Introduction
Plants have been used for human and animal welfare since the beginning of time and according to several scientists, there are over 25,000 biologically active chemicals. The plant itself is an entire bioagent for treatment. Tuberculosis is the second most prevalent bacterial infection. It is a communicable disease caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacterium is stained by Ziehl–Neelsen dye. M. tuberculosis is an internal pathogenic bacterium that divides its cells only occasionally, has a mycolic acid coating and is non-motile. Tuberculosis (TB) is brought on by microbes that travel from person to person through the air. Although TB most frequently affects the lungs, it can also harm the brain, kidneys, lymph nodes, bones, spine, and skin. TB bacteria move from the lungs through the blood or lymphatic system to different parts of the body (Cobat et al., 2013; Walker & Whittlesea, 2012; World Health Organization, n.d.). The World Health Organization (WHO) declared tuberculosis (TB) a worldwide emergency in 1993 as a result of an upsurge in cases of TB being recorded in nations on all continents (World Health Organization, n.d.). Over 4,000 people each day die from this disease, which also claims 1.2–1.5 million lives annually and has infected 1.7–2 billion individuals globally. With as many as 13 million latent tuberculosis infections in the United States (LTBI) (World Health Organization, n.d.). 5–10% of these LTBI patients will evolve to active tuberculosis. There are roughly 15 million active tuberculosis occurrences each year, with India, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China suffering the heaviest burden. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) epidemics in several parts of the world have raised further concerns. A bacterium that is resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin, the two most effective TB medications, it causes multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). A minimum of four second-line anti-TB medications should be used in the MDR regimen. All regimens should contain a second-line injectable medication, other second-line oral medications, and a later-generation fluoroquinolone such as levofloxacin or moxifloxacin (Seung et al., 2015). An uncommon form of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) known as extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) is resistant to isoniazid, rifampin, a fluoroquinolone, and at least one of three injectable second-line medications (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin). Seung et al., 2015; Drug-resistant TB requires a more complicated, expensive, and prolonged course of therapy than drug-susceptible infections (Iseman, 2002; World Health Organization, n.d.). In this review, we discuss the biological source, geographical source, chemical constituents, extraction method, and type of plant extract with anti-tubercular activity. And also, the reported activity of different plants.(Abdulhamid et.al. 2021, Almeida et.al. 2019).1, 2, 3
Materials and Methods
The study of the literature review was conducted by studying the research papers and review articles concentrating on the traditional plants having “Antituberculosis activity or anti-mycobacterial activity”, in electronic databases like PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Introduction of Traditional Plant
Traditional plant having an anti-TB activity: (Mentioned in Table)
Brief introduction of the herbal plant having anti-TB activity.
Saussurea lappa
Biological source: It consists of dried root and bark of Saussurea lappa belonging to the family Asteraceae.(Zahara et al., 2014b)Synonym/Common name (Góis et al., 2017; Zahara et al., 2014b)
Geographical source: (Amara et al., 2017; Singh et al., 2017)
The regions of the Himalayas, Kashmir-Jammu, Kishenganga valley, Panjab, Himachal Pradesh, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. It is a native of the cool temperate and arctic regions of Asia, Europe, North America, the Himalayas, and Central Asia.
Kingdom - Plantae
Subkingdom – Viridaeplantae
Division - Tracheophyta
Subdivision – Spermatophytina
Class - Magnoliopsida
Family - Asteraceae
Species - S. lappa C.B. Clarke
Morphological description: (Amara et al., 2017; Singh et al., 2017)
Height - 1-2 meters
Stem - Upright, stout, and fibrous
Root - Long stout of approximately 60 cm with a characteristic odour
Leaves - Lobate, stalked, membranous, irregularly toothed
Upper leaves – Small while basal leaves are large with long lobately winged stalks.
Flowers - Stalkless, dark purple to black in color and are arranged in terminal and axillary heads
Fruit - Cupped, Curved, Compressed Hairy
Chemical constituents: Amara et al., 2017; Singh et al., 2017
The roots mainly contain Monoterpenes, Sesquiterpenoids, Flavonoids, Lignans, Triterpenes, Steroids, Glycosides, etc. The roots are a rich source of sesquiterpenoids especially sesquiterpene lactones. The principal compounds are Dehydrocostus lactone and Costunolide.
