Swertia is a genus in the gentian family containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts.[4] Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers.[5][6] Many members of this genus have medicinal and cultural purposes.[7]
Plants of genus Frasera are sometimes considered part of this genus, sometimes as a separate genus, and sometimes as synonymous.
Selected species
Species in the genus Swertia include, but are not limited to:[1][8]
Chemical constituents
Swertia contains the chemicals sawertiamarine, mangeferin and amarogenitine[9] 1,5,8-trihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-2,3,5,7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-3,5,8-trimethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxyl-2,3,4,6-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1,8-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone, 1,7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyxanthone, 1,3,5,8-tetrahydroxyxanthone, balanophonin, oleanolic acid, maslinic acid, and sumaresinolic acid.[10] Swerilactones from Swertia mileensis showed anti-hepatitis B virus activity in vitro.[11]
Traditional medicine
Swertia is used in Indian Ayurvedic Herbal System to cure Fever as in Laghu sudarshana churna, Maha sudarshan Churna and in Tibetan folk medicine.[12] It is also one of the most widely used medicinal plants of Sikkim, and is considered Vulnerable based on IUCN CAMP Criteria.[13]
References
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^ a b Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (2004-09-23). "Genus: Swertia". Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Archived from the original on 2012-09-14.
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^ "Index Nominum Genericorum database". International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Smithsonian Institution. 1978. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
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^ "Linnaean Name: Swertia perennis Linnaeus". The Linnaean Plant Name Typification Project. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
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^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Swertia". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
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^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) -
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.ansab.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) -
^ O'Neill, A. R.; Badola, H.K.; Dhyani, P. P.; Rana, S. K. (2017). "Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 13 (1): 21. doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9. PMC 5372287. PMID 28356115.
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^ Porcher, Michel H.; et al. (2004). "Sorting Swertia names". Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. The University of Melbourne. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
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^ Journal of Ethnopharmacology 98 (2005) 31–35
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^ Li XS, Jiang ZY, Wang FS, Ma YB, Zhang XM, Chen JJ (2008). "Chemical constituents from herbs of Swertia mileensis". Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 33 (23): 2790–2793. PMID 19260313.
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^ Geng CA, Zhang XM, Ma YB, Luo J, Chen JJ (2011). "Swerilactones L-O, secoiridoids with C₁₂ and C₁₃ skeletons from Swertia mileensis". J Nat Prod. 74 (8): 1822–1825. doi:10.1021/np200256b. PMID 21823575.
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^ Variation of active constituents of an important Tibet folk medicine Huiling Yang, Chenxu Ding, Yuanwen Duan, Jianquan Liu
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^ O'Neill, Alexander; et al. (2017-03-29). "Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 13 (21): 21. doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9. PMC 5372287. PMID 28356115.
