Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the genus Rhynchosia: a comprehensive review

  • Review
  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Main conclusion

The genus Rhynchosia is a rich source of natural compounds especially flavonoids and prenylated isoflavonoids. Further experimental studies on Rhynchosia members may be result new and novel secondary metabolites with potent biological activities.

Abstract

Traditionally, medicinal plants have played a significant role on human life since ancient days. At present, natural compounds are the major source for the modern drug discovery owing to their therapeutic selectivity, minutest of side effects, inexpensive source and serve as lead molecules for the discovery of new drugs. Rhynchosia species (Fabaceae) are extensively circulated throughout the tropical and subtropical areas around the world. A few plants of this genus were used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments such as antibacterial, antidiabetic, abortifacients, healing of wounds, hepatoprotective, remedial of boils, rheumatic pains and skin infections. The present review compiles traditional uses, isolated chemical compounds and pharmacological activities of Rhynchosia species. So far, in total, seventy-seven compounds were isolated from the genus Rhynchosia, including flavonoids, isoflavonoids, flavan-3-ols, xanthones, biphenyls, simple polyphenols and sterols. It is interesting to note that the genus Rhynchosia is a rich source of C-glycosylflavonoids and prenylated isoflavonoids. Further, phytochemical and pharmacological studies on this genus are required since only few species have been investigated so far.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abd ElGawad AM, ElAmier YA, Bonanomi G (2018) Allelopathic activity and chemical composition of Rhynchosia minima (L.) DC. essential oil from Egypt. Chem Biodivers 15:e1700438

    Google Scholar 

  • Achan J, Talisuna AO, Erhart A, Yeka A, Tibenderana JK, Baliraine FN, Rosenthal PJ, D’Alessandro U (2011) Quinine, an old anti-malarial drug in a modern world: role in the treatment of malaria. Malar J 10:144

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Chetty PR (1985) Chemical Investigation of some medicinal-plants occurring in South-India. Indian J Chem 24:453

    Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Ramachandraiah P (1984) Methylated flavonols of Rhynchosia rufescens. Pharmazie 39:714–715

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Ramachandraiah P (1985) C-Glycosylphenolics from Rhynchosia suaveolens. J Nat Prod 48:156–157

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Ramachandraiah P (1986) C-Glycosides of Rhynchosia cana. J Nat Prod 49:1158–1159

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Gunasekar D, Ramachandraiah P (1979) C-glycosides of Rhynchosia species. Curr sci 48:726–727

    Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Gunasekar D, Ramachandraiah P, Seligmann O, Wagner H (1980a) Tirumalin, a new prenylated dihydroflavonol from Rhynchosia cyanosperma. Phytochemistry 19:478–480

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Gunasekar D, Seligmann O, Wagner H (1980b) Flavone O-and C-glycosides of Rhynchosia beddomei. Phytochemistry 19:480–481

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Gunasekar D, Seligmann O, Wagner H (1980c) Rhynchosin, a new 5-deoxyflavonol from Rhynchosia beddomei. Phytochemistry 19:483–484

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Ramachandraiah P, Seligmann O, Wagner H (1981) Rhynchospermin, A prenylated flavanol from Rhynchosia cyanosperma. Phytochemistry 20:2058–2059

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adinarayana D, Ramachandraiah P, Rao KN (1985) Flavonoid profiles of certain species of Rhynchosia of the family Leguminosae (Fabaceae). Experientia 41:251–252

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed W, Ahmad Z, Malik A (1992) Stigmasteryl galactoside from Rhynchosia minima. Phytochemistry 31:4038–4039

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ali M, Sreeramulu K, Gunasekar D (1992) Constituents of Rhynchosia bracteata and Rhynchosia sublobata leaves. Fitoterapia 63:283–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen ON, Allen EK (1981) The Leguminosae, a source book of characteristics, uses, and nodulation. The Univ of Wisconsin Press, Wisconsin, p 578

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakshu LM, Raju RV (2001) Antimicrobial activity of Rhynchosia beddomei. Fitoterapia 72:579–582

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bakshu LM, Raju RRV (2009) Chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Rhynchosia heynei, an endemic medicinal plant from Eastern Ghats of India. Pharm Biol 47:1067–1070

    Google Scholar 

  • Bangalore K, Agrahari P (2009). Pharmacognostical, phytochemical, antimicrobial and wound healing activity studies on the leaves of Rhynchosia beddomei Baker. MS dissertation, pp 3–13

