title: Calotropis gigantiea (L.) R. Br (Apocynaceae): a phytochemical and pharmacological review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calotropis gigantiea (L.) R. Br (Apocynaceae) commonly called as "crown flower" or "giant milk weed" is a well-known weed to many cultures for treating various disorders related to central nervous system, skin diseases, digestive system, respiratory system, reproductive system etc. Indigenous groups made the plant as a part of their lives since they use the fruit fibre to make ropes, household items, for weaving clothes and flowers for garlands apart from usage for various indications. The study aims at far-reaching review on phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, ethnopharmacology, intellectual property transfer on pharmacological therapies, toxicity which aids to provide scientific evidence for the ethnobotanical claims and to identify gaps required to be conducted as a future research prerequisite.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search was performed using different databases such as Scopus, Science direct, PubMed and Sciverse with no timeline limit set during the search. All the available abstracts and full text articles were included in the systematic review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the folkloric uses were validated by the scientific studies such as analgesic, anti-arthritic, anti-asthmatic, anti-bacterial, anti-convulsant, anti-pyretic, central nervous system disorders, contraceptive, anti-ulcer and wound healing. In addition other studies such as anti-diabetic, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-helminthic, anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, cardio-protective studies, cytotoxicity, hepatoprotectivity, fibrinolytic, mosquitocidal, nerve muscle activity, vasodilation and skeletal muscle activities were also reported for the plant. Isolated compounds such as calotropin, frugoside and 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl frugoside were tested for the cytotoxicity efficacy against both human and rat cell lines out of which calotropin showed potent activity (IC50-15 ng/ml). However there were no clinical trials reported on the plant which is one of the major lacunas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review article explores the ethnopharmacological, pharmacological activities phytochemistry and intellectual rights of Cg which gives the evidence of a potent and commercial drug which up on further research leads to the most viable drug for variety of treatments. However there is further need for in-vivo studies and clinical trials on isolated phytoconstituents which will help to commercialise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, Udhagamandalam 643001, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: madhurikadiyala3@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Madhuri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kadiyala
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ponnusankar
authors.forename: Kannan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Elango
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031107:Calotropis / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D018973:Intellectual Property; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; ALBN; ALP; ALT; AST; Apocynaceae; BAL; BUN; CCl(4); Calotropis gigantean (L.) R. Br; DPPH; EAC; EPO; ESR; Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma; Ethnopharmacology; FFA; GPx; GSH; HCT; HDL; HGB; Hb; LDL; LPO; LYM; MCH; MCHC; MCV; MES; MIC; MTT assay; NEUT; Neuroprotective; PAGE; PCV; PL; PLT; PTZ; Patents; Pharmacological activities; RBC; SALP; SGC 79901; SGOT; SGPT; SOD; TB; TC; TG; TP; VLDL; WBC; alanine aminotransferase; albumin; alkaline phosphatase; alkaline phosphates; aspartate aminotransferase; bronchoalveolar lavage; carbon tetrachloride; erythrocyte sedimentation rate; erythropoietin; free fatty acids; gastric adenocarcinoma cell line; glutathione; glutathione peroxidase; haematocrit; haemoglobin; haemoglobin concentration; high density lipoprotein; lipid peroxidase; low density lipoprotein; lymphocytes; maximal electroshock induced seizures; mean corpuscular haemoglobin; mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration; mean corpuscular volume; minimum inhibitory concentration; neutrophils; packed cell volume; pentylenetetrazole induced seizures; plasma lipoproteins; platelets; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; red blood cells; serum alkaline phosphatase; serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase; serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase; serum urea; super oxidase dismutase; total bilirubin; total cholesterol; total protein; triglycerides; very low density lipoprotein; white blood cells.