Phcog Rev. Vol, 3, Issue 6, 359-363, 2009 Available Online : www.phcogrev.com © Phcog.Net 2009 | www.phcog.net 359 PHCOG REV. : Review Article Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. - A Comprehensive Review Manish Devgun *1 , Arun Nanda 2 and S. H. Ansari 3 1 Department of Pharmacy, Vaish Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Rohtak. Haryana, India. 2 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India. 3 Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. *Corresponding author, E-mail: manishdevgun@gmail.com ; Mobile: 0-9416137671. ABSTRACT The Pterocarpus marsupium belong to family Fabaceae and is widely distributed in central, western and southern regions of India. The role of Pterocarpus marsupium as anti-diabetic has been very well established. Its extract has been prepared using many methods like infusion, maceration, decoction and percolation. Several chemical constituents like pterostilbene, (-)-epicatechin, pterosupin, marsupsin, etc., have been identified and isolated. Pterocarpus marsupium extract also shows promising results in cataract and hypertriglyceridaemia. This plant also finds its use as cardiotonic and hepatoprotective agent. Studies have also been reported to demonstrate its ability as a specific COX- 2 inhibitor. The present review explores its description, traditional uses, extraction methods, chemical constituents, pharmacological activity and commercial importance so that its potential as a multipurpose medicinal agent can be understood and appreciated. KEY WORDS: Extraction methods, Pharmacological activities, Pterocarpus marsupium. Abbreviations: COX- 2: cyclooxygenase- 2, LDL: low desity lipoprotein, VLDL: very low density lipoprotein, HDL: high desity lipoprotein, PGE 2 : prostaglandin E 2 INTRODUCTION Plants are indispensable to man for his life. All phyta of plants viz. Thallophyta, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta and Spermatophyta, contain species that yield official and unofficial products of medicinal importance. The history of herbal medicine is as old as human civilization. The wealth of India is stored in the enormous natural flora which has been gifted to her. Endowed with a wide diversity of agro-climatic conditions, India is virtually herbarium of the world. The importance of medicinal and aromatic plants has been emphasized from time to time. It is believed that the drugs of natural origin shall play an important role in healthcare particularly in the rural areas of India (1). Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb is grown in deciduous and evergreen forests of central, western and southern regions of India. It is found mostly in the states of Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa (2-3). TAXONOMICAL CLASSIFICATION Domain : Eukaryota Kingdom : Plantae Subkingdom :Viridaeplantae Phylum : Magnoliophyta Subphylum : Euphyllophytina Infraphylum : Radiatopsis Class : Magnoliopsida Subclass : Rosidae Superorder : Fabanae Order : Fabales Family : Fabaceae Genus : Pterocarpus Species : marsupium (4). BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION It is of moderate size to large tree. The height ranges from 15 to 30 meters. The stem is stout and crooked with widely spreading branches. The bark is thick and dark brown to grey in colour. Leaves are compound and imparipinnate. Leaflets are 5-7, coriaceous, oblong, obtuse, emarginated or even bilobed at the apex and glabrous on both surfaces. The petioles are round, smooth and waved from leaflet to leaflet, 5 or 6 inches long and there are no stipules. Panicles are terminal and very large; ramifications are bifarious, like the leaves. Peduncles and pedicals are round and a little downy. Bracts are small, caduceus, solitary below each division and subdivision of the panicle. The flowers are very numerous, white, with a small tinge of yellow. Vexillum is with a long, slender claw, very broad; sides reflexed, waved, curled and veined; keel is two pettled, adhering slightly for a little way near the middle, waved, etc., same as the vexillum. Stamens are 10, united near the base, but soon dividing into two parcels of 5 each; anthers are globose and 2-lobed. Ovary is oblong, pedicelled, hairy, generally 2-celled; cells are transverse and 1- seeded. Style is ascending. The legume, which is borne on a long petiole, is three-fourths orbicular, the upper remainder, which extends from the pedicel to the remainder of the style, is straight, the whole surrounded with a waved, veiny, downy, membraneous wing, swelled, rugose, woody in the center, where the seed is lodged and not opening; generally one but sometimes 2-celled. Seeds are single and reniform (3, 5). DESCRIPTION OF DRUG Drug consists of heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium. It consists of irregular pieces of variable size and thickness. It is golden yellowish- brown in colour with darker streaks. It is very hard and brittle. In water it gives yellow coloured solution with blue fluorescence. Transverse section shows alternating bands of larger and smaller polygonal cells consisting of tracheids, fibre tracheids, xylem parenchyma and transversed by xylem rays. Xylem vessels are throughout distributed.