemical properties: According to various studies and research, its chemical components include alkaloids, flavonoids, carotenoids, fumaric acid, luteolin, quercetin, oxoester, lauric acid, myristic, palmitic, arachidic, linoleic acid, and tannin etc. It also contains certain minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and selenium. According to some research, it can be an excellent source of potassium supplements and plant protein and it also provides provitamin ‘A’ to certain microbial populations.
Pharmacological activities
Anticancer activity: Currently some researchers tested the leaf extract of Tridax procumbens in addition to ethanol and acetone on some selected cancerous cell lines and got tremendous results. The extract was tested against human lung cancer cells by using the MTT assay, which showed that it can reduce up to 90% of the cell’s viability. It showed the anticancer activity with acetone and ethanol extract. Researchers also stated that the compound known as ‘Lupeol’ is present in it which has tremendous anticancer activity.
Antiseptic, Antibacterial and Antifungal activity: From the ancient era these weeds were known for its antiseptic activity and wound-healing properties. In rural areas of India, it is used as antiseptic medicine. In most cases, they apply fresh plant juice to wounds and injuries in order to heal them. By some research work, has also proved that this plant has a big ability to inhibit or kill some bacteria as well as fungi associated with the skin infection. According to some recent findings, fresh plant juice with ethanolic extract can inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogenic bacteria associated with pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and blood stream infection. It has also great potential against many nosocomial (Infection from hospital environment) skin infections and is much more sensitive to many organisms like E. coli, Bacillus cereus etc. This small magical plant not only protects from bacteria from also from many dangerous fungal skin infections. It not only acts as a protective layer to those pathogens but also stops their growth to other parts. Some studies are also indicating that the antifungal drug also can produce from it for the infection of Aspergillus niger, a common pathogenic species of fungi.
Antidiabetic activity: This herb has a great potential to control the blood sugar level of people with diabetes mellitus. According to Ayurveda, the juice of the leaves can control diabetes and is more effective if it is taken with curry-leaf juice extract. According to them these herbs helps in production of insulin, a hormone that is used to regulate blood sugar, results less production of sugar in the body. Scientists tested the antidiabetic activity of this herb on some model rats and got a significant result. However, the ability and efficacy of Tridax procumbens for controlling blood sugar levels need more experimentation and consideration from the scientific community as the Ayurveda practitioners also warned that excess use of Antidiabetic herbs can cause some health issues like Nausea, vomiting and gastric problems.
Effective against External Bleeding: External bleeding is a state where blood vessels get ruptured and the blood flows out from the wound due to many causes like cuts, wounds, injuries, and surgical complications. The fresh leaf juice of this herb works more effectively on external bleeding. According to some Ayurvedic practitioners, external bleeding can be cured easily by applying fresh leaf juice to the cuts or wounds twice or thrice a day.
Hepatoprotective activity: The aerial part of Tridax procumbens tested for hepatoprotective activity against some hepatitis-induced rats which showed a positive result. Though hepatoprotective activity investigation of this herb is still at the laboratory test stage, it requires more study along with identification of the elements present in it, that are responsible for delivering hepatoprotective action.
Some other Pharmacological activity: As this plant is not so famous in science for medicinal use but according to ancient medical science and rural communities of India, it possesses many pharmacological activities. This herb not only effective in antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal activity but is also useful in many diseases like Hypotensive activity, Dysentery, diarrhea and conjunctivitis. It also prevents hair falls and promotes the growth of hair. In some rural areas of Odisha, the dry plant of this herb is used as a mosquito repellent.
Conclusion: Tridax procumbens is widely present in all over India and each part of this plant has useful pharmacological activity. The reported work includes many pharmacological activities like antimicrobial activity, hepatoprotective activity, antidiabetic and anticancer activity which have given promising results. As the medicinal capability of this plant has not so explored to date but after giving consideration on this plant it can be a novel medicinal plant in pharmacological science. Future research on this plant should also include in depth study of the constituents present it, their extraction methods, physiological characteristics, and potential applications not only limited to pharmaceutical industries.