Crataeva nurvala, also known as siplican, is a deciduous tree belonging to the Capparidaceae family found across the Indian subcontinent, Africa, and South America. The plant has various medicinal properties attributed to its active compounds, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer effects, with parts such as the leaves, root bark, and stem bark being of primary interest. Cultivated primarily near temples, it thrives in wet soils and is used in traditional medicine for various genitourinary and digestive conditions.

1. Crataeva
nurvala(Siplican)
Shailendra shah
Department of pharmaceutical science,
Nobel college
Pokhara University

2. Nomenclature
Scientific classification
 Kingdom: Plantae
 Division: Magnoliophyta
 Class: Magnoliopsida
• Order :Brassicales
• Family:Capparidaceae
 Genus: Crataeva
 Species: nurvala
Scientific name: Crataeva nurvala
2

3. Common names
 Nepali: sipligan, siplikan, Newari
khaicho
 Sanskrit: Varuna, Ashmarighna
 English: Sacred garlic pear, three
leaved caper
3

4. Biological source
 The biological source is plant.
 The active parts are leaves, root bark
and bark.
4

5. Habitat
 Siplican is found all over Indian
subcontinent (Nepal, Pakistan,
Bangladesh etc), Africa, Middle East
and South America.
 In temperate regions and sub-alpine
zones along streams and rivers and
also found in dry deep boulders in
sub-Himalayas.
 Most abundantly found in Kerala,
Madhya,Pradesh,Bengal and Assam.
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6. Cultivation and collection
 Prefers a wet soil of pH 7 with abundant
sunlight.
Cultivated near temples because of its
healing property.
Flowering period:April-May
Fruiting period:June-August
In-vitro regeneration (Plant tissue culture) of
Crataeva nurvala from seedling derived and
adult derived explants have also been
reported.
More or less these plants are grown in
gardens and require adequate fertilizer.
6

7. Macroscopic character
 C.nurvala is a moderate sized deciduous
tree.
1. Bark: The mature bark is typically 6-15
cm long and 3-10cm wide with thickness
varying from 5-15mm. The outer surface of
the bark is gray to grayish-brown and
rough, due to the presence of several
small and rounded lenticels.
7

8. 2.Leaves: long-stalked, 5-14 cm long, 1.5-
6cm wide, trifoliate, alternate and the
ventral side clearly marked with veins.
Even edges which is pointed at tips
tapering towards base whereas surfaces
are smooth.
8

9. 3.Fruit: Fruits of siplican are berry,
globes with hard and woody rind with
embedding seeds in the yellow pulp. The
colour of the fruits are yellow with fleshy
pulp. The diameter ranges from 1 to 2
inches.
9

10. 4.Flowers :stalked, white, fading to yellow,
in dense terminal corymbs.
10

11. 5.Seeds are kidney shaped used for
propagation.
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12. Microscopic character
 TS of bark :The inner surface of bark is
smooth and whitish-brown to buff
coloured.
 Transverse section of mature bark shows
an outer cork composed of thin walled,
rectangular and tangentially elongated
cells, phellogen single layered and thin
walled.
 Tangentially elongated cells followed by a
wide secondary cortex consisting of thin
walled, polygonal with a number of starch 12

13. Chemical constituents
 Table1:Phytoconstituents of C. nurvala
Buch-Ham
13
Chemical nature of
phytoconstituents
Example Parts of plant
Alkaloids Cadabicine, cadabicine
diacetate,
Stem bark
Saponins Diosgenin Stem bark
Tannin (-)Epiafzelechin, (-)
epiafzelechin-S-O-β-D
glucoside and catechin
Stem bark, root bark
Flavonoids Rutin, quercetin,
isoquercetin
stem bark
Ref-Khattar V, WAL
A(2012)

14. contd.
Chemical nature of
phytoconstituents
Example Parts of plant
Glucosinolates 6-C-glycopyranosyl
luteolin, glucocapparin
Leaves
Phytosterols Spinasterol acetate,
taraxasterol, cetyl alcohol,
fagarasterol
Stem bark, root bark
Triterpene Lupeol and their acetates,,
β-sitosterol, varunol,
betulinic acid
Stem bark, root bark
Ref-Khattar V, WAL
A(2012) 14

15. Structures and activities of some active
compounds from crataeva nurvala
 Activity
 Responsible for
antihepatotoxicity,
antitumor, antiinflammatory,
 chemoprotective agents,
antimicrobial,
 antiarthritic,
antihyperglycemic,
antioxidant,
 cytotoxic,hypotensive,
antiedemic, and
antiperoxidant
 .
Ref- Khattar et al.(2012)
15

