Tridax procumbens
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Tridax procumbens, commonly known as coat buttons or tridax daisy, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family. It is best known as a widespread weed and pest plant. It is native to the tropical Americas but it has been introduced to tropical, subtropical, and mild temperate regions worldwide. It is listed as a noxious weed in theUnited States and has pest status in nine states.[1]
Description
Top view of the flower
The plant bears daisylike yellow-centered white or yellow flowers with three-toothed ray florets. The leaves are toothed and generally arrowhead-shaped. Its fruit is a hard achenecovered with stiff hairs and having a feathery, plumelike white pappus at one end. Calyx is represented by scales or reduced to pappus. The plant is invasive in part because it produces so many of these achenes, up to 1500 per plant, and each achene can catch the wind in its pappus and be carried some distance. This weed can be found in fields, meadows, croplands, disturbed areas, lawns, and roadsides in areas with tropical or semi-tropical climates.
Tridax procumbens
Chemical constituents
A new flavonoid (procumbenetin), isolated from the aerial parts of Tridax procumbens, has been characterised as 3,6-dimethoxy-5,7,2',3',4'-pentahydroxyflavone 7-O-β-D-gluco- pyranoside (1) on the basis of spectroscopic techniques and by chemical means. Tridax procumbens; Flavonoids Plant. Uses in traditional medicine. Commonly used in Indian traditional medicine as anticoagulant, hair tonic, antifungal and insect repellent, in bronchial catarrh, diarrhoea, dysentery, and wound healing. Previously isolated constituents. Alkyl esters, sterols, [5], pentacyclic triterpenes [5,6], fatty acids [7] and polysaccharides [8]. New isolated constituent. 3,6-Dimethoxy-5,7,2',3',4'-pentahydroxyflavone 7-O-β- D-glucopyranoside (1), named procumbetin Žyield: 0.016% on dried basis..
Human uses
Tridax procumbens is known for several potential therapeutic activities like antiviral, anti oxidant antibiotic efficacies, wound healing activity, insecticidal and anti-inflammatory activity.[2] Some reports from tribal areas in India state that the leaf juice can be used to cure fresh wounds, to stop bleeding, as a hair tonic. Despite these known benefits, it is still listed in the United States as a Noxious Weed and regulated under the Federal Noxious Weed Act.
A study by Gamboa-Leon (2014)[3] showed that a mixture of Tridax procumbens and Allium sativum extracts was a promising natural treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis and that its healing effects made it a good candidate for a possible new phytomedicine. The mixture of Tridax procumbens and A. sativum extracts was better at controlling Leishmania mexicana infection while not being toxic when tested in the acute oral toxicity assay in mice.
A study by Gamboa-Leon (2014)[3] showed that a mixture of Tridax procumbens and Allium sativum extracts was a promising natural treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis and that its healing effects made it a good candidate for a possible new phytomedicine. The mixture of Tridax procumbens and A. sativum extracts was better at controlling Leishmania mexicana infection while not being toxic when tested in the acute oral toxicity assay in mice.
Traditionally, Tridax procumbens has been in use in India for wound healing, as anticoagulant, antifungal and insect repellent. It is also used in diarrhoea and dysentery. Its leaf extracts were known to treat infectious skin diseases in folk medicines. It is a well-known ayurvedic medicine for liver disorders or hepato-protective nature besides gastritis and heart burn (Wani et al., 2010).
In humans, Tridax procumbens used as treatment for boils, blisters and cuts by local healers in Nalgonda and Warangal District of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, India (Sreeramulu et al., 2013). A study had found anti-cancer properties of Tridax procumbens against human prostate epithelial cancer cell line PC 3 (Priya et al., 2011).
A study was carried out to verify the claims wherein tribal inhabitants of Udaipur district, Rajasthan were using the plant for treatment of diabetes. It was concluded that the results were comparable to that of reference standard Glibenclamide and theTridax procumbens flower extract showed antidiabetic properties (Pareek et al., 2009).
Phatak et al., (1991) has investigated the hair growth promoting activity of Tridax procumbens and the petroleum ether extract of Tridax procumbens was found to be effective in promoting hair growth in male wistar albino rats.
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