Swertia
Encyclopedia
Swertia is a genus in the gentian family
Gentianaceae
Gentianaceae are a family of flowering plants of 87 genera and over 1500 species. Flowers are actinomorphic and bisexual with fused sepals and petals. The stamens are attached to the inside of the petals and alternate with the corolla lobes. There is a glandular disk at the base of the gynoecium,...

 containing plants sometimes referred to as the felworts. Some species bear very showy purple and blue flowers.

Plants of genus Frasera are sometimes considered part of this genus, sometimes as a separate genus, and sometimes as synonymous.

Selected species

  • Swertia albicaulis (Griseb.) Kuntze
  • Swertia albomarginata (S. Watson)
  • Swertia angustifolia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don
  • Swertia bimaculata (Siebold & Zucc.) C. B. Clarke
    • Swertia bimaculata (Siebold & Zucc.) Hook. f. & Thoms.
  • Swertia calcicola Kerr.
  • Swertia caroliniensis (Walter) Kuntze
  • Swertia chinensis (Griseb.) Franch.
    • Swertia diluta (Turcz.) Benth. & Hook. f.
  • Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex Fleming) H. Karst.
    • Swertia chirata (Wall.) C. B. Clarke
  • Swertia ciliata (D. Don ex G. Don) B. L. Burtt.
  • Swertia coloradensis C. M. Rogers
  • Swertia dilatata C. B. Clarke
  • Swertia fastigiata Pursh
  • Swertia hookeri C. B. Clarke
  • Swertia japonica (Roem. & Schult.) Makino
  • Swertia leducii Franch.
    • Swertia mileensis T. N. Ho & W. L. Shih
  • Swertia macrosperma C. B. Clarke
  • Swertia multicaulis D. Don
  • Swertia neglecta (H.M. Hall) Jeps.
  • Swertia nervosa (G. Don) C. B. Clarke
  • Swertia paniculata Torr.
  • Swertia parryi (Torr.) Kuntze
  • Swertia perennis
    Swertia perennis
    Swertia perennis is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common name felwort. It is native to several regions of the northern hemisphere, including much of Eurasia and western North America. It is a plant of wetlands, particularly calcareous fens...

    L.
  • Swertia puberulenta (Davidson) Jeps.
  • Swertia punicea
    Swertia punicea
    Swertia punicea is a plant species in the genus Swertia.The xanthonoids methylswertianin and bellidifolin can be isolated from S. punicea....

    Hemsl.
  • Swertia purpurascens (D. Don) A. Wall ex E. D. Clarke
  • Swertia radiata (Kellogg) Kuntze, (syn
    Synonym (taxonomy)
    In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...

     Frasera speciosa)
  • Swertia striata Collett & Hemsl.
  • Swertia tibetica Batal.
  • Swertia tongluensis Burkill
  • Swertia tubulosa (Coville) Jeps.

Sources:

Chemical constituents

It contains main chemicals sawertiamarine, mangeferin
Mangiferin
Mangiferin is a xanthonoid, a chemical compound found in mangoes and in Anemarrhena asphodeloides rhizomes.This molecule is a natural phenol and shows antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. It shows inhibitory effects on type II 5α-reductase in vitro It shows gastroprotective and antidiabetic...

 and amarogenitine1,5, 8-trihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxyl-2, 3, 5, 7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxyl-3, 5, 8-trimethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxyl-2, 3, 4, 6-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxyl-2, 3, 4, 7-tetramethoxyxanthone, 1,8-dihydroxy-3, 5-dimethoxyxanthone, 1, 7-dihydroxy-3, 8-dimethoxyxanthone, 1, 3, 5, 8-tetrahydroxyxanthone , balanophonin, oleanolic acid
Oleanolic acid
Oleanolic acid or oleanic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid, widely distributed in food and medicinal plants, related to betulinic acid. It can be found in Phytolacca americana , and Syzygium spp, garlic, etc...

, maslinic acid
Maslinic acid
Maslinic acid is a compound derived from dry olive-pomace oil which is a byproduct of olive oil extraction. It is a member of the group of triterpenes known as oleananes.-Biological activities:...

, and sumaresinolic acid

Swerilactones from Swertia mileensis showed anti-hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B is an infectious illness caused by hepatitis B virus which infects the liver of hominoidea, including humans, and causes an inflammation called hepatitis. Originally known as "serum hepatitis", the disease has caused epidemics in parts of Asia and Africa, and it is endemic in China...

activity in vitro

Medicinal Use

It is used in mainly including gall and liver disorders and these active constituents, especially mangiferin, have been found separately or collectively to have hepatoprotective hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory , antioxidative, antitubercular and antifungal activities together with various ther pharmacological properties.

External links

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