Pharmacological activity: (Amara et al., 2017; Singh et al., 2017; Zahara et al., 2014b)
Anti-tubercular activity: Using a fluorometric Alamar Blue microassay (FMABA), the in-vitro antimycobacterial activity of S. lappa was examined. The results showed that costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone, with MICs of 6.25 and 12.5 mg/L, respectively, were primarily responsible for the antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium TB H37Rv. It was discovered that the combination's antimycobacterial activity was superior to that of the individual compounds, and as a result, both lactones displayed synergistic action, with an X/Y value of 0.5 at a concentration of 1/8 of the MIC for each component.11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Other reported activity
Antiulcer activity
Antitumor activity
Anti-inflammatory activity
Immunomodulatory effect
Hepatoprotective effect
Cardioprotective effect
Anticonvulsant activity
Larvicidal activity
Antiangiogenic effect
Antidiarrheal activity
Anti-epileptic
Table 1
Tabular presentation of the plant having anti-TB activity
Bauhinia purpurea
Biological source:(Rashed et al., n.d.)Bauhinia purpurea belonging to the family Fabaceae. Synonym/Common name:(Rashed et al., n.d.; Sumit K Arora et al., 2020a)English: -Purple Bauhinia, Orchid Tree, Camel’s Foot Tree, Butterfly Tree, Geranium Tree
Hindi: -KaniarGeographical source:(Boonphong et al., 2007; Kittakoop et al., n.d.)
Native: Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Province of China, Thailand
Exotic: Australia, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, Uganda, United States
Miscellaneous: Pacific Islands, United States of AmericTaxonomy: (Sumit K Arora et al., 2020a)17, 18, 19, 20
Kingdom-Plantae
Class-Dicotyledonae
Order-Fabales
Family-Fabaceae
Subfamily -Caesalpiniaceae
Species-Bauhinia purpurea
Morphological description:(Sumit K Arora et al., 2020a)
Hight: -10 M. Tall
Bark: - Smooth and Fibrous
Leaves: - Deeply Divided, Similar to A Cow's Foot
Flowers: -Pink, Fragrant
Fruit: -Flat Bean Like, Woody, Coils After Splitting Open
Chemical constituents: (Boonphong et al., 2007; Rashed et al., n.d.) The plant mainly contains secondary compounds like Glycosides, Flavonoids, Saponins, Triterpenoids, Phenolic Compounds, Oxepins, Fatty Acids and Phytosterols. The principal constituents are Bauhinoxepin, Dihydrodibenoxepins and dihydrobenzofuran.
Pharmacological activity: (Apisantiyakom et al., n.d.; Bauhinia_purpurea, n.d.; Boonphong et al., 2007; Góis et al., 2017; Kittakoop et al., n.d.; Rashed et al., n.d.; Sumit K Arora et al., 2020a, 2020b
Antimycobacterial activity: Antimycobacterial activity of B. purpurea root extract was examined against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra using the microplate Alamar Blue assay. The properties in comparison with those of the kanamycin sulfate and isoniazid standard drugs. The extract and its separated bioactive components had strong antimycobacterial activity.
Table 2
Other reported activity
Acorus calamus
Biological source: It consists of dried rhizomes of Acorus calamus belonging to family Acoraceae.(Rajput et al., 2014)
Synonym/Common name: (Rajput et al., 2014)
English-Sweet Flag
Hindi-Bajai,Gora-bach,
Geographical source: Rajput et al., 2014; Yende et al., n.d.
It is native of central Asia and eastern Europe, and is indigenous to the mountains of India. It is cultivated throughout India at an altitude of about 2200m mainly at Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nādu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.21, 22, 23 Taxonomy: Rajput et al., 2014; Yende et al., n.d.
Kingdom: - Plantae
Subkingdom: -Tracheobionta (Vascular plant)
Super division: -Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
Division: -Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
Class: -Liliopsida (Monocotyledons)
Subclass: -Arecidae
Order: -Arales
Family: -Acoraceae
Species: -calamus
Morphological description:
Height - 1-2 m
Rhizomes - brown in colour, twisted, cylindrical, curved, and shortly nodded
Leaves - radiant green, with a sword like structure, thicker in the middle and has curvy margins
Chemical constituents: Sharma et al., 2020
Rhizomes and leaves of Acorus calamus contain compounds like Phenylpropanoids, Sterols, Triterpene Glycosides, Triterpenoid Saponins, Sesquiterpenoids, Monoterpenes and Alkaloids. The principal constituents are α and β-asarone.Pharmacological activity: Rajput et al., 2014; Yende et al., n.d.Antimycobacterial activity: Using the micro plate Alamar Blue assay technique, the anti-mycobacterial activity of Acorus calamus was examined. The result showed that the constituents namely α and β-asarone were responsible for the antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium bacteria.24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Table 3
Other reported activity
Morinda citrifolia
Biological source: Mohamad Shalan et al., 2016; Sudha et al., 2019
It consists of leaves and fruits of Morinda citrifolia belonging to family Rubiaceae.
Synonym/Common name: Mohamad Shalan et al., 2016; Sudha et al., 2019
Geographical source: BS Thorat, 2017
It is native to Southeast Asia and Australia. In India it is cultivated at Tamil Nadu, Kerala Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Sudha et al., 2019
Kingdom: -Plantae
Class: -Magnoliopsida (dicot)
Order: -Rubiales
Family: -Rubiaceae (coffee family)
Genus: -Morinda
Species: -citrifolia
Morphological discerption: Mauliku et al., 2017; Sudha et al., 201930, 31, 32, 33
Height: - 3 to 10 m
Leaves: - Opposite, pinnately veined and glossy, blades membranous, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 20 to 45 cm long, 7 to 25 cm wide,
Flowers: -White in color
Fruit: - Yellowish white; fleshy, 5 to 10 cm long, about 3 to 4 cm in diameter, soft and fetid when ripe
Seed: - It has a distinct air chamber, and can retain viability even after floating in water for a month.
