An Overview on Commercial Cultivation and Collection Aspects of Wrightia tinctoria

Abstract

Since ancient times human utilized the nature to cure various ailments. The knowledge of medicinal plants resulted in the development of various indigenous systems of medicine worldwide. Serendipitous discovery as well as scientific approach on the reason for medicinal propertiesofplantsgavetheknowledgeofchemicalconstituentssuchassecondarymetabolitesin plants. Wrightiatinctoria which is commonly known as‘Danthapala’isaknown potentialmedicinalplant,theleavesofwhichistraditionallyusedinthe treatment of psoriasis and non-specific dermatitis in Siddha and Ayurvedic systems of medicine and distributed in tropical region belongs to the family Apocynaceae. This plant is beneficial for the treatment of dandruff, various scalp and skin disorders. Phytochemical and pharmacological investigation on the various parts of the plant showed anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anthelmintic, anti-cancer, anti-dandruff, wound healing and anti-anxiety activity. The current review focus on providing an update on the recent pharmacological and phytochemical investigationsontheplantbyresearchersaroundtheglobewithspecialemphasisonAntisporiatic, Antifungal, Antibacterial, Antiviral, Cytotoxic, Anti- inflammatory, Anti-diabetic, Analgesic, Hepatoprotective, Anthelmintic, and Wound healing activities.

Introduction

Wrightia tinctoria is a small deciduous tree native to India and Burma, recognized for its scaly bark, elliptic-lanceolate leaves, white fragrant flowers, and cylindrical fruits. Named after Scottish botanist William Wright, it has traditional medicinal uses including treatment for bilious troubles, flatulence, arthritis, toothache, skin diseases, and piles. Its latex is used industrially in adhesives and insulation.

Geographical Distribution & Phenology

Found across various regions in India and Burma, the tree sheds leaves in winter and flowers from May to June, with fruits ripening by summer.

Pharmacological Activities

• Antimicrobial: Leaf extracts show antibacterial and antifungal activity; zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized from its leaf extract display strong antibacterial effects.

• Antiulcer: Methanolic and ethanolic extracts demonstrate protection against experimentally induced gastric ulcers.

• Anticancer: Methanolic leaf extract inhibits proliferation of HeLa cancer cells in vitro.

• Anti-inflammatory & Analgesic: Bark and leaf extracts reduce inflammation and pain in animal models.

• Antidiabetic: Seed flavonoids and petroleum ether extracts show some protective and hypoglycemic effects.

• Antifungal: Effective against various dermatophytes and fungi.

• Wound Healing: Latex protease accelerates wound healing in mice.

• Antipsoriatic: Extracts increase epidermal thickness and reduce symptoms in psoriasis models.

• Postcoital Interceptive: Stem bark extracts inhibit pregnancy in rats, likely due to estrogen-like activity.

• Antioxidant: Leaves and seeds exhibit strong free radical scavenging activity.

Phytochemistry

Contains bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids (e.g., β-amyrin, lupeol), sterols (including rare sterols like desmosterol), and enzymes such as serine proteases (Wrightin). Seasonal changes affect concentrations of key compounds like indigotin and indirubin.

Industrial and Biotechnological Importance

The latex protease (Wrightin) has commercial applications, including milk clotting. The plant’s proteases are stable and active under various conditions, making them valuable for biotechnological uses.

Conclusion

UseofWrightiatinctoriainayurvediandsiddhasystemofmedicineforitseffectsagainstpsoriasis andepidermalthickeninganddryingproblems.Itisaddedinhairoilpreparationsasiteffectively minimises dandruff. Th pharmacological studies proves its pharmacological significance such as antiviral, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, wound healing, post coital interceptive, anthelmintic, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, antidandruff and antipsoriatic activity. Total flavonoid isolated from W. tinctoria seed lack hypoglycemic effect. Alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, flavones, triterpenoids, tannins, steroids, carbohydrates, glycosides, Indole derivatives like isatin and indurubine, and fixed oils like myristic acid, palmitoleicacid,behenicacid,acidindigoidcompoundsreflectsitsphytochemicalabundance.So the present study suggests that the proved phytochemical and biological characteristics makesWrightiatinctoriaapromisingdrugtothepharmaceuticalindustriesandagoodcandidateformore exploration to the future.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Hande Bhushan S., Suryawanshi Akshada D.. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.