16.  Activity
 Responsible for
antidiabetic,
antioxidant,
atherosclerosis,prostat
e enlargement,
antihypercholesterole
mia,androgenic,antica
ncer,antimutagenic,
antifeedent,antigonado
trophic, and
antiprostatic.
Ref-Khatter et al.(2012) 16
β-sitosterol

17. 17
Kaempferol

18. Other compounds are:
18
Quercetin Diosgenin

19. 19
Cadabicine
Epiafzelechin

20. Pharmacological action
1) Anti inflammatory activity
 Lupeol has been extensively studied for its inhibitory
effects on inflammation under in vitro and in animal
models of inflammation.
 A comprehensive study showed that topical application
of Lupeol (0.5and 1 mg/ear) alleviated 12-0-
tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)-induced
inflammation in an ear mouse model. This study showed
that topical application of Lupeol decreases
myeloperoxidase levels[neutrophil specific marker] thus
causing reduction in cell infiltration into inflamed tissues
in mice.(Kattar V, Wall A etal.(2012)
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21. 2) Urolithic property
 The study was carried out to observe the
effect of Varuna (Crataeva nurvala) on the
experimental model of urolithiasis (albino
rats).
 The study was categorized into two groups:
Group I, treated and Group II, control. In all
albino rats, stone was surgically implanted
into the urinary bladder. Estimation of the
urinary and serum electrolyte done
periodically and x-rays were exposed at a
regular interval. This study suggests the
decoction of Crataeva nurvala is effective in
the management of urolithiasis. (Kattar V,
Wall A etal.(2012)
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22. 3) Anti-fertility activity
 The ethanol and aqueous extracts of the
dried stem bark of the plant Crataeva
nurvala Buch-Hum have been found to
possess significant anti-fertility effects in
rats. Both ethanol and aqueous extracts
exhibited partial and complete resorption of
implants at 300 and 600 mg/kg dose levels,
respectively.In estrogenic activity study, both
the extracts increased uterine weight and
caused opening and cornification of vagina
in immature rats. This work justifies its
effectiveness in preventing pregnancy in all
rats at dose levels. (Kattar V, Wall A 22

23. 4)Analgesic and antidiarrhoeal activity
• The leaves of medicinal plant ‘Crataeva
nurvala Buch Ham’ was extracted in ethanol
to evaluate the peripherally acting analgesic
potential using acetic acid induced writhing
and antidiarrhoeal activity using intestinal
motility test both in mice.
 The crude extract showed significant
(P<0.01) analgesic activity at oral doses of
200 and 400mg/kg body weight with an
inhibition of writhing 68.4% and 76.3%
compared to 67% for the positive control.
(Kattar V, Wall A etal.(2012)
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24. 5)Antidiabetic activity
 Crateva nurvala stem bark extracts have
activity against in alloxan induced diabetic
albino rats. A comparison was made between
the action of different extracts of C. nurvala
and a known antidiabetic drug glibenclamide
(600 μg/kg b. wt.).
 An oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT) was
performed in diabetic rats: C. nurvala
petroleum ether extract (CNPEE) and
ethanolic extract (CNEE) showed significant
(P<0.001) antidiabetic activities. (Kattar V, Wall
A etal.(2012)
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25. 6)Antiarthritic activity
 Lupeol is a naturally occuring triterpene
isolated from Crataeva nurvala stem bark,
and its ester lupeol linoleate was
synthesized.
 The effects of lupeol and lupeol linoleate on
the development of complement in adjuvant
arthritis in rats were studied and compared
with those of indomethacin. The effect of
lupeol linoleate in reducing the foot-pad
thickness and complement activity in
arthritic rats was even greater than that of
unesterified lupeol and indomethacin.
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26. 7)Cardioprotective activity
 Cyclophosphamide (CP), an alkylating agent
widely used in cancer chemotherapy, causes
fatal cardiotoxicity.
• Lupeol linoleate were investigated for their
possible cardioprotective effects against CP-
induced toxicity. Male albino rats of Wistar
strain were injected with a single dose of
CP(200 mg/kg body weight, ip).
 In CP-administered rats, activities of lactate
dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase
were elevated in serum with a concomitant
decline in their activities in the cardiac
tissue.( Kattar V, Wall A etal.(2012)
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27. 8)Antinociceptive activity
 The antinociceptive effect of crude ethanolic
extracts was evaluated by ‘acetic acid’
analgesic test method in mice. Crude
ethanolic extracts of Crataeva nurvala (250–
500 mg/kg PO)produced dose-dependent,
significant (p < 0.05–0.001) antinociceptive
effect against chemically induced nociceptive
painstimuli in mice.
 The results obtained in this study suggest
that the antinociceptive effect of the extracts
of Crataeva nurvala are peripherally and
centrally-mediated. .( Kattar V, Wall A
etal.(2012)
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28. 9)Antioxidant property
Lupeol, a phytoconstituents after isolated
from the stem bark of the plant increased the
level of antioxidant enzymes like glutathione
peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-
transferase(GST), catalase, glucose 6-
phosphate dehydrogenase
(G6PD).Treatment with lupeol will reduce the
oxalate concentration, exhibit
antiperoxidation activity and proved to be
effective in restoring the antioxidant enzymes
in normal condition. (Saharana S, Jain A
etal(2012)
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29. Therapeutic uses
1. The paste of bark is used in following
Genitourinary Conditions :
• atonic bladder (lack of normal tone)
• benign prostatic hyperplasia (increase in
volume of a tissue or organ caused by the
formation of and growth of new cells)
 bladder tonic
 chronic urinary tract infections
 hypotonic bladder (reduced tone or tension)
and incontinence and possibly enuresis
(bedwetting)
 prevention and treatment of kidney stones
29

