Sarcococca saligna explained

Sarcococca saligna, the sweet box or Christmas box, is a species of flowering plant in the family Buxaceae. This shrub is native to northern Pakistan. Its common name in Pakistan is sheha.^{[1] [2]}

Biological activity and medical usage

In traditional medicine of Pakistan, the leaves of Sarcococca saligna are used as laxative, blood purifier and muscular analgesic.^[1]

The aqueous-methanolic extract of S. saligna has saponins, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, and alkaloids which have calcium channel blocking activity. Therefore, this shrub shows cardio-suppressant, vasodilator and tracheal relaxant effects.^[3] In addition ethanolic extract of S. saligna has steroidal alkaloids which can demonstrate cholinesterase inhibitory activity.^{[4] [5]}

The ethanolic extract of S. saligna indicate antibacterial activity against several human pathogenic bacteria and antifungal activity against Aspergillus species.^{[6] [7]} This extract can increase the antifungal activity of fluconazole against resistant Aspergillus species.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Matin A . Khan MA . Ashraf M . Qureshi RA . Traditional use of herbs, shrubs and trees of Shogran valley, Mansehra, Pakistan . Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences . 4 . 9 . 1101–1107 . 2001.
2. Gilani AU . Ghayur MN . Khalid A . Zaheer-ul-Haq . Choudhary MI . Atta-ur-Rahman . Presence of antispasmodic, antidiarrheal, antisecretory, calcium antagonist and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory steroidal alkaloids in Sarcococca saligna . Planta Medica . 71 . 2 . 120–125 . 2005 . 15789498 . 10.1055/s-2005-837777.
3. Ghayur MN . Gilani AH . Studies on cardio-suppressant, vasodilator and tracheal relaxant effects of Sarcococca saligna . Archives of Pharmacal Research . 29 . 11 . 990–997 . 2006 . 17146968 . 10.1007/bf02969283.
4. Atta-ur-Rahman, Feroz F . Naeem I . Zaheer-ul-Haq . Nawaz SA . Khan N . Khan MR . Choudhary MI. New pregnane-type steroidal alkaloids from Sarcocca saligna and their cholinesterase inhibitory activity . Steroids . 69 . 11–12 . 735–41 . 2004 . 15685740 . 10.1016/j.steroids.2004.03.016.
5. Atta-ur-Rahman, Anjum S . Farooq A . Khan MR . Choudhary MI . Two new pregnane-type steroidal alkaloids from Sarcococca saligna . Phytochemistry . 46 . 4 . 771–5 . 1997 . 9366098 . 10.1016/s0031-9422(97)00347-6.
6. Rahman A . Anjum S . Farooq A . Khan MR . Parveen Z . Choudhary MI . Antibacterial steroidal alkaloids from Sarcococca saligna . Journal of Natural Products . 61 . 2 . 202–6 . 1998 . 9548847 . 10.1021/np970294a.
7. Mollazadeh-Moghaddam K, Arfan M, Rafique J, Rezaee S, Jafari Fesharaki P, Gohari AR, Shahverdi AR . The antifungal activity of Sarcococca saligna ethanol extract and its combination effect with fluconazole against different resistant Aspergillus species . Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology . 162 . 1 . 127–33 . 2010 . 10.1007/s12010-009-8737-2 . 19685213 .