A Comprehensive Review on – Acalypha indica Linn

Medicinal plants possess high therapeutic values. It can act as remedies for various human diseases and ailments. Acalypha indica is an herbaceous annual plant which belongs to the family euphorbiaceae. Euphorbiaceae is a large family of flowering plants. The Euphorbiaceae consist of monoecious or dioecious, herbs, shrubs, vines, or trees. Latex is present in some major groups. Acalypha indica commonly called as kuppaimeni. It is mostly found in the backyards of houses and waste places throughout the India. This herb has wide range of therapeutic purposes and have nutritional properties. The plant widely used to treat various diseases like antibacterial, antifungal, acaricidal effects etc. This review article provides an insight into wide-range of information on the phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects of this species.


INTRODUCTION
Acalypha indica Linn., is a weed plant which contain important medicinal values for human health remedies. It can be found commonly in India, Srilanka, Thailand and Pakistan [1]. It can grow up-to 0.6m to 0.75m [2]. It is commonly known as Indian copper leaf. The plant is rich in secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids [3]. The plants root, leaf, flower and stem parts possess antibacterial, antifungal properties and to use to treat various Review Article diseases and disorders [4]. This present review focuses on pharmacognostical and pharmacological properties of the plant Acalypha indica Linn.

PLANT PROFILE
Scientific name: Acalypha indica Linn.

DISTRIBUTION
Acalypha indica grows obviously in wet conditions, temperate and tropical areas along the equator cross continental of Asia, Africa, Europe, South and North America and Australia [7]. The Indian people have the most documented records of plant use for their traditional medicines [8]. It is also seen in the Arabia Gulf region [9]. The plant shows high level of distribution in the regions of African regions such as Ethiopia, Sudan, DR Congo, South Africa, Somalia, Kenya and Zambia [10].

HABITAT
It is found in various places such as waste lands, road sides, gaps in walls. It also grows in rocky hillsides, forest edges and river banks. It also grows at moist and shaded places. It can grows from sea-level up to 1350m altitude [11].

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
Acalypha indica is a traditional medicinal plant, well known by old generations in many countries like Asia and Africa [12]. The plant is mostly found in wet, tropical and courtyards of houses. It grows as a weed, in bushes along roadsides, and in other places [13]. Because this plant has a direct association with Siddha and Ayurveda therapeutic techniques followed by older generations of people, many international articles on Acalypha indica have been published in Indian journals [14].

Leaves
The leaves are acute or sub obtuse to crenateserrate, glabrous thin and the base are found to be cuneate. Their petioles are usually longer than the blade, slender and stipulate minute [15]. The leaves of Acalypha indica are simple and are arranged spirally, 0.02 -12cm petiole long.

Flower
Flowers are elongated in nature, auxiliary spikes and are clusters near to spikes. The female flower is white and is encircled by a short stalked large leafy dentate cuneiform with many nerves bract and a short pedunculate large leafy dentate cuneiform with many nerves bract that is 6 to 8mm in diameter. Flowers are unisexual, sessile, and lack petals; male flowers are 4-lobed, minute, granular dotted, calyx greenish, and stamens 8; female flowers have 3 triangularovate, ciliate sepals, superior ovary, 3-celled, slightly 3-lobed, styles 3, fused at base, and fringed [16].

Fruits
The fruits of the Acalypha indica are smaller and hairy. Capsule is bristly, 1mm broad [17].

Seeds
The seeds are minute, ovoid, and pale brown in appearance. Depending on its maturity, the colour of the seed will shift from greenish white to entirely brownish or grey in the early phases of seed production [18].
The inflorescences are in axillary, solitary or paired spike reaching up to 6 -10cm 8. TRADITIONAL USES OF Acalypha indica LINN.

leaves
Leaves are used as antibacterial, wound healing and decoction of leaves is used for dysentery. The Leaf infusion is consumed as purgative. The leaves in decoction and in powder form are used as laxative. In burning lesions, a leaf paste is administered [19].

Roots
Roots are used for the treatment of fever, intestinal worms, diabetes and stomach ache. Roots are used as abortifacient, cathartic, demulcent and anti-inflammatory [20].

Seeds
Seeds are used to treat diarrhoea, asthma and bronchitis and it is a natural diuretic agent [21].

COMMON USES
It has also been reported to be useful in treating pneumoniae, asthma, rheumatism and several other ailments.

PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY
The constituents present in plant play a vital role in the identification of crude drug [24]. Acalypha indica has a wide variety of nutrients such carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and lipids. The plant has a high content of iron, followed by copper, nickel, zinc and chromium [25].

Anti-venom Activity
The anti-venom derived from Acalypha indica methanolic extract is used to treat Daboia russelli venom [29] by increasing the life span up to 100% at 500mg/kg dose. Benzene, petroleum ether, chloroform and acetone extracts of Acalypha indica increased the life span by 35%, 47%, 47% and 77%, respectively against similar snake venoms [30]. The mechanism of action for the antivenom potency of the extracts is found to be antioxidant [31].

Post Coital Infertility Activity
The post coital infertility activity has been tested by four solvents in female albino rats. The petroleum ether extract and ethanol extract were found to be most effective in causing significant anti -implantation activity. Both the extracts of Acalypha indica at 600mg/kg body weight showed estrogenic activity. Histological studies of the uterus were carried out to confirm this estrogenic potential of the plant [32].

