Indigenous knowledge of traditional medicine and local development in Myanmar: The case of Calotropis Gigantea R. BR. in Ayeyarwady region

Medicinal plants are abundant in Myanmar. Most of people use the traditional medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases. The study of Traditional Medicinal plants and their therapeutics play a very important role in health care system of Myanmar because 70 % of its population is in the rural area and they have been using traditional medicine for centuries. Myanmar traditional practitioners use a variety of medicine mostly containing potent medicinal plants available in Myanmar, to cure various diseases depending on their own nature and localities. Calotropis gigantea R. Br., a widely growing plant, possesses number of medicinal properties. This research focused on the use of Myanmar Indigenous Medicine of the leaves of Calotropis gigantea R.Br. in Ayeyarwady Region, socio economic and environmental impact, and the investigation of some phytoconstituents and bioactivities.

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN MYANMAR: THE CASE OF CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA R BR IN AYEYARWADY REGION Thandar Aung Department of Chemistry, Pathein Universit Theint Theint Phyo Department of Chemistry, Pathein University Abstract Medicinal plants are abundant in Myanmar Most of people use the traditional medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases The study of Traditional Medicinal plants and their therapeutics play a very important role in health care system of Myanmar because 70 % of its population is in the rural area and they have been using traditional medicine for centuries Myanmar traditional practitioners use a variety of medicine mostly containing potent medicinal plants available in Myanmar, to cure various diseases depending on their own nature and localities Calotropis gigantea R Br., a widely growing plant, possesses number of medicinal properties This research focused on the use of Myanmar Indigenous Medicine of the leaves of Calotropis gigantea R.Br in Ayeyarwady Region, socio economic and environmental impact, and the investigation of some phytoconstituents and bioactivities Key words: Calotropis gigantea R.Br., phytoconstituents, traditional medicinal plants Introduction Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo), a member of the Apocynaceae family, is a wellknown plant throughout the tropical world and they are native to the tropical and subtropical parts of Asia and Africa (Sharma, 1934) In Myanmar, the plant is distributed in various regions and used as remedy for various medicinal purposes Myint Myint Khine reported for her PhD dissertation that leaves of Calotropis procera R.Br (Ma-yo) possessed antimicrobial activity (Myint Myint Khine, 2007) The importance of medicinal plants to the economy of low-income countries remains critical and strategic because medicines are keys to a health population that drives and sustain the economy In this research work, the leaves of Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo) was chosen for investigation of some phytochemical constituents, and their bioactivities, its uses, and analyzing the socio-economic aspects of sample in Ayeyarwady Region 328 Figure Image of Calotropis gigantea R.Br Botanical Aspect of Calotropis gigantea R.Br Family : Apocynaceae Sub-family : Asclepiadaceae Botanical name : Calotropis gigantea R.Br Myanmar name : Mayo English name : Swallow-Wort, Milk weed Synonyms : Asclepias gigantea L Part used : Leaves Some Bioactive Chemical Constituents of C gigantea R.Br Latex: cardiacglycosides, calotopin, uscharin, calotoxin, calactin and uscharidin; gigantin Leaves: amyrin, amyrin acetate, ß-sitosterol, ursolic acid, cardenolides, calotropin, calotropagenin Flowers: flavonoids, queretin-3-ratinoside, sterol, calactin, calotoxin, calotropagenin, calotropin, polysaccharides with D-arabinose, glucose, glucosamine and L-rhamnose Root bark: triterpenes, new norditerpenyl ester, calotropterpenyl ester Medicinal uses of various parts of Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo) The C gigantea R.Br (Mayo) plant is used for skin diseases, boils and sores and as a tonic and purgative in small doses, and as an emetic in larger doses The powdered root bark is used to cure dysentery, elephantiasis, and leprosy The stem bark is diaphoretic and expectorant, and is used for dysentery, spleen complaints, convulsions, lumbago, scabies, ringworm, and