Sarcococca saligna

Sarcococca saligna, the sweet box or Christmas box, is a species of flowering plant in the family Buxaceae. This shrub is native to northern Pakistan. Its common name in Pakistan is sheha.[1][2]

Sarcococca saligna
Sarcococca saligna
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Buxales
Family: Buxaceae
Genus: Sarcococca
Species:
S. saligna
Binomial name
Sarcococca saligna
(D.Don) Müll.Arg.

Biological activity and medical usage

In traditional medicine of Pakistan, the leaves of Sarcococca saligna are used as laxative, blood purifier and muscular analgesic.[1]

The aqueous-methanolic extract of S. saligna has saponins, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, and alkaloids which have calcium channel blocking activity. Therefore, this shrub shows cardio-suppressant, vasodilator and tracheal relaxant effects.[3] In addition ethanolic extract of S. saligna has steroidal alkaloids which can demonstrate cholinesterase inhibitory activity.[4][5]

The ethanolic extract of S. saligna indicate antibacterial activity against several human pathogenic bacteria and antifungal activity against Aspergillus species.[6][7] This extract can increase the antifungal activity of fluconazole against resistant Aspergillus species.[7]

References
  1. Matin A; Khan MA; Ashraf M; Qureshi RA (2001). "Traditional use of herbs, shrubs and trees of Shogran valley, Mansehra, Pakistan". Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences. 4 (9): 1101–1107.
  2. Gilani AU; Ghayur MN; Khalid A; Zaheer-ul-Haq; Choudhary MI; Atta-ur-Rahman (2005). "Presence of antispasmodic, antidiarrheal, antisecretory, calcium antagonist and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory steroidal alkaloids in Sarcococca saligna". Planta Medica. 71 (2): 120–125. doi:10.1055/s-2005-837777. PMID 15789498.
  3. Ghayur MN; Gilani AH (2006). "Studies on cardio-suppressant, vasodilator and tracheal relaxant effects of Sarcococca saligna". Archives of Pharmacal Research. 29 (11): 990–997. doi:10.1007/bf02969283. PMID 17146968.
  4. Atta-ur-Rahman, Feroz F; Naeem I; Zaheer-ul-Haq; Nawaz SA; Khan N; Khan MR; Choudhary MI (2004). "New pregnane-type steroidal alkaloids from Sarcocca saligna and their cholinesterase inhibitory activity". Steroids. 69 (11–12): 735–41. doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2004.03.016. PMID 15685740.
  5. Atta-ur-Rahman, Anjum S; Farooq A; Khan MR; Choudhary MI (1997). "Two new pregnane-type steroidal alkaloids from Sarcococca saligna". Phytochemistry. 46 (4): 771–5. doi:10.1016/s0031-9422(97)00347-6. PMID 9366098.
  6. Rahman A; Anjum S; Farooq A; Khan MR; Parveen Z; Choudhary MI (1998). "Antibacterial steroidal alkaloids from Sarcococca saligna". Journal of Natural Products. 61 (2): 202–6. doi:10.1021/np970294a. PMID 9548847.
  7. Mollazadeh-Moghaddam K, Arfan M, Rafique J, Rezaee S, Jafari Fesharaki P, Gohari AR, Shahverdi AR (2010). "The antifungal activity of Sarcococca saligna ethanol extract and its combination effect with fluconazole against different resistant Aspergillus species". Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 162 (1): 127–33. doi:10.1007/s12010-009-8737-2. PMID 19685213.
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