Curry Leaves – A Medicinal Herb

 

Sinha Parul* , Akhtar Javed , Batra Neha , Jain Honey , Bhardwaj Anuj

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jaipur National University, Jaipur

*Corresponding Author E-mail: parulsinha2020@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT:

Plants are one of the most important sources of medicines. Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) is an important leafy vegetable. Its leaves are widely used in Indian cookery for flavouring foodstuffs. Curry leaf is Native to India. Large shrub to small tree. Pinnate leaves are used in many South Indian curries. The major constituents identified were the volatile oil of the fresh leaves of Murraya koenigii. Its nutritional value benefits both the young and the old alike. Women who suffer from calcium deficiency, osteoporosis etc can find an ideal natural calcium supplement in curry leaves. They are also used externally to cure eruptions and the bites of poisonous animals. Curry leaves can be used with effective result to treat burn, bruises and skin eruption. Kidney pain can be cured by using juice of root of  Murrayakoenigii. It can be used in preventing premature greying of hair. A volatile oil, curry leaf oil, produced from the plant has uses in the soap industry.

 

 


INTRODUCTION:

Herbal and natural products of folk medicine have been used for centuries in every culture throughout the world. Scientists and medical professionals have shown increased interest in this field as they recognize the true health benefits of these remedies. “Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food.” Plants are one of the most important sources of medicines. The medicinal plants are rich in secondary metabolites (which are potential sources of drugs) and essential oils of therapeutic importance. The important advantages claimed for therapeutic uses of medicinal plants in various ailments are their safety besides being economical, effective and their easy availability.(1)

 

Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) is an important leafy vegetable. Its leaves are widely used in Indian cookery for flavouring foodstuffs. The leaves have a slightly pungent, bitter and feebly acidic taste, and they retain their flavour and other qualities even after drying. Curry leaf is also used in many of the Indian ayurvedic and unani prescriptions.

 

The plant originated in the Tarai region of Uttar Pradesh, India, and at present it is cultivated in Burma, Ceylon, China, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The crop is usually propagated by seeds. A volatile oil, curry leaf oil, produced from the plant has uses in the soap industry. (2)

 

Synonyms:

Hindi:      Curry Leaves

Bengali:   Barsunga

Gujarati:  Limdo or meetholimdo

Kannada: Karibue

Marathi:   Kadhilimbu

Telugu:    Karivepku (3)

 

Geographical Distribution

Murraya koenigii originates from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India east to China and Hainan. It has been widely cultivated in South-East Asia and some parts of the United States and Australia. In tropical Africa it is planted in many countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and most of the Indian Ocean Islands, where Indian immigrants settled.(3)

 

Cultivation and collection:

Flowering starts from the middle of April and ends in the middle of May. The peak flowering season under the Sanwara (H.P.) conditions was observed to be the last week of April. The fruiting season was observed to continue from the middle of July to the end of August. The peak fruiting season, however, was found to continue from the last week of July to the 1st week of August.

 

Curry leaf is Native to India. Large shrub to small tree. Pinnate leaves are used in many South Indian curries. Full sun or light shade. Fertilize with palm or citrus fertilizer to promote leaf production. Grows well in containers. Use a well drained potting mix. Can be grown outdoors in Southern California, South Texas and South Florida. Protect from freezing. Seeds are fragile so handle with care. Seeds are shipped in moist peatmoss/coir mix and should be planted immediately.

Classification:

Scientific Classification

Kingdom

Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom

Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Superdivision

Spermatophyta – Seed plants

Division

Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants

Class

MagnoliopsidaDicotyledons

Subclass

Rosidae

Order

Sapindales

Family

Rutaceae – Rue family

Genus

Murraya J. Koenig ex L.murraya

Species

Murrayakoenigii (L.) Spreng.curryleaftree

 

Morphological characters:

A small spreading shrub, about 2.5 metres high; the main stem, dark green to brownish, with numerous dots on it; its bark can be peeled off longitudinally, exposing the white wood underneath; the girth of the main stem is 16 cm.

 

Leaves, exstipulate, bipinnately compound, 30 cm long, each bearing 24 leaflets, having reticulate venation; leaflets, lanceolate, 4.9 cm long, 1.8 cm broad, having 0.5-cm-long petiole.

 

Flowers, bisexual, white, funnel-shaped, sweetly scented, stalked, complete, ebracteate, regular, actinomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, the average diameter of a fully opened flower being 1.12 cm; inflorescence, a terminal cyme, each bearing 60 to 90 flowers; calyx, 5-lobed, persistent, inferior, green; corolla, white, polypetalous, inferior, with 5 petals, lanceolate; length, 5 mm; androecium, polyandrous, inferior, with 10 stamens, dorsifixed, arranged into circles of five each; smaller stamens, 4 mm. long whereas the longer ones, 5 to 6 mm; gynoecium, 5 to 6 mm long; stigma, bright, sticky; style, short; ovary, superior.

