Medicinal properties and uses of Indian species of the genus Spermacoce L.: A review
Author(s): 1. Shalini Bara, 2. Geetanjali Singh
Authors Affiliations:
Shalini Bara1 and Geetanjali Singh2*
1 Research Scholar, University Department of Botany, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi, Jharkhand–
2 Assistant Professor, University Department of Botany, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi, Jharkhand–
DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202505001 | Paper ID: IJRCS202505001Abstract: Spermacoce L., commonly known as false buttonweed, includes over 275 plant species mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The greatest diversity of these species is seen in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia, and Asia. In India, eleven species of Spermacoce have been recorded. Many of these species are traditionally used in medicine to treat a variety of health conditions. This review highlights the medicinal uses of Indian Spermacoce species, including the specific plant parts used and the ailments they help treat. The information presented may support future research and contribute to the discovery and development of new medicines.
Shalini Bara, Geetanjali Singh(2025); Medicinal properties and uses of Indian species of the genus Spermacoce L.: A review, International Journal of Research Culture Society, ISSN(O): 2456-6683, Volume – 9, Issue – 5, Pp.1-7. Available on – https://ijrcs.org/
1. “Spermacoce” Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. website: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SPERM
2. Website: https://www.tropicos.org
3. APG IV. (2016). An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society,181(1), 1-20.
4. Ranjan, V., & Kumar, A. (2015). Conspectus of family Rubiaceae in West Bengal, India. Geopbvtology, 44 (2), 161-174.
5. Dessein, S., Rubbrecht, E. & Smets, E. (2006). A new heterophyllous Spermacoce species (Rubiaceae) from the Marungu highlands (D.R. Congo). Novon, 16, 231-234.
6. Raju, A. J. S., & Krishna, J. R. (2017). Contribution to the knowledge of three Indian Spermacoce L.(Rubiaceae) and some preliminary information about their pollination ecology. In Anales de Biología, 39, 111-126.
7. Kala, A. S., Raja, S., & P and Dhatchanamoorthy, N. (2013). 3. Micromorphological assessment and stem anatomy of Spermacoce species of Tamilnadu. Life Sciences Leaflets, 42, 19-28.
8. Hooker, J. D. (1881). Flora of British India, Volume 3. Reeve & Company, Kent.
9. Sivarajan, V. V., Nair, R. V. and Kunju, T. U. A. (1987). Genus Spermacoce Linn. (Rubiaceae) in India. Proceeding: Indian Academy of Sciences (Plant Sciences), 97(4), 347-358.
10. Panda, P. C. (1996). A taxonomic study of the genus Spermacoce Linn. (Rubiacece) in Orissa. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany, 20(3), 639-644.
11. Haines, H. H. (1925). The Botany of Bihar and Orissa. Adlard & Son & West Newman Limited, London, 2(3-4), 419-453.
12. Tiwari, A. P. , Lawand, P. R., Shukla, A. N., & Magesh, C. R. (2018). Three New Distributional Records of Rubiaceae for Chhattisgarh. Indian Journal of Forestry, 41(1), 31-33.
13. Harwood, R., & Dessein, S. (2005). Australian Spermacoce (Rubiaceae: Spermacoceae). I. Northern Territory. Australian Systematic Botany, 18(4), 297-365.
14. Deb, D. B., & Dutta, R. (1984). Revision of the genus Spermacoce (Rubiaceae) in India and adjoining regions. Journal of economic and taxonomic botany, 5(5), 1037-1063.
15. Vaes, E., Vrijdaghs, A., Smets, E. F. and Dessein, S. (2006). Elaborate Petals in Australian Spermacoce (Rubiaceae) Species: Morphology, Ontogeny and Function. Annals of Botany, 8, 1167-1178.
16. Robbrecht, E. (1988). Tropical Woody Rubiaceae. Opera Botanica Belgica, edited by National Botanic Garden of Belgium, Meise, 1-272.
17. Linnaeus, C. (1753). Species Plantarum, London.
18. Meyer. (1818). Prim. FI. Essenquib, 83.
19. Bentham, G. (1867). Flora Australiensis. Lovell Reeve & Company, London, 3, 438-443.
20. Gamble, J. S. (1921). Flora of the Presidency of Madras, Volume 2.
21. Sundaram, R. L., & Vasanthi, H. R. (2022). Spermacoce hispida Linn: a critical review on pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, and pharmacology based on traditional claims. Phytomedicine Plus, 2(1), 100143.
22. Hiern, W. P. (1877). Flora of Tropical Africa. Lovell Reeve & Company, London, 3, 233-240.
23. Cooke, T. (1903). The Flora of the Presidency of Bombay, Volume 1, Taylor and Francis, London.
24. Prain, D. (1903). Bengal Plants, Volume 2. West Newman & Company, Calcutta.
25. Kanjilal, U. N., Dey, R. N & Das, A. (1939). Flora of Assam, Volume 1. The Royal Society, London.
26. Roxburgh, W. (1820). Flora Indica (ed. Carey & Wall.) Mission Press, Serampore, 1, 372-380.
27. Don, D. (1825). Prodromus Flora Nepalensis, London, 143.
28. Wight, R., & Arnott, G. A. W. (1834). Prodromus florae Indiae orientalis. Parbury, London, 437-439.
29. Kumar, R. B., Suryanarayana, B. (2013). Ethnomedicinal recipes for skin and dermatitis & allied diseases from tribals of Sriharikota Island, Andhra Pradesh. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2, 234–249.
30. Esakkimuthu, S., Mutheeswaran, S., Arvinth, M., Paulraj, Pandikumar, P., Ignacimuthu, S. (2016). Quantitative ethnomedicinal survey of medicinal plants given for cardiometabolic diseases by the non-institutionally trained Siddha practitioners of Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 186.
31. Burkill, I. H. (1935). Dictionary of Economic Products from Malay Peninsular, Vol. I-II. The Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, 1297.
32. Bhat, G. K. (2003). Flora of Udupi. Indian Naturalist Publisher, Udupi,1-913.
33. Conserva, L. M., & Jesu Costa Ferreira, J. (2012). Borreria and Spermacoce species (Rubiaceae): A review of their ethnomedicinal properties, chemical constituents, and biological activities. Pharmacognosy reviews, 6(11), 46.
34. Patel, A. J., Patel, J. R., Macwan, C. P., Patel, M. A., & Soni, A. K. (2011). Pharmacognostical and proximate analysis of leaves of Borreria hispida. Asian Journal of