Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
IPOMOEA AQUATICA
FORSSK
Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales Family: Convolvulaceae
Common name: Swamp morning glory, water spinach, river spinach
Distribution: Tropical and subtropical regions of world
Habitat: Freshwater swamps, waterways, semiaquatic habitats
Description: This perennial species is a loating herbaceous vine and has
stems measuring 2-3 m. Its leaves (15 × 8 cm) are arrowhead shaped or
lanceolated. The lowers, measuring 5 cm in diameter, are white and trum-
pet shaped.
Compounds and activities: The extracts of this species possess antiprolifera-
tive, antioxidative, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic activities. The antipro-
liferative activities of the extracts of this species studied showed that water
extract of the stem had the highest antiproliferative activity, with EC
50
val-
ues of 661.40 ± 3.36 µg dry matter/ml, followed by ethanol extract of the
stem and ethanol extract of the leaf. The water extract of the leaf had the
lowest antiproliferative activity (EC
50
> 1,000 µg dry matter/ml) (Huang
et al., 2005). It was also found that the ethanol extract of the stem of this
species showed the highest radical scavenging activity, followed by etha-
nol extract of the leaf. Its bioactive compound, 7-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-
dihydroquercetin-3-O-α-D-glucopyranoside, is a promising agent for the
production of several medicinally important compounds, especially for
the treatment of high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, and eye diseases. The
phenolic compounds of this species have shown antioxidant and disease-
preventing characteristics. The carotenoids of this species, viz., lutein,
lutein epoxide, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin, possess antioxidant, anti-
cancer, and anti-inlammatory activities. Further, its extract has also been
reported to possess antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and antiulcerogenic prop-
erties. The role of this plant in improving the acetylcholine level in the
brain and subsequent prevention of memory loss and Alzheimer's disease
is worth mentioning.