 

Fruits, round to oblong, 1.4 to 1.6 cm long, 1 to 1.2 cm in diameter; weight, 880 mg; volume, 895 microlitres; fully ripe fruits, black with a very shining surface; pulp, Wistaria blue 640/2; the number of fruits per cluster varying from 32 to 80.

 

Seed, one in each fruit, 11 mm long, 8 mm in diameter, colour spinach green 0960/3; weight, 445 mg; volume, 460 microlitres.(4)

 

Microscopy:

The root shows tetrarch to pentarchstele, phellodermfibres are absent and concentric grains of parenchyma are present. Fresh leaves on steam distillation under pressure yield 206% of volatile oil that may find use as a fixative. The fruit is edible. It yields 0.76% of a yellow volatile oil with neroli like odour. Transverse section shows a dorsi ventral structure. Epidermis is composed of cubical to slightly tangentially elongated cells. The upper epidermal cells in surface view are polyhedral and straight walled. Trichomes are rare unicellular and found mainly on midrib. Stomata anomocytic; palisade of two layers; irregularly arrange disodiametrical or rectangular cells constitute the spongy parenchyma. Calcium oxalate crystals present in the form of prisms. Secretary canals are large and circular. The midrib shows an arc of radiating xylem with phloem below. Pericyclic fibers appear in patches below the phloem. The fibers measure 2000μ in length. Inner to the lower epidermis is present 1 to 3 layers of collenchyma. Ground tissue is composed of thin parenchymatous polygonal cells.(4)

 

Powder Characteristic:

Green in color with no distinct odour or taste, unicellular, bent or curved trichomes, two layered palisade, portion of secretory canals, well developed pericyclic fibers and a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate are the important identifying characters. Leaves are pinnate and green in colour. Taste of leaves are bitter and aromatic. (4)

 

Chemical constituents

Leaves: The chemical composition of the volatile oil of the fresh leaves of Murrayakoenigii growing wild was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thirty-four compounds consisting of 97.4% of the oil were identified. The major constituents identified were alpha-pinene (51.7%), sabinene (10.5%), beta-pinene (9.8%), beta-caryophyllene (5.5%), limonene (5.4%), bornyl acetate (1.8%), terpinen-4-ol (1.3%), gamma-terpinene (1.2%) and alpha-humulene (1.2%). (5)

 

Stem Bark: Four carbazole alkaloids, identified as mahanimbine , girinimbine , murrayanine  murrayafoline-A and one triterpene can be isolated from stem bark and roots of Murrayakoenigii.(5)

 

Identification test:

The powder when treated with 1 N methanolic sodium hydroxide shows yellowish white colour and when mounted in nitrocellulose emits chocolate fluorescence.(5)

 

Traditional uses: The bark and the roots are used as a stimulant by the physicians. They are also used externally to cure eruptions and the bites of poisonous animals. The green leaves are stated to be eaten raw for curing dysentery, and the infusion of the washed leaves stops vomiting.

 

Curry leaves are also used in calcium deficiency. It has Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Calcium and iron in plenty. Its nutritional value benefits both the young and the old alike. Women who suffer from calcium deficiency, osteoporosis etc can find an ideal natural calcium supplement in curry leaves.

 

Fresh juice of curry leaves, with lime juice and sugar, is an effective medicine in the treatment of morning sickness, nausea and vomiting due to indigestion and excessive use of fats. One or two teaspoons of juice of these leaves mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice may be taken in these conditions. The curry leaves, ground to a fine paste and mixed with buttermilk, can also be taken on an empty stomach with beneficial results in case of stomach upsets. Also used as laxative. Boils and similar eruptions appear on skin during summer. Most of the boils tend to subside over time, but some may persist and remain painful. Curry leaves come handy in treating such conditions. A paste made of curry leaves is applied on these persistent boils for quick relief.

 

Along with mint leaves and coriander leaves, curry leaves can be used in treating excessive pitta conditions. Curry leaves can be used with effective result to treat burn, bruises and skin erruption.

 

Cataract development can be prevented by using fresh juice of curry leaves.