  • Besson E, Chopin J, Krishnaswami L, Krishnamurty HG (1977) C-Glycosylflavones from Rhynchosia minima. Phytochemistry 16:498

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bohni N, Cordero-Maldonado ML, Maes J, Siverio-Mota D, Marcourt L, Munck S, Kamuhabwa AR, Moshi MJ, Esguerra CV, de Witte PA, Crawford AD (2013) Integration of microfractionation, qNMR and zebrafish screening for the in vivo bioassay-guided isolation and quantitative bioactivity analysis of natural products. PLoS One 8:e64006

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Buss AD, Cox B, Waigh RD (2003) In burger’s medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. In: Abraham DJ (ed) Drug discovery, vol 1, 6th edn. Wiley, Hoboken, pp 847–900

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler MS (2004) The role of natural product chemistry in drug discovery. J Nat Prod 67:2141–2153

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chadha YR (1976) The wealth of India: a dictionary of indian raw materials and industrial products, vol 10. Publication Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi, pp 522–524

    Google Scholar 

  • Challa S, Rajam KK, Kasapu VVS, Tanneeru SK, Kantamreddi VSS (2011) Antibacterial properties of an Indian traditional medicinal plant, Rhynchosia scarabaeoides (L.) DC. (Fabaceae). Altern Med Stud 1:70–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Coronado-Aceves EW, Gigliarelli G, Garibay-Escobar A, Zepeda RER, Curini M, Cervantes JL, Espitia-Pinzón CII, Superchi S, Vergura S, Marcotullio MC (2017) New Isoflavonoids from the extract of Rhynchosia precatoria (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) DC. and their antimycobacterial activity. J Ethnopharmacol 206:92–100

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dias DA, Urban S, Roessner U (2012) A historical overview of natural products in drug discovery. Metabolites 2:303–336

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Farnsworth NR, Hess M, Fisher AE, Martello RE, Cammarato LV (1967) Medicinal folklore evaluation I. Alleged androgenic and aphrodisiac action of pega palo (Rhynchosia pyramidalis). J Pharm Sci 56:967–970

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gamble JS, Fischer CEC (1935) Flora of the presidency of madras, vol I. WC: Aldard and Son, London, pp 372–376

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Tejero MR, Casares-Porcel M, Sánchez-Rojas CP, Ramiro-Gutiérrez JM, Molero-Mesa J, Pieroni A, Giusti ME, Censorii E, De Pasquale C, Della A, Paraskeva-Hadijchambi D (2008) Medicinal plants in the Mediterranean area: synthesis of the results of the project Rubia. J Ethnopharmacol 116:341–357

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guo Y, Yin W, Liu P, Hu Y, Yan M, Sun X (2011) Extraction and separation of isoflavonoids from Rhynchosia volubilis lour using ionic liquid. Chin J Appl Chem 28:537–541

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gweru N, Gundidza M, Magwa ML, Ramalivhana NJ, Humphrey G, Samie A, Mmbengwa V (2009) Phytochemical composition and biological activities of essential oil of Rhynchosia minima (L)(DC) (Fabaceae). Afr J Biotechnol 8:721–724

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey AL (2008) Natural products in drug discovery. Drug discov Today 13:894–901

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Khan KA, Shoeb A (1984) Two antibacterial biphenyls from Rhynchosia suaveolens. Phytochemistry 23:765–766

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kingston DG (1993) In human medicinal agents from plants: Taxol, an exciting anticancer drug from Taxus brevifolia: an overview Chapter 10. ACS publication, Washington, pp 138–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinjo J, Nagao T, Tanaka T, Nonaka GI, Okabe H (2001) Antiproliferative constituents in the plant 8. Seeds of Rhynchosia volubilis. Biol Pharm Bull 24:1443–1445

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koehn FE, Carter GT (2005) The evolving role of natural products in drug discovery. Nat Rev Drug discov 4:206–220

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurty HG, Krishnaswami L, Rangaswamy NS (1975) Hydroquinone diacetate from Rhynchosia minima. Phytochemistry 14:2518–2519

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kritikar KR, Basu BD (1975) Indian medicinal plants, vol I. Periodical Experts, New Delhi, p 808

    Google Scholar 

  • Li SH, Xiang QL (2011) Chemical constituents in Rhynchosia volubilis. Chin Trad Herbal Drugs 42:1276–1278