tumors and also as an antiseptic, vermifuge, emetic and purgative, as well as for poisoning arrows The powdered flowers are given for coughs, colds and asthma The crushed and warmed leaves are applied on burns, headaches and rheumatic pains, and as a tincture for intermittent fever (Gaur et al., 2013) 329 AIM The chemical properties and value of plants and their extracts, the development of commercial that may arise from the chemical analysis; indigenous knowledge systems linked to plants and their uses and ecological considerations This paper is focus on local application of medicinal plants and to improve healthcare system in Ayeyarwady Region Objectives - To study the uses of various parts of Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo) in Myanmar - To give some information that the leaves extracts of C.gigantea have antitumor, antioxidant and larvicidal activities and no acute toxic effect Genral information General Uses of Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo) There are two types of Calotropis gigantea ( white and red) Both are used to cure vomiting, purgation, vata roga, leprosy, itching, snake bites, wounds, splenomegaly, abdominal tumors, pileees, cough, ascites and intestinal worm infestation White type is aphrodisiac, light in nature and stimulates digestive system It is used to cure anorexia, excessive salvation, piles, cough and asthma On the other hand, red type is little bit bitter in taste It is useful in diarrhea, abdominal tumors and inflammation Is is also useful in skin disorders, worm infestation, cough, hemorrhoids, and bleeding disorders The astringent action of the herb makes it beneficial for the treatment of many skin diseases Leaves Composing of Calotropis gigantea leaves using mix dung of buffalo, cow, goat and sheep (Shah M C, 2015) Calotropis leaves are immersed in water for two days, diluted, filtered and is then applied at the place of termite attack Flowers Calotropis gigantea flower is efficacious as well as safe in patients with painful heel syndrome (Peavin Dhone, TJ Hemanani, 2012) Latex Milky white latex is sticky and the plant is popular amongst the common population because of this peculiarity This is mildly poisonous and is considered as one of the plant toxins in Ayurveda Though toxic, this latex can be purified and put to use as a very effective antidote as well as herbal medicine Latex is salted and bitter taste, having hot potency, light and oily in nature It is best used to cure skin disorders, abdominal tumors Latex of this plant is capable of vomiting and purgation It is used in purgation and vomiting therapy 330 Root bark The powdered root bark is used to cure dysentery, elephantiasis, and leprosy Stem bark The stem bark is diaphoretic and expectorant, and is used for dysentery, spleen complaints, convulsions, lumbago, scabies, ringworm, pneumatisms and tumours and also as an antiseptic, vermifuge, emetic and purgative, as well as for poisoning arrows Local Uses of Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo) In traditional practice, especially in Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar, C.gigantea (Mayo) is being used mainly - By swallowing the mixture of leave with latex for the controlling of snake poison (Dosage -after grinding with leaves and latex, 0.5-1 g one pill per hour during snake bite) - After boiling the whole parts of the plant sample, the obtained watery extract was used to relief arthritic - By binding the heated leaves with clothes, that cures the furuncle, tumor, back pain and knee pain - By mixing a piece of salt, mL of honey, and powdered of Mayo leaf (1 g), it was eaten by twice a day, that relieves asthma - By sticking with latex to the painful heel is efficacious in patients with painful heel - By mixing with latex to the milk, that solidifies the milk - By coating the mixture of turmeric powder with latex to the abdomen gradually diminish the abdominal tumors Other Uses of Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo) Calotropis gigantean plant yields a durable fiber that is used in rural households to make bowstring, ropes, carpets, and sewing threads Doing these activities can give some incomes in the local region Technical supporting is required to get high quality products Health care costs are a big issue in Myanmar, largely determining when and where people seek treatment Using the Calotropis gigantea plant systematically may improve not only the prevention of healthcare system, on