30. 2. The paste of leaves or bark is applied in
cervical adenitis, abscess and edematous
wounds, relief of rheumatic joint pain.
3. The pulp of leaves is applied on abdomen in
splenic enlargement.
4. The decoction of leaves given along with
ghee relieves flatulence and abdominal pain.
It also works well as a laxative, cholegogue,
appetizer and vermicide, hence useful in
anorexia, tumors, liver disorders, flatulent
dyspepsia and helminthiasis.
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31. Ethnomedicinal Uses
The stem, roots and leaves of varuna
have great medicinal value. The plant is
used internally as well as externally.
 Externally, the paste or its leaves or skin
of bark is applied in cervical adenitis,
abscess and edematous wounds. The
same paste is salutary in rheumatic joint
for relief of pain.
 The pulp of leaves is applied on
abdomen in spleen enlargement, with
great benefit. 31

32.  Internally, varuna is used in vast range of
diseases. The decoction of leaves given
along with ghee relieves flatulence and
abdominal pain.
 It also works well as a laxative, cholegogue,
appetizer and vermicide, hence useful in
anorexia, tumors, liver disorders, flatulent
dyspepsia and helminthiasis.
 The decoction of skin of varuna is given
along with honey in abscesses for the potent
anti inflammatory action.
 The leaves cooked as vegetables are also
benevolent in obesity.
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33.  The decoction of bark skin or roots in
beneficial in urinary calculi,dysuria and
cystitis.
 The decoction of leaves effectively
alleviates the fever and associated
delirium.
 The fresh juice of its leaves is useful as a
bitter tonic.
 The bark of C. nurvala is contraceptive
and cytotoxic and is especially useful in
urinary disorders, kidney bladder stones,
fever,vomiting and gastric irritation.
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34. Pharmacopeial standard
Quality standard
Foreign matter not more than 2%
Total Ash Not more than 13%
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1%
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 1%
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 8
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35. Formulation
Ayurvedic preparation
1) Varunadi quath
: Useful in
treatment of urinary
calculi and urinary
tract disorders,
Burning Micturition,
Pylitis, Nephritis,
U.T.I, Prostatitis,
Dysurea,Prostate
enlargement.
September 21, 2016 Pharmaceutical Seminar 1 35
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36. 2)Varunadya ghrta
 Used in Ayurveda for
reducing phlegm, fat
deposition, metabolic
disorders, rheumatoid
arthritis, migraine
headaches and
inflammatory
conditions.
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37. 3)Varunadya taila-
Used in treatment
of renal calculus or
stone.
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38. References
• KhattarV, Wal A(2012) Utilities Of
Crataeva nurvla, International Journal
of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences review article, Vol 4, Suppl
4, 2012.
 Saharana S, Jain A, Suthar
N,Mahadevan N(2012) A Review on
Pharmacognostical and
Pharmacological Values of Crataeva
nurvala Buch-HamI,SSN 2278-0580
(P) 38

39.  Singh V, Soni L K, Pareek D, Parasher P
and Dobhal MP (2016) The Isolation,
Characterization of Lupeol from Crataeva
nurvala and Their Chemical Modification,
Chem Sci Rev Lett 2016, 5(20), 176-
181(Assecessed on 20 th july 2018)
Url1:http://www.planetayurveda.com/library/v
aruna-crataeva-nurvala
Url 2:https://www.dabur.com/in/en-
us/about/science-of-ayurveda/herbal-
medicinal-plants/varun-plant
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