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HCK 06

The document discusses the therapeutic actions of phenylpropanoid glycosides (PhGs) from various medicinal plants, highlighting verbascoside's immunosuppressive and antitumour activities, as well as its analgesic effects. Echinocoside from Echinacea exhibits antibiotic and antioxidant properties, while other PhGs contribute to adaptogenic activities in plants like Rhodiola rosea. Ongoing research indicates potential neuroprotective effects of certain PhGs against age-related disorders.

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17 views1 page

HCK 06

The document discusses the therapeutic actions of phenylpropanoid glycosides (PhGs) from various medicinal plants, highlighting verbascoside's immunosuppressive and antitumour activities, as well as its analgesic effects. Echinocoside from Echinacea exhibits antibiotic and antioxidant properties, while other PhGs contribute to adaptogenic activities in plants like Rhodiola rosea. Ongoing research indicates potential neuroprotective effects of certain PhGs against age-related disorders.

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arpan
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64 The Constituents of Medicinal Plants

Therapeutic actions

Eight PhGs from steamed Rehmannia glutinosa demonstrated immunosuppressive


activity in vivo – the most potent of these was verbascoside (Sasaki et al., 1989).
In other studies, verbascoside demonstrated mild to moderate antitumour
activity, as well as analgesic and neurosedative actions (Pieretti et al., 1992).
The antitumour activity is linked to inhibition of PKC (protein kinase C), an
enzyme involved in cellular proliferation and differentiation (Herbert et al.,
1991). Verbascoside and other PhGs have shown activity against many cancer
cell types, often with a biphasic effect – cytostatic and/or cytotoxic – depending
on cell type (Pan et al., 2003).
Echinocoside, a trisaccharide (similar to verbascoside with an extra sugar)
found in Echinacea angustifolia and E. pallida, has proven antibiotic and antiviral
properties. Echinocoside and other phenylpropane derivatives of Echinacea are
potent antioxidants – together they protect skin against collagen degradation
as a result of UV damage (Facino et al., 1995).
Numerous other activities have been reported for PhGs, particularly from
Plantago spp. and Forsythia spp. A comprehensive review of the pharmacological
activities of this group is available (Cometa et al., 1993).
Given the simple structures and high reactivity of phenylpropane molecules,
a variety of glycoside forms exist – including many that don’t conform to
the classic PhG structure. Syringin – also known as eleuthroside B – from
Eleutherococcus senticosus (Araliaceae) is an example. In this case glucose is
part of a functional group attached to the benzene ring.

CH3O
OH

O-glycoside

OCH3

syringin – eleuthroside B

Several phenylpropanoid derivatives have been identified as contributing


to the adaptogenic activity (adaptability to stress) in species such as E. sentico-
sus, Rhodiola rosea (Crassulaceae) and Ocimum sanctum (Lamiaceae) (Wagner
et al., 1994). These non-specific but well-documented effects have been linked
to the structural similarity of phenylpropanoids to catecholamines such as epi-
nephrine and L-dopa. Ongoing investigations into R. rosea by Panossian and
co-workers have demonstrated neuro-cardio- and hepato-protective activity
for the phenylethanoid glycosides rhodioloside and salirodoside (Panossian et al.,
1999, 2010). In a more recent review, evidence was presented for pharmaco-
logical effects of salirodoside and R. rosea extract for age-related disorders,
including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, depression, cardiovascular
disease and diabetes (Zhuang et al., 2019).

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