Adrenaline has been isolated from the plant Scoparia dulcis found in Northern Vietnam

April 3, 2023
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Scoparia dulcis is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family. Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called “plantain.”

Common names for Scoparia dulcis include licorice weed, goatweed, scoparia-weed and sweet-broom in English, tapeiçava, tapixaba, and vassourinha in Portuguese, escobillo in Spanish, and tipychä kuratu in Guarani. It is native to the Neotropics but it can be found throughout the tropical and subtropical world.

Although S. dulcis is considered a weed in many parts of India and Bangladesh, its use in traditional medicine has led to overexploitation. The plant is also found as a weed in Florida citrus groves.

Traditional medicine

As a traditional medicine, S. dulcis has been used for diabetes in India and hypertension in Taiwan. In Siddha medicine it is used for treatment of kidney stones, but it needs rigorous diet method. It is called kallurukki (stone melter) in Malayalam and Tamil. In Brazil, it has been used for various problems such as hemorrhoids and wounds.

Chemical constituents

Chemicals that have been isolated from S. dulcis include scoparinol and epinephrine.

  • Phan, Minh Giang (2006). “Chemical and Biological Evaluation on Scopadulane-Type Diterpenoids from Scoparia dulcis of Vietnamese Origin”. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 54 (4): 546–549. doi:10.1248/cpb.54.546. PMID 16595962.
  • Ahmed, M; Shikha, HA; Sadhu, SK; Rahman, MT; Datta, BK (2001). “Analgesic, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory principle from Scoparia dulcis”. Die Pharmazie. 56 (8): 657–60. PMID 11534346.
    • This is the only article that comes up for “scoparinol” and pubmed which is very unusual. It is cited by 18 others (including the same article)
      1. Ahmed M, Shikha HA, Sadhu SK, Rahman MT, Datta BK. Analgesic, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory principle from Scoparia dulcis. Pharmazie. 2001 Aug;56(8):657-60. PMID: 11534346.
      2. Yeshi K, Turpin G, Jamtsho T, Wangchuk P. Indigenous Uses, Phytochemical Analysis, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Australian Tropical Medicinal Plants. Molecules. 2022 Jun 15;27(12):3849. doi: 10.3390/molecules27123849. PMID: 35744969; PMCID: PMC9231311.
      3. Raka SC, Rahman A, Hussain F, Rahman SMA. Synthesis, characterization and in vitro, in vivo, in silico biological evaluations of substituted benzimidazole derivatives. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2022 Jan;29(1):239-250. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.08.082. Epub 2021 Aug 28. PMID: 35002414; PMCID: PMC8717171.
      4. Zahan S, Mowla TE, Uddin SMN, Hossain MK, Mannan AB, Rahman M, Chen U, Mazumder T, Uddin AHMM, Arefin S, Hussain MS. Evaluation of phytochemical and pharmacological properties of seeds of Momordica charantia. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2020 Sep-Oct;10(5):448-459. PMID: 32995323; PMCID: PMC7508320.
      5. Lima MVV, Freire AO, Sousa ELF, Vale AAM, Lopes AJO, Vasconcelos CC, Lima-Aragão MVV, Serra HO, Liberio RNMG, Santos APSAD, Silva GEB, Rocha CQD, Moreira Lima FCV, Cartágenes MDSS, Garcia JBS. Therapeutic Use of Scoparia dulcis Reduces the Progression of Experimental Osteoarthritis. Molecules. 2019 Sep 25;24(19):3474. doi: 10.3390/molecules24193474. PMID: 31557835; PMCID: PMC6803828.
      6. Amoateng P, Quansah E, Karikari TK, Asase A, Osei-Safo D, Kukuia KKE, Amponsah IK, Nyarko AK. Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of Mental and Neurological Disorders in Ghana. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Dec 20;2018:8590381. doi: 10.1155/2018/8590381. PMID: 30671131; PMCID: PMC6317105.
      7. Madakkannu B, Ravichandran R. In vivo immunoprotective role of Indigofera tinctoria and Scoparia dulcis aqueous extracts against chronic noise stress induced immune abnormalities in Wistar albino rats. Toxicol Rep. 2017 Sep 6;4:484-493. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.09.001. PMID: 28959678; PMCID: PMC5615165.
      8. Tchinda CF, Voukeng IK, Beng VP, Kuete V. Antibacterial activities of the methanol extracts of Albizia adianthifolia, Alchornea laxiflora, Laportea ovalifolia and three other Cameroonian plants against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2017 May;24(4):950-955. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.01.033. Epub 2016 Jan 25. PMID: 28490970; PMCID: PMC5415118.
      9. Orabueze CI, Adesegun SA, Coker HA. Analgesic and Antioxidant Activities of Stem Bark Extract and Fractions of Petersianthus macrocarpus. Pharmacognosy Res. 2016 Jul-Sep;8(3):181-5. doi: 10.4103/0974-8490.182912. PMID: 27365986; PMCID: PMC4908846.
      10. Srinivas K, Muralikrishna N, Kumar KB, Raghu E, Mahender A, Kiranmayee K, Yashodahara V, Sadanandam A. Biolistic transformation of Scoparia dulcis L. Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2016 Jan;22(1):61-8. doi: 10.1007/s12298-016-0338-2. Epub 2016 Jan 20. PMID: 27186019; PMCID: PMC4840147.
      11. Loganathan S, Rathinasamy S. Alteration in Memory and Electroencephalogram Waves with Sub-acute Noise Stress in Albino Rats and Safeguarded by Scoparia dulcis. Pharmacogn Mag. 2016 Jan;12(Suppl 1):S7-S13. doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.176119. PMID: 27041862; PMCID: PMC4792003.
      12. Michel JL, Caceres A, Mahady GB. Ethnomedical research and review of Q’eqchi Maya women’s reproductive health in the Lake Izabal region of Guatemala: Past, present and future prospects. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Feb 3;178:307-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.12.006. Epub 2015 Dec 9. PMID: 26680589; PMCID: PMC4729212.
      13. Perumal PS, Anaswara PV, Muthuraman A, Krishan S. Therapeutic potency of saponin rich aqueous extract of Scoparia dulcis L. in alloxan induced diabetes in rats. Ayu. 2014 Apr;35(2):211-7. doi: 10.4103/0974-8520.146261. PMID: 25558170; PMCID: PMC4279331.
      14. Bieski IG, Rios Santos F, de Oliveira RM, Espinosa MM, Macedo M, Albuquerque UP, de Oliveira Martins DT. Ethnopharmacology of medicinal plants of the pantanal region (mato grosso, Brazil). Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:272749. doi: 10.1155/2012/272749. Epub 2012 Feb 26. PMID: 22474496; PMCID: PMC3303862.
      15. Kharoubi O, Slimani M, Aoues A, Seddik L. Prophylactic effects of Wormwood on lipid peroxidation in an animal model of lead intoxication. Indian J Nephrol. 2008 Apr;18(2):51-7. doi: 10.4103/0971-4065.42333. PMID: 20142903; PMCID: PMC2813123.
      16. Michel J, Duarte RE, Bolton JL, Huang Y, Caceres A, Veliz M, Soejarto DD, Mahady GB. Medical potential of plants used by the Q’eqchi Maya of Livingston, Guatemala for the treatment of women’s health complaints. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Oct 8;114(1):92-101. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2007.07.033. Epub 2007 Aug 6. PMID: 17826926; PMCID: PMC2175294.
      17. Saravanan R, Pari L. Succinic acid monoethyl ester, a novel insulinotropic agent: effect on lipid composition and lipid peroxidation in streptozotocin-nicotin-amide induced type 2 diabetic rats. Mol Cell Biochem. 2007 Feb;296(1-2):165-76. doi: 10.1007/s11010-006-9312-6. Epub 2006 Sep 28. PMID: 17006620.
      18. Saravanan R, Pari L. Antihyperlipidemic and antiperoxidative effect of Diasulin, a polyherbal formulation in alloxan induced hyperglycemic rats. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2005 Jun 22;5:14. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-5-14. PMID: 15969768; PMCID: PMC1183188.