the other hand but also save money for expense of medical cover This may conserve local people to get happy and healthy their working environment Today, traditional medical practice has been recognized by the world health organization (WHO) as a building block of primary healthcare But, safety should be the overriding criterion in the selection of herbal remedies for use in healthcare (Patli et al., 2012) Myanmar traditional practitioners use a variety of medicine mostly containing potent medicinal plants available in Myanmar, to cure various diseases depending on their own nature and localities These medicines may consist of a single potent plant as well as in combination with other potent plants in different ratios by weight or by volume From 331 studying the scientific point of view, results of preliminary photochemical analysis of the leaves extract of C gigantea showed that the leaves contain alkaloids, steroids, saponins, glycosides, tannins and -amino acids For safety, acute toxicity screening of C.gigantea leaves, ethanol extract was done with the dosage of 2000 mg/kg and 5000 mg/kg body weight in each group of albino mice (WHO, 1963, 1966) The condition of mice groups were recorded after fourteen days administration The results show no lethality of the mice was observed up to fourteen days administration Each group of animals were also observed still alive and did not show any visible symptoms of toxicity like restlessness, respiratory disorders, convulsion, aggressive activities, coma and death Table Acute Toxicity Effect of Ethanol Extract of C gigantea (Mayo) Leaves on Albino Mice Model after Two Weeks Administration No Groups Extract Administration Dosage (mg/kg) No of death % of death after 14 days Group A Ethanol Extract 2000 Nil Group B Ethanol Extract 5000 Nil Group C No administration Nil Nil In the leaves of Mayo, the antioxidant activity were found to be pet-ether extract (IC50  6.11 g/mL)  ethylacetate extract (IC50  6.89 g/mL) H2O extract (IC50 9.54g/mL)  95% ethanol extract (IC50= 9.78 g/mL) From the results, due to the presence of the antioxidant activity, the leaves of Mayo may be used in prevention of diseases related to oxidative stress such as coronary heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease and even in various types of cancer The antitumor activity screening of different crude extracts such as pet-ether, ethylacetate, 95% ethanol and watery extracts of the leaves of Mayo were carried out against Agrobacterium tumefaciens by Potato Crown Gall test or Potato Disc Assay method (Moh Moh Aye, 2009) Among the tested crude extracts of the leaves of Mayo, all crude extracts exhibited antitumor activity against Agrobacterium tumefaciens Larvicidal and antimicrobial activities of the leaves of C gigantea (Mayo) were also studied This study examines social and economic factors to improve healthcare system and living quality For low-income countries to attain any appreciable level of self-reliance regarding availability of safe and effective pharmaceuticals use for the management of endemic disease conditions, it was considered a priority because of the importance of self-reliance in the current and perhaps future economic Discussion - C gigantea (Mayo) should be applied economic scale in Myanmar - C gigantea (Mayo) need to be grown for propagation and commercial use due to pharmaceutical research and traditional medicine industry (FAME) is located in Yangon 332 - The people should know widely C gigantea (Mayo) because many illnesses are cured and quite effective - Training, workshop and seminar need to be carried out to know scientific and commercial attention of the people - C gigantea (Mayo) need to be preserved widely in Myanmar Conclusion Nowadays, alternative medicine plays an important role internationally In place of chemicals, natural raw materials are increasingly being used in medical treatment and pharmaceutical industries The preliminary phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, saponins, glycosides, tannins and -amino acids in the leaves of C gigantea The constituents such as alkaloids and steroids present in the sample may contribute to possess bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, antitumor, antipyretic, and antiulcer properties in Mayo And then, leaves extract of C gigantea may have moderate antioxidant activity and good larvicidal activity Moreover, due to its antitumor activity, leaves of C gigantea may be used to prevent the diseases related