Holarrhena antidysenterica in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a potential review

Holarrhena antidysenterica belongs to the Apocynaceae family and is generally known as kurchi in Hindi. It is a small deciduous tree found in arid woods throughout the world including India. H. Antidysenterica is commonly used in Indian traditional medicine to treat Inflammatory Bowel disease, dysentery, diarrhoea and worms in the intestines. Plant parts like bark are useful in antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic treatments, amoebiasis, chronic bronchitis, boils, and ulcers. The Phytoconstituents found in the plant ergosterol, flavonoids, phenolic acids, resins, saponins, steroidal alkaloids, coumarins, tannins and triterpenoids. Anti-amnesic, anti-diabetic, antibacterial action, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhoeal, antioxidant/free radical activity , radical scavenging, diuretic, anti-amoebic, anthelmintic and anti-microbial effects are found as pharmacological properties of Holarrhena antidysenterica. H. antidysenterica bark contains alkaloids the most important of which is the steroidal alkaloid conessine which is the major therapeutic constituent. Conarrhimine, Conimine, Conamine, Conessidine, Isoconessimine, Dimethyl Conkurchine and Holarrhimine are among the various alkaloids studied. The bark also includes gum, resin, tannin, lupeol and the digitenol glycoside Holadysone in addition to alkaloids. Bark of Holarrhena antidysenterica is used to treat malaria, chest infections, asthma, bronchopneumonia, stomach disorders, dyspepsia, diarrhoea and dysentery. Keywords: HA- Holarrhena antidysenterica, IBD- Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Collitus