The present study entitiled “Phytochemical and pharmacological screening of Solidago canadensis L.” revealed the presence of Cinnamoyl Quinic Acid as one of the therapeutically active component along with the other constituents exhibiting a potential role of the plant extracts in the management and treatment of cancer and other associated illness like pain, infection, immune-compromisation, etc.
Pharmacognostical studies on the plant Solidago canadensis L.
Botanical standardization of the plant Solidago canadensis L.
• The basal leaves are alternate, linear to lanceolate, long petioled, elliptical, acuminate and narrowing to the winged stems, with curved branches forming a pyramidal appearance.
• The stems are slender and the upper part shows hairs while length of the stem being 60 cm and 1.5 M.
• The flowers are erect racemes facing all directions, are simple compound and medium in size.
• Stem shows a Cuticle thick and epidermal cells circular and slightly wavy, Cortex consists of 5-6 cell layers Polygonal irregular cells were seen upto 5 layers.
• The vascular bundles in stem arranged as ring surrounding pith. Medullary rays multiseriate Cambium is distinct and Xylem endarch.
• The upper epidermis of the leaf contains round to ovoid cells with straight or archard anticlinal walls.
• Lower cortical region of the leaves made up of irregular thick and thin walled polygonal parenchymatous cells.
• The leaf, posseses distinct phloem and cambium.
• Lamina region shows Epidermis with thick cuticle. Upper epidermal with archard anticlinal wall and lower epidermal cells are irregular polygonal with straight, sinute
or sinuolate anticlinal walls.
• Oil reservoirs present near the abaxial side of the bundle sheath cells.
• Trichomes unicellular uniseriate and uniseriate multicelluar.
• Anomocytic stomata seen, abaxial side of the stomata possesses 5 subsidiary cells surrounding the stomata but in adaxial side subsidiary cells are 4 in number.
• Vessels of bundle sheath possess spiral thickening
• Some vessels are seen with reticulate thickening and perforated plates.
• The fibres are aseptate, tapering with pointed ends, some with bifurcated ends and some blunt.
• Prismatic calcium oxalate crystals are present. Simple round to oval starch grains are also noticed.
The plant was subjected to estimation of various physico-chemical constants, powder analysis, fluorescence analysis, and inorganic mineral analysis which enlightens the
authenticity and quality of the herb in powdered form which may serve as a standard for future relevance in identification and establishing standards of the plant.
Moreover, Presence of sodium, potassium, magnesium etc. was confirmed and their quantification was evaluated by employing flame photometry and atomic absorption
spectrometry which throwed light on the nutritional potential of the plant.
Phytochemical studies on the plant Solidago canadensis L.:
The phytochemical studies included qualitative chemical analysis, fluorescence analysis, inorganic mineral analysis, HPTLC finger printing analysis of various extracts and
the isolation os bioactive plant constituents by column chromatography and characterization of the isolated compound by employing various spectroscopic techniques. The HPTLC finger printing of various extracts documented could serve as an empirical tool in authentic identification of and evaluation on the quality of the plant. Further, the column chromatography performed with the ethyl acetate extract of the plant Solidago canadensis L.
yielded a quinic acid derivative Viz., Cinnamoyl Qunic Acid the structure of which was further confirmed by (1H) NMR, Mass, IR and UV spectral studies.
Pharmacological evaluation of the plant Solidago canadensis L.
All prepared extracts with Viz., n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and 50% aqueous – ethanol of the plant Solidago canadensis L. was found to be safe as the results of the acute toxicity study (OECD – 423) showed no signs of mortality or death of the treated groups. The ethyl acetate extract of the plant Solidago canadensis L. was further studied inorder to unvil the anti-tumor effect against transplantable tumor DAL cell line. Increase in life span, decrease in average body weight and reversal of altered haematological parameters to near normal was considered as a significant anti-tumor effect. Furher, the cytotoxicity of the ethyl acetate extract and the isolated compound was screened and found to exhibit a remarkable cytotoxic effect against DAL and human cell lines (HeLa and MCF-7., breast cancer and cervical carcinoma cell line respectively) by MTT assay and Apoptotic studies. The ethyl acetate was further scanned inorder to ascertain the anti-cancer and to probe its probable mechanism of action by DNA binding assays using CT DNA fragments.
In order to ease and maximize the outcomes of therapeutic advancement among the cancer afflicted population, the plant was further tapped to explore its potential role on anthelmintic, analgesic and anti-infective activities, as these ailments were found as a coexsisting health ailments associated with cancer.
Interestingly, the plant Solidago canadensis L. demonstrated potent activities of the above said pharmacological effects relatively on power with the standard drugs and thus
facilitates the concommitent benefits for the cancer afflicted patients to meet out hazzle free survival during the management and treatment of this dreadful disease
