Topic
Croton
About: Croton is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 719 publications have been published within this topic receiving 9442 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
1 / 2
Papers
TL;DR: Pharmacological assays have frequently corroborated the traditional uses of Croton species, and a wide diversity of effects having been noticed, including hypolipidemic, hypoglycaemic, anti-oestrogen and anti-cancer.
Abstract: Croton is a genus of Euphorbiaceae comprising around 1,300 species, widespread in tropical regions of the Old and New Worlds. Several species have a long role in the traditional use of medicinal plants in Africa, Asia and South America. Popular uses include treatment of cancer, constipation, diabetes, digestive problems, dysentery, external wounds, fever, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, inflammation, intestinal worms, malaria, pain, ulcers and weight-loss. Several species of Croton have a red sap, in some species containing proanthocyanidins and/or alkaloids. The latter may be taspine or some of several benzylisoquinoline-like compounds. Diterpenes are very common in Croton, corresponding to clerodanes, cembranoid, halimanes, kauranes, labdanes, phorbol esters, trachylobanes and sarcopetalanes. Some species are aromatic due to the possession of volatile oils. Representatives of new classes of compounds (phenylbutanoids, glutarimide alkaloids, sarcopetalane diterpenes) have been isolated from Croton species. While laticifers have been described in Croton species, so far there are no anatomical studies about secretory structures of volatile oil. Few studies about flavonoids have been carried out with Croton species. Chemical affinities are apparent in the genus, grouping species with (i) kauranes and/or labdanes, (ii) trachylobanes and (iii) alkaloids. Pharmacological assays have frequently corroborated the traditional uses of Croton species. A great part of pharmacological assays with Croton substances dealt with the clerodane trans-dehydrocrotonin, a wide diversity of effects having been noticed, including hypolipidemic, hypoglycaemic, anti-oestrogen and anti-cancer. Cytotoxic effects also have been observed in assays with alkaloids (taspine) and with secokaurene, labdane and cembranoid diterpenes. Several other effects of Croton substances have been registered, including anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, antiulcer, antiviral and myorelaxant.
495 citations
TL;DR: The results collectively indicate that the plant has a promising antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium berghei, which upholds the earlier in vitro findings as well as its folkloric use and could be considred as a potential source to develop new antimalarial agents.
Abstract: The issue of resistance in malarial infection makes development of novel drugs a necessity. An alternative source for discovering such drugs is natural products. Croton macrostachyus H. (Euphorbiaceae) is used in Ethiopian folklore medicine for the treatment of malaria and found to possess antimalarial activity in vitro. However, no further scientific investigations have been carried out to substantiate the claim. This study therefore aimed at investigating the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of 80% methanol extract and solvent fractions of the leaves of Croton macrostachyus H. in rodent model of malaria. A rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei, was used to inoculate healthy male Swiss Albino mice of age 6–8 weeks and weight 23–27 g. A hydro-alcoholic crude extract and the solvent fractions (chloroform, methanol and aqueous) were administered at different doses 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg. Parameters, including parasitemia, survival time, body weight, temperature, and packed cell volume were then determined using standard tests such as Peter’s and Rane’s test. Chemoprotective effect exerted by the crude extract and fractions ranged between 44-91% and 12-76%, respectvely. The chemotherapeutic effect of the crude extract and chloroform fraction was in the range of 39-83% and 66-82%, respectively. Maximum effect in both tests was observed with the larger dose of the crude extract and chloroform fraction. The crude extract prevented loss of weight and reduction in temperature but did not affect packed cell volume. However, the chloroform fraction did also reverse reduction in packed cell volume due to the absence of saponins in the fraction. The results collectively indicate that the plant has a promising antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium berghei, which upholds the earlier in vitro findings as well as its folkloric use. Thus, it could be considred as a potential source to develop new antimalarial agents.
136 citations
TL;DR: Two new trachylobane- and one isopimarane-type diterpenoids are isolated from the leaves of Croton zambesicus, together with trans-phytol, beta-sitosterol, alpha-amyrin and stigmasterol.
128 citations
TL;DR: Aims: to find new antifungal agents among essential oils from Brazilian Croton species by studying the phytochemical properties of these species.
Abstract: Aims: To find new antifungal agents among essential oils from Brazilian Croton species.
Methods and Results: Plant leaves were steam distilled and the obtained essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. The main constituents were estragole and anethole for Croton zehntneri, methyl-eugenol and bicyclogermacrene for Croton nepetaefolius and spathulenol and bicyclogermacrene for Croton argyrophylloides. The antifungal activity of essential oils was evaluated against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Microsporum canis by the agar-well diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the broth microdilution method. Essential oils of Croton species demonstrated better activity against M. canis. Among the three plants C. argyrophylloides showed the best results, with MIC ranging from 9 to 19 μg ml−1. The acute administration of the essential oil up to 3 g kg−1 by the oral route to mice was devoid of overt toxicity.
Conclusions: The studied essential oils are active in vitro against the dermatophyte M. canis and present relative lack of acute toxicity in vivo.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Because of its antifungal activity and low toxicity, the essential oils of studied Croton species are promising sources for new phytotherapeutic agents to treat dermatophytosis.
125 citations
TL;DR: The methanolic extracts showed the most significant hepatoprotective activity comparable with standard drug silymarin, and other extracts namely petroleum ether and acetone also exhibited a potent activity.
116 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 |
| 2024 | 97 |
| 2023 | 77 |
| 2022 | 195 |
| 2021 | 57 |
| 2020 | 40 |