Pergularia daemia

Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) Chiov., commonly known as Veliparuthi or Utranmul, is a perennial climbing herb belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family. This plant has been extensively used in traditional medicinal systems including Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha for treating various ailments. This comprehensive review synthesizes current knowledge on the ethnobotanical uses, phytochemical composition, and pharmacological properties of P. daemia. The plant contains diverse bioactive compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, and steroids. Extensive pharmacological studies have demonstrated multiple therapeutic properties including antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anticancer, wound healing, and immunomodulatory activities. This review critically evaluates the scientific evidence supporting traditional uses and discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed pharmacological effects. Despite promising preclinical findings, clinical trials are needed to validate therapeutic efficacy and safety. This review provides a comprehensive foundation for future research aimed at developing evidence-based phytopharmaceuticals from P. daemia.

  The whole-plant, Pergularia daemia (Family: Asclepediaceae), extract (50% alcohol) was investigated for phytochemical, physico-chemical parameters and its anti-inflammatory activity. Preliminary organic analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoid, steroid, triterpenoid and phenolic compounds in the extract. Physiochemical studies revealed that total ash is 13.62%, acid insoluble ash is 1%, alcohol soluble extractive value is 17.6%, water soluble extractive value is 30.4% and loss on drying at 105°C is 10.6%.  The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw edema (acute inflammation) and chronic models like; cotton pellet granuloma and carrageenan air pouch granuloma. Oral administration of the extract (50 and 100 mg/kg) exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity in acute and chronic models (p < 0.01) of inflammation. In conclusion, present investigation established specific identities that will be useful in identification and authentication of the raw drug and pharmacological evidences to support the folklore claim that P. daemia is used as anti-inflammatory agent.   Key words: Pergularia daemia, physicochemical, carrageenan, cotton-pallet