PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON BOERHAVIA-DIFFUSA LINN. (PUNARNAVA) ALKALOIDS

The present work deals with phytochemical and pharmacological investig ations on Boerhavia diffusa Linn. (family-Nyctaginaceae). Study afford ed two plant bases : a water-soluble base as Choline, hitherto unrepor ted and the other chloroform-soluble alkaloid, Punernavine. Observatio ns revealed that Punernavine has powerful diuretic activity; water sol . base shows a parasympathomimetic drug-like effect on frog's heart, a naesthetised dog's blood pressure, skeletal and smooth muscles, it pro ved 2000 times less potent to acetylcholine but equipotent to choline; tubocurarine blocks the action of water soluble base, choline and ace tylcholine; the activity of water sol. base could neither be activated with dog's blood cholinesterase as in choline, nor got potentiated wi th eserine as in the case of acetylcholine. These results, thus, concl usively support that water soluble base is choline.