 

Kidney pain can be cured by using juice of root of  Murrayakoenigii. It can be used in preventing  premature greying of hair.(5)

 

Pharmacological activity

     A scrutiny of literature reveals some notable pharmacological activities of the plant such as activity on heart, Anti diabetic and cholesterol reducing property, antimicrobial activity, antiulcer activity, antioxidative property, cytotoxic activity, anti diarrhea activity, phagocytic activity. (6)

     The antioxidative properties of the leaves extracts of Murrayakoenigii using different solvents were evaluated based on the oil stability index.(7)

     M. koenigii possesses statistically significant hypoglycemic potential in STZ-induced diabetic rats. The M. koenigii extract appeared to be more effective than glibenclamide, a known antidiabetic drug.(8)

     It also revealed hepato-protective activity against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Chronic ethanol consumption diminishes the cellular antioxidant levels through free radical induced injury causing hepatitis and cirrhosis with mortality in severe cases.(9)

     It also shows antibacterial activity against S. typhi and E.coli. (10)

     Carbazole derivatives are well known for their various pharmacological activities, including anti-HIV, anticancer, antibacterial and antifungal activities. A series of substituted carbazoles, termed N-alkylated 3,6-dihalogenocarbazoles, that exhibit fungicidal activity against C. albicans and the emerging pathogen Candida glabrata. The most potent fungicidal compounds of this series were characterized by minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) between 8.5 and 25 μM.(11).

 

CONCLUSION:

Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii ) is a leafy vegetable that belongs to the Rutaceae family. The various notable pharmacological activities of the plant such as activity on heart, Anti diabetic and cholesterol reducing property, antimicrobial activity, antiulcer activity, antioxidative property, cytotoxic activity, anti diarrhea activity, phagocytic activity. The chemical composition of the fresh leaves of Murrayakoenigii consists of volatile oil. Carbazole alkaloids and triterpene have been isolated from stem bark and roots of Murraya koenigii. Thus Curry leaves merits further phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical investigations for development of an effective natural remedy to provide therapeutically effective lead compounds.

 

REFERENCES:

1.     Murraya koenigii information from NPGS/GRIN". www.ars-grin.gov. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl? 24703. Retrieved  2012-03-28. 

2.       Salikutty Joseph and K. V. Peter, Curry leaf ( Murrayakoenigii ), perennial, nutritious, leafy vegetable ,Economic Botany 2008 , 39 (1): 68-73.

3.       Ajay, Rahul, Sumit, Paras, Mishra, Gaurav, Comprehensive review: Murrayakoenigii Linn , Asian Journal of Pharmacy and Life Science, 2011; 1 (4)  2231 – 4423.

4.       S. D. Bonde, L. S. Nemade, M. R. Patel, A. A. Patel, Murrayakoenigii (Curry leaf): Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology-A Review, International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Phytopharmacological Research , 2007,4(5) : 45-54.

5.       Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, Md. Nazrul Islam Bhuiyan and Mohammed Yusuf, Chemical composition of the leaf essential oils of Murrayakoenigii (L.) Spreng and Murrayapaniculata (L.) Jack,Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2008; 3: 59-63.

6.       Syam, Suvitha; Abdul, Ahmad Bustamam; Sukari, Mohd. Aspollah; Mohan, Syam; Abdelwahab, Siddig Ibrahim; Wah, Tang Sook. "The Growth Suppressing Effects of Girinimbine on Hepg2 Involve Induction of Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest". Molecules 2011, 16 (8): 7155–70.

7.       Arulselvan P, Subramanian SP. "Beneficial effects of Murraya koenigii leaves on antioxidant defense system and ultra structural changes of pancreatic beta-cells in experimental diabetes in rats". Chem Biol Interact., 2007 16(2): 155–64.. 

8.       Arulselvan P, Senthilkumar GP, Sathish Kumar D, Subramanian S. "Anti-diabetic effect of Murrayakoenigii leaves on streptozotocin induced diabetic rats". Pharmazie , 2006, 61 (10): 874–877. 

9.       Rupali Arun Patil, Padmaja Mukund Langade, Pramod Babarao Dighade, and Yogesh Ashok Hiray, Antinociceptive activity of acute and chronic administration of Murrayakoenigii L. leaves in experimental animal models, Indian J Pharmacol. 2012 ; 44(1): 15–19.

10.    Jaju Shivkanya, Pahwa Shilpa, Kumari Sangita, Fuloria Neeraj, Pharmacognostical studies and antibacterial activity of the leaves of Murrayakoenigii, [Phcog J] |  2009, 1(3) : 1-5.

11.    Yukari Tachibana  Hiroe Kikuzaki  Nordin Hj. Lajis  and Nobuji Nakatan, Antioxidative Activity of Carbazoles from Murrayakoenigii Leaves, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2001 , 1(1) : 1 – 9.

 

 

 

Received on 04.04.2012       Accepted on 10.05.2012     

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Asian J. Pharm. Res. 2(2): April-June 2012; Page 51-53