Chemical constituents: (BS Thorat, 2017; Mauliku et al, 2017 The fruits of Morinda citrifolia contain flavonoids, coumarins, anthraquinone, alkaloids and terpenoids. The responsible constituents for anti-tuberculosis activity are lucidin, rubiadin, Rutin, Narcissoside, Quercetin, and scopoletin.
Pharmacological activity: (Almeida et al., 2019; BS Thorat, 2017; Maulikku et al., 2017; Mohamad Shalan et al., 2016; Sudha et al., 2019)
Anti-TB activity: At different concentrations, noni fruit's active ingredients, including flavonoids, scopoletin, anthraquinone, and alkaloids, greatly inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv. In comparison to scopoletin, the crude extract containing alkaloids, anthraquinones, and flavonoids had the strongest anti-tubercular activity in preventing the growth of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv. At a dosage of 40 mg/ml, the lowest inhibitory concentration was discovered.
Table 4
Other reported activity
Alpinia galangal
Biological source: (Alajmi et al., 2018; Ghosh & Rangan, 2013)
It consists of roots and rhizomes of Alpinia galanga belonging to the family Zingiberaaece.
Synonym/Common name: (Gupta et al., 2014; Verma et al., n.d.)
Geographical source: Ghosh & Rangan, 2013; Verma et al., n.d.
It is native to Thailand, Malaysia, and China. In India it is cultivated in the Himalayas, the Southern region of the western ghats in India.
Morphology
Height: - 2 to 3 m
Root: - Tuberous and slightly aromatic
Leaves: - Oblong-lanceolate, acute, glabrous, green above, paler beneath, with slightly callus-white margins
Flowers: - Greenish white, in dense flowered, 30 cm Panicles Fruit: - Small cherry size, orange red colour
Chemical constituents: Chouni Anirban., 2017a; Ghosh & Rangan, 2013; Verma et al., n.d.The roots and rhizomes of Alpinia galanga contain essential oils, flavonoids, Phenolic compounds (phenylpropanoids), and terpenoids.The rhizome of Alpinia galanga contains 5,7 Dihydroxyflavone, 1’acetoxy eugenol acetate, 1 ́ acetoxy chavicol acetate, Trans – cinnamic acid, etc.The principal constituent for the anti-tuberculosis activity is 1 ́ acetoxy chavicol acetate.
Pharmacological activity: Alajmi et al., 2018; Chouni Anirban., 2017a; Ghosh & Rangan, 2013; Gupta et al., 2014; Trimanto et al., 2021; Verma et al., n.d.
Anti-tubercular activity: The active ingredient of the roots and rhizomes of Alpinia galanga namely 1 ́ acetoxy chavicol acetate has shown inhibitory activity against the growth of M. tuberculosis bacteria strain H37Rv.
Table 5
Otherreported activity of Alpinia galangal
Discussion
The rapid growth of drug resistance to the currently available medications makes the development of new, efficient, and cost-effective anti-TB treatments necessary (Gupta et al., 2014). Terpenoids, alkaloids, peptides, phenolics, and coumarins are only a few of the groups of plant-derived anti-mycobacterial chemicals (BS Thorat, 2017). As a result, medicinal plants continue to be a valuable source for discovering new therapeutic compounds. Less negative side effects, higher patient acceptance due to long-standing use, lower costs, and cultivability make employing antimicrobial chemicals from medicinal plants advantageous. These compounds are renewable in nature and have fewer adverse effects (Gupta et al., 2014). This review provides a thorough analysis of 12 plants namely Saussurea lappa, Bauhinia purpurea, Acorus calamus, Morinda citrifolia, Alpinia galanga, Acacia nilotica, Micromelum hirsutum, Aegle marmelos, Acalypha indica, Juniperus procera, Plumbago zeylanica, Ocotea notata those have anti-tuberculosis activity. All 12 plants have different principal chemical constituents that are responsible for the anti-mycobacterial activity. The phytochemical constituents of all plants are active against the mycobacterium bacteria with characteristic mechanisms of action that can’t cause resistance against bacteria, which is the markable property of the plant’s chemical constituent. Further studies are required for the preparation of an effective herbal formulation for tuberculosis treatment that also provides the hepatoprotective effect unlike the synthetic drugs available for tuberculosis treatment.
Conclusion
We conclude that Medicinal plant products are good alternatives to allopathic medicine with fewer side effects and with less chances of resistance. Because polyherbal formulations act by different mechanisms to inhibit the growth of bacteria. More research is required to explore the plant-based treatment of TB.
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