References

  1. The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 22 May 2016
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). “Scoparia dulcis“. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  3. Jain, Rakesh; Singh, Megh (1989). “Factors Affecting Goatweed (Scoparia dulcis) Seed Germination”. Weed Science. 37 (6): 766–70. doi:10.1017/S0043174500072817. JSTOR 4044996.
  4. “Scoparia dulcis“. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  5. Majumder, S; Rahman, MM; Bhadra, SK (2011). “Micropropagation of Scoparia dulcis Linn. through induction of indirect organogenesis” (PDF). Asia-Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. 19 (1): 11–7.
  6. Pari, Leelavinothan; Latha, Muniappan (2004). “Protective role of Scoparia dulcis plant extract on brain antioxidant status and lipidperoxidation in STZ diabetic male Wistar rats”. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 4: 16. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-4-16. PMC 533881. PMID 15522116.
  7. Freire, SM; Torres, LM; Souccar, C; Lapa, AJ (1996). “Sympathomimetic effects of Scoparia dulcis L. And catecholamines isolated from plant extracts”. The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 48 (6): 624–8. doi:10.1111/j.2042-7158.1996.tb05985.x. PMID 8832498. S2CID 32597981.
  8. Ahmed, M; Shikha, HA; Sadhu, SK; Rahman, MT; Datta, BK (2001). “Analgesic, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory principle from Scoparia dulcis”. Die Pharmazie. 56 (8): 657–60. PMID 11534346.
  9. Phan, Minh Giang (2006). “Chemical and Biological Evaluation on Scopadulane-Type Diterpenoids from Scoparia dulcis of Vietnamese Origin”. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 54 (4): 546–549.

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