Haemolysis
The haemolytic(acute intravascular effect) potential of Acalypha indica was evaluated after broth ingestion of the plant in patients. The patients were observed to have lack in glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase [33].

Wound Healing Activity
The Acalypha indica leaves were used to treat variety of skin problems. The ethanolic extract of Acalypha indica was used to evaluate the wound healing activity in rats using excision and incision models in rats. The extract showed less wound healing property [34].

Anthelmintic Activity
Anthelmintic potential of the methanolic and aqueous extracts of Acalypha indica were evaluated for their anthelmintic potential against Indian earth worms -Pheretima posthuman The extracts were evaluated at 100mg/ml. Both the extracts found to possess significant anthelmintic properties [35].

Anti-fungal Activity
Hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous extracts of Acalypha indica was evaluated for its antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Penicillium chrysogenum. The phenolic compounds and flavonoidal derivatives of Acalypha indica were believed to be the source for antifungal properties [36-37].

Anti-inflammatory Activity
The anti-inflammatory properties of ethanolic extract of Acalypha indica was investigated using rats. The study was assessed using phenylbutazone as the standard drug. The antiinflammatory potential of the plant was evaluated by carageen induced paw edema and measurement of percentage inhibition of albumin proteinase and denaturation. Both the assays showed 85% of inhibition, exhibiting no protein denaturation. Protein denaturation is one of the indicators for inflammation property. Acalypha indica plant extract stabilize the membrane by inhibiting hypotonicity induced lysis of an erythrocyte membrane analogous to a lysosomal membrane [38-39].

Hepatoprotective Activity
The hepatoprotective activity of methanolic extract of aerial parts of Acalypha indica was investigated at 300mg/kg in Wistar albino rats of both sex. Hepatotoxicity was induced using thioacetamide. After 48h of hepatotoxicant administration, the extract showed hepatoprotective activity by lowering the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) levels. The results were comparable to the standard drug silymarin [40].

Anti-ulcer Activity
The phytoconstituents present in methanolic extract of Acalypha indica has the potency of inhibiting ulcer. The anti-ulcer activity was evaluated using pylorus ligation and swim stress models in Swiss albino rats. A. indica extracts were evaluated at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. Famotidine at 10 mg/kg per body weight is used as the standard drug. The extract at 100 mg/kg reduced the volume of gastric juice by 67.14%, total acidity 59.29%, free acidity 53.24% and 37.18% of ulcer index. The Acalypha indica extract showed anti-ulcerogenic potency and the results were comparable to the standard drug [41].

Analgesic Activity
Analgesic properties of Acalypha indica was evaluated by in vivo studies. Writhing reflex assay was used to determine the analgesic property of the Acalypha indica hexane extract [42]. Acetic acid was used to induce the pain in mice. Acetic acid involves two phases, first it will release serotonin and histamine and in the second phase it will involve prostaglandins in the inflammatory exudates in plant extract. The study was evaluated at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg and aminopyrine was used as a positive control. The results were measured by counting the number of writhings induced within 20 minutes, immediately after the administration of the test drugs. The hexane extract produced up to 61.1% and 67.2% of writhing inhibition, respectively for the two doses. The analgesic effect produced the extract was comparable to the standard drug 79.9%.
The hexane extract disrupted the first phase of inflammation formation by inhibiting the release of serotonin and histamine [43].

Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin problem characterized by rapid proliferation of keratinocytes and incomplete keratinization. The present study, shows anti-psoriatic effect of aqueous extract of Acalypha indica. A431 and B16-F10 cell lines were used as in vitro models. The in vitro study suggested that the leaf extract of Acalypha indica is capable of serving as antipsoriasis agent [44].

CONCLUSION
A. indica is a common annual shrub freely grown in Indian gardens. It is wide spread all over the world. This comprehensive review highlights the information on Acalypha indica for phytochemical content and pharmacological properties. The plant is a potential source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, lipids, polyphenols, tannins etc., and it is used in the treatment of cancer, inflammation, helminthiasis, microbes, diabetes, hyperlipidemic, obesity, venom poisoning and wounds.
The present review shows the pharmacological properties of the Acalypha indica such as antivenom activity, post coital infertility activity, haemolysis, wound healing activity, anthelmintic activity, anti-fungal activity, anti-inflammatory activity, heptatoprotective activity, antiulcer activity, psoriasis and the various phytonstituents responsible for it have been reported.

DISCLAIMER
The products used for this research are commonly and predominantly use products in our area of research and country. There is absolutely no conflict of interest between the authors and producers of the products because we do not intend to use these products as an avenue for any litigation but for the advancement of knowledge. Also, the research was not funded by the producing company rather it was funded by personal efforts of the authors.

NOTE
The study highlights the efficacy of "Ayurved" which is an ancient tradition, used in some parts of India. This ancient concept should be carefully evaluated in the light of modern medical science and can be utilized partially if found suitable.

CONSENT
It is not applicable.

ETHICAL APPROVAL
It is not applicable.
analysis, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of "Acalypha indica" leaf extracts in different organic solvents.