크로톤-[정명] Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Rumph. ex A.Juss.

Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Rumph. ex A. Juss. belongs to the family of Euphorbiaceae which is one of the largest family of flowering plants with more than 300 genera and 8000 species composed mostly of herbs, and shrubs or trees found especially in the tropics (Mwine and Damme, 2011). This plant species is native to the Moluccan Islands (also called Maluku Islands) of Indonesia and tropical rainforests of Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Australia (Brown, 1995; Deng et al., 2010a). Codiaeum variegatum has been introduced in many tropical and warm regions where it grows easily (Govaerts et al., 2000). In Europe, it was first introduced to England in 1804, but hybrids were developed mainly in Belgium and France in the 1800s. The European hybrids were then introduced in 1871 into the United States where several hybrids were developed in South Florida during the 1920s and 1930s (Brown, 1995; Deng et al., 2010a). The first native Codiaeum sp. (cultivar ‘Mollucanum’) had all green leaves, and from it, a second cultivar ‘Aureo-maculatum’ was developed with variegated leaves which was later used to produce another cultivar, ‘Punctatum’ (Brown, 1995; Taylor, 1938). From these basic species, hybrids or mutants were developed with the non-variegated cultivars being the more primitive relative to the variegated cultivars (Babatunde et al., 2017; Taylor, 1938). The most cultivated species is C. variegatum commonly known as ‘garden croton’ from which many varieties were developed (Aguoru et al., 2016). Currently, more than 300 cultivars of crotons are found around the globe (Deng et al., 2010a), and these cultivars differ from each other with the leaf sizes, shapes and color patterns (Magdalita et al., 2014; Mollick et al., 2011; Ogunwenmo et al., 2007). The popular varieties of C. variegatum include ‘Spirale’, ‘Andreanum’, ‘Majesticum’, and ‘Aureo-maculatum’ (Huxley et al., 1992).

Plants have been used by populations of all continents for their health benefits and their role to improve the quality of life. In fact, due to the presence of bioactive ingredients, medicinal plants represent an alternative solution to fight against various life-threatening diseases (Cragg and Newman, 2005, 2013; Sofowora et al., 2013). The medicinal uses of C. variegatum vary from one region of the world to another, and with the part of plant being used. For instance, leaf decoction is mostly used in the treatment of diarrhoea, stomachache, intestinal worms, and bacterial infections (Labu et al., 2015; Moundipa et al., 2005; Norhanom and Yadav, 1995; Ohigashi et al., 1985; Saffoon et al., 2014; WHO, 2009). On the other hand, root decoction is drunk against gastric ulcers while the bark decoction and sap are applied on external ulcers or skin infections (Ahmad and Holdsworth, 2003; Cambie and Ash, 1994; Chand et al., 2018). Due to its genetic diversity, the phytochemical composition of C. variegatum vary from one cultivar to another. To date, alkaloids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds have been isolated from this plant species (Hassan et al., 2014; Mona et al., 2019; Saffoon et al., 2014). On the contrary, tannins, cardenolides, saponins, cardiac glycosides and steroids identified by qualitative methods, are still not investigated (Ogunwenmo et al., 2007; Saffoon et al., 2010).

Furthermore, several published articles reported the pharmacological activities of crude extracts and isolated compounds which confirm the traditional use of this plant species against some diseases. However, other claimed ethnomedicinal uses need to be evaluated. Reports on the toxicity evaluation and quality control of C. variegatum are available for some cultivars. But, the high variability between cultivars requires to establish a specific profile of each cultivar in terms of medicinal uses, pharmacological activities, toxicity and phytochemical profiles. Thus, it is imperative to proceed with an inventory of research that has been carried out on this plant species, as it represents a good alternative source for the discovery of novel compounds. This review will provide an overview regarding the botanical diversity of C. variegatum, its ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical composition and pharmacological activities as to understand the importance of this plant species in primary healthcare systems of some local communities around the world.

Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Rumph. ex A. Juss. (Euphorbiaceae): An overview of its botanical diversity, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects and perspectives towards developing its plant-based products - ScienceDirect

 

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