Duboisea: Biological Source, Medicinal Uses, Morphological Features and MCQs
DUBOISEA
1. Biological source:
• The botanical name of duboisea is Duboisia myoporoides.
• The biological source of duboisea is its dried leaves.
• It belongs to the solanaceae family.
• It is also known as corkwood and cork tree.
2. Morphological features:
• It is a perennial shrub having height upto 3m.
• Sometimes it may be a small tree with brown to purplish bark on the young stem.
• Its older bark is corky.
• Leaves are alternate in arrangement and 15 cm long.
• Leaves are narrow having recurved point and straight margins.
• Flowers are present at the end of the braches
• Fruit contain 1-2 seeds in the dark pulp.
• Leaves are bitter in taste .
• It has extremely light wood .
• Its bark is corky and thick.
• The shape of leaves are elliptical and leaves are glabrous.
• Inflorescence is an open cymose panicle of apically small white flowers.
• Fruits are black in color and juicy berry.
3. Chemical constituents:
• The chief chemical constituents of duboisea are scopolamine and atropine.
• Hyoscyamine present in duboisea which is during extraction convert into atropine.
• Norhyoscyamine, tigloidine, valtropine and tiglyoxytropine also present in duboisea as chemical constituents.
• Atropines are colourless crystals having a bitter taste and have no odour.
• Nicotine and nonnicotine are the chief chemical constituents of duboisea.
• It is upto 25% of the dried weight of the plant material.
• Sulphate and alkaloids are also present in it and used as a substitute of atropine.
4. Uses :
• It has parasympatholytic activity due to presence of atropine.
• On central medullary and on higher nerve centers, it causes stimulant action.
• It is used as an antidote for pilocarpine, physostigmine and other choline esters.
• It helps to relieve bronchial spasms in asthma.
• It is used to treat peptic ulcer as it suppresses the secretion of gastric juice.
• It is used in ophthalmic practice due to its dilatory action on pupil of the eye.
• It also used to treat parkinsonism as it reduces rigidity and tremor.
• Due to presence of scopolamine it is used to treat air and sea sickness and also it helps to treat stomach ulcers.
• It has sedative,hypnotic and mydriatic properties.
• It has an action on respiratory system.
• It is antidote by coffee and lemon juice.
• It is used in eye infection and also in paralysis.
5. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:
1. What is the botanical name of duboisea?
(a) Sedum acre
(b) Capsicum annuum
(c) Symplocarpus foetidus
(d) Duboisia myoporoides
2. What is the biological source of duboisea?
(a) Roots
(b) Barks
(c) Leaves
(d) Stems
3. Match the following with respect to the chemical constituents of plants.
i. Coca A. caffeine
ii. Coffee B. cocaine
iii. Nux vomica C. atropine
iv. Duboisea D. strychnine
(a) i-B,ii-A,iii-D,iv-C
(b) i-A,ii-B,iii-C,iv-D
(c) i-C,ii-D,iii-B,iv-A
(d) i-D,ii-C,iii-A,iv-B
4. Choose incorrect statement with respect to the medicinal uses of duboisea.
I. Coca is used as muscle stimulant.
II. Ipecac is used amoebic dysentery.
III. Spearmint has insecticide property.
IV. Duboisea is used to treat cancer.
(a) Only I
(b) Both I and IV
(c) Only III
(d) Only IV
5. What is the height of duboisea shrub?
(a) 2m
(b) 4m
(c) 3m
(d) 2-3m
6. What are the characteristics of leaves of duboisea?
(a) Alternate in arrangement
(b) 15 cm long
(c) Have straight margins
(d) All of the above
7. What is the chief chemical constituent of duboisea?
(a) Scopolamine
(b) Atropine
(c) Vincristine
(d) Both a and b
8. Duboisea is used to treat
(a) Asthma
(b) Peptic ulcer
(c) Parkinsonism
(d) All of the above
9. What is the shape of leaves of duboisea?
(a) Palm shape
(b) Needle shape
(c) Elliptical shape
(d) Orbicular shape
10. What are the chemical constituents of duboisea?
(a) Valtropine
(b) Tigloidine
(c) Atropines
(d) All of the above
ANSWERS:
1. (d)
2. (c)
3. (a)
4. (d)
5. (c)
6. (d)
7. (d)
8. (d)
9. (c)
10. (d)
REFERENCE:
Evans W. C, Editors. Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy. New York, Saunders Elsevier, 2009, p. 490,535.