Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION AND SCREENING OF ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF SYZYGIUM CUMINI

*Nawadkar Apurva D. and Jain Bhavana U.

ABSTRACT

For many year plants have been employed as a medicine and there has been a recent rejuvenation in the use of plants as medicines due to their little or no toxicity at the doses used for the treatment of different ailments. The phytochemical screening of traditional medicinal plants is important and has a crucial interest in both research institutes and pharmaceutical companies for the manufacturing of new entities for the treatment of various diseases. This review discusses in detail the phytochemical screening and anticancer activity of Jamun (Syzygium cumini), a tree belonging to the family Myrtaceae, which revealed the presence of phenolics, oleanolic acids, and betulinic acids, and dimethyl cardamonins in extracts of leaves and was reported to have anticancer effects. Many possess a significant ability to induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation. Phytochemical screening of the extract of leaves of Syzygium cumini indicated the presence of carbohydrates, saponins, tannins, terpenes, volatile oil, sterols, resins balsam, phlobatanins, and flavonoids. However, alkaloids and anthraquinones were absent in this species.

Keywords: Jamun, Syzigium cumini leaves, Phytochemical screening, anticancer, traditional medicine.