Biotechnological Strategies for Production of Anti-Alzheimer compounds from Shankhapushpi

Abstract

Convolvulus pluricaulis(Shankhapushpi) is an herbal plant known for its medicinal properties. It is
also known as morning glory. This herb is traditionally used as nerve tonic in India. This plant is
widely used in Chinese and Indian herbal medicines to get relief from various diseases such as to cure
Alzheimer, cough, epilepsy, anxiety, liver problems and to boost memory. The extracts of
Shankhpushpiplants exhibit antidepressant, neurodegenerative, anti-stress, antioxidant, antifungal,
antidiabetic, cardiovascular and antiulcer activities. All parts of plants such as root, shoot, stem,
flowers exhibit therapeutic properties. It consists of various compounds such as proteins, fatty acids
(myristic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid), steroids, glycosides, phenolic, and carbohydrates.
There are marker compounds in it are scopoletin, flavonoid (Kampferol). Knowledge on medicinal
plants since from last few decades plays an important role to cure diseases such as diabetes, cancer,
Alzheimer and several physical, mental health problems. It is one of the best nerve tonic useful to
treat nervous disorders. It helps in the regeneration of neural tissues. Alzheimer is caused due to the
accumulation of amyloid-beta as extracellular plaques around the hippocampus and other regions in
the brain. The plaque interrupts in proper functioning of brain; it acts as barrier in brain, thus cause
memory loss, confusion to identify, retards the mental growth, which ultimately leads to disease
called Alzheimer in old people. Shankhpushpi is the herb which contains convolvoline, scopoletin and
other bioactive compounds which inhibits the plaque formation in brain. These compounds either
prevent the bonding between amyloid-beta and break the bonding between them in brain and reduce
the bad effects of AD. Recent chromatographic methods i.e GC, HPLC and HPTLC are the advance
techniques are being used to quantify, analyse the presence of biomarker compounds in
Shankhpushpi. Current review deals with the recent biotechnological strategies such as genetic
diversity assessment, in vitro methods for production of ant- alzheimer compounds from
shankhapushpi.