to tumor and cancer No side effect has been noticed, the leaves should be washed before consumption This study provides the health at affordable cost and C gigantea leaves have valuable medicinal properties and may be used safely Systematically studying on C gigenta provides that local people can get knowledge and how to protect their health with Myanmar Traditional Medicine because prevention is better than cure To bring about the development of indigenous medicine is one of the tasks of the health plan laid down by Ministry of Health and to relate scientific evidence on the application of these medicinal plant is the tasks of researchers in Myanmar Now concerning with antibacterial, anti malarial, anti hypertensive, hypoglycemic, anti inflammatory, trachea chain relaxation, antitumor and antioxidant activities on Myanmar medicinal plants have been investigated both in vitro and in vivo methods Concurrently, it is necessary to continually develop research work on Myanmar Traditional Medicine Acknowledgements We would like to thank to the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education in Myanmar, for giving us the opportunity to this research Our deepest gratitude is expressed to Dr Si Si Hla Bu, Rector, Pathein University, for her encouragement, kind guidance, and kind help to this research We wish to thank Dr Than Tun and Dr Nilar Myint, Pro-Rectors, Pathein University for their invaluable advices and encouragement Thanks are also extended to Dr Ye Myint Aung (Professor and Head) and Dr Than Than Oo (Professor), Department of Chemistry, Pathein University, for their helpful advice, precious suggestions and provision of research facilities at the Department of Chemistry, Pathein University, Myanmar 333 References Gaur L.B., S.S Bornare, A.S Chavan, R Mukh, S.P Singh, S.C Gaur and K Sudhir.(2013) ―Biological Activities and Medicinal Properties of Madar (Calotropis gigantea R.Br)‖.In International Peer Reviewed Ayurved Journal, Banaras Hindu Unversity.1(1) (http:// www.planetayurveda com) Moh Moh Aye (2009) ―Investigation of some Bioactive Organic Constituents from Roots of Sesgnia Sesban (L.) Merr.(Ye-Thu-Gyi) and Morinda Tinctoria Roxb.(TauYe-Yo) and Screening of some Biological Activities‖.Ph.D (Dissertation), Chemistry Department, Yangon University, Myanmar, 11-39 Myint Myint Khine (2007)."Investigation of Organic Constituents and Antimicrobial Activities of Kaempferia Galanga L (Kungsa-Ga-Mon) Rhizomes and Calotopis procera R Br (Ma-Yo) Leaves".Ph.D (Dissertation), Chemistry Department, Yangon University, Myanmar OECD (1998) Harmonized Integrated Hazard Classification System for Human Health and Environmental Effects of Chemical Substances as Endorsed by the 28th Joint Meeting of the Chemicals Committee and the Working Party on Chemicals, Part 2, p.11 OECD.(2000) Guidance Document on Acute Oral Toxicity Environmental Health and Safety Monograph Series on Testing and Assessment No 24 Pati, S.M and Saini, R 2012 Antimicrobial activity of flower extract of Calotropis gigantea Int J Pharm Phytopharmacological Research, (4): 142-145 Peavin Dhone, TJ Hemanani, (2012) ―Local Effects of Flowers of Calotropis Gigantea in Patients of Painful Heel Syndrome‖ Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Science, 3, Issue 1, p.537 Shah M.C, Upadhyay D N, Shilpkar P.G Composing of Calotropis Gigantea Leaves Using Mix Dung of Buffalo, Cow, Goat and Sheep Curr World Environ 2015; 10 (3) Avaliable from: http://www.cwejournal.org/?p=12866 10 Sharma, G.K (1934) ―Calotropis procera and Calotropis gigantea‖.Indian J of Veterinary Science.4, 63-74 11 WHO, (1963) ―Instructions for Determining the Susceptibility or Resistance of Mosquito Larvae to Insecticides 81, WHO/VBC; 1981:807 12 WHO, (1996) Report of WHO informal consultation on the evaluation and testing insecticides CTD/WHO PES/IC/96.1, 69 334 ... knowledge and how to protect their health with Myanmar Traditional Medicine because prevention is better than cure To bring about the development of indigenous medicine is one of the tasks of the health... medicinal plants available in Myanmar, to cure various diseases depending on their own nature and localities These medicines may consist of a single potent plant as well as in combination with other... emetic and purgative, as well as for poisoning arrows Local Uses of Calotropis gigantea R.Br (Mayo) In traditional practice, especially in Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar, C .gigantea (Mayo) is being