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mary JL, Raghavendra NM, Subrahmanyam CVS (2014) Antidiabetic and Antioxidant activity of Rhynchosia beddomei baker. Int J Med Res Rev 2:1323–1332

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman DJ, Cragg GM (2012) Natural products as sources of new drugs over the 30 years from 1981 to 2010. J Nat Prod 75:311–335

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Newman DJ, Cragg GM, Snader KM (2000) The influence of natural products upon drug discovery. Nat Prod Rep 17:215–234

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ogungbe IV, Hill GM, Crouch RA, Vogler B, Nagarkoti M, Haber WA, Setzer WN (2011) Prenylated isoflavonoids from Rhynchosia edulis. Nat Prod Commun 6:1934578X1100601119

    Google Scholar 

  • Praveena R, Sadasivam K, Kumaresan R, Deepha V, Sivakumar R (2013) Experimental and DFT studies on the antioxidant activity of a C-glycoside from Rhynchosia capitata. Spectrochim. Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 103:442–452

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rammohan A, Gunasekar D, Reddy NV, Vijaya T, Deville A, Bodo B (2015) Structure elucidation and antioxidant activity of the phenolic compounds from Rhynchosia suaveolens. Nat Prod Commun 10:1934578X1501000418

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rammohan A, Bhaskar BV, Venkateswarlu N, Rao VL, Gunasekar D, Zyryanov GV (2019) Isolation of flavonoids from the flowers of Rhynchosia beddomei Baker as prominent antimicrobial agents and molecular docking. Microb Pathog 136:103667

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rangaswamy NS, Krishnamurthy HG, Rawat MS (1974) Proanthocyanidins in seeds of the leguminous weed, Rhynchosia minima. Curr Sci 43:792

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao CV, Gunasekar D (1987) C-Glycosides from Rhynchosia rothii. Acta Cienc Indica Chem 13:187–189

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao CV, Gunasekar D (1988) Isotirumalin, a new prenylated dihydroflavonol from Rhynchosia cyanosperma (Benth). Indian J Chem 19:383–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao KV, Gunasekar D (1998) C-prenylated dihydroflavonol from Rhynchosia densiflora. Phytochemistry 48:1453–1455

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao KV, Sreeramulu K, Gunasekar D (1991) Chemical constituents of the genus Rhynchosia. Indian J Nat Prod 7:3–12

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Riaz T, Abbasi MA, Shahzadi T, Siddiqui SZ, Khalid H, Ajaib M (2011) In vitro assessment of fortification from oxidative stress by various fractions of Rhynchosia pseudo-cajan. J Med Plant Res 5:6597–6603

    Google Scholar 

  • Rondo M (2017) Phytochemical and biological studies on some South African plants used in traditional medicine for skin hyperpigmentation; MS Dissertation submitted to university of the Western Cape, Africa, pp 54–60

  • Seetharamamma B, Rao CV, Gunasekar D (1989) Flavone C-glycosides of Rhynchosia jacobii. Indian J Nat Prod 5:22–23

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wainwright M (1990) Miracle cure: The story of penicillin and the golden age of antibiotics. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis JC (1966) A dictionary of the flowering plants and ferns. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 970

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Ural Federal University, Chemical Engineering Institute, 19 Mira St, Yekaterinburg, 620002, Russian Federation

    Aluru Rammohan, Guda Mallikarjuna Reddy & Grigory V. Zyryanov

  2. Natural Products Division, Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India

    Aluru Rammohan & Duvvuru Gunasekar

  3. Department of Pathophysiology, The Key Immunopathology Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515031, Guangdong Province, China

    Baki Vijaya Bhaskar

  4. Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, I. Ya, Postovskiy Institute of Organic Synthesis, 22 S. Kovalevskoy Street, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation

    Grigory V. Zyryanov

Authors
  1. Aluru Rammohan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guda Mallikarjuna Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Baki Vijaya Bhaskar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Duvvuru Gunasekar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Grigory V. Zyryanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

The authors AR and DG were outline and collected the literature associated to the review. AR, GMR and BVB were performed manuscript writing and analysis the data. GVZ and DG contributed with their attentive discussions during manuscript preparation.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aluru Rammohan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All the authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rammohan, A., Reddy, G.M., Bhaskar, B.V. et al. Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the genus Rhynchosia: a comprehensive review. Planta 251, 9 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-019-03311-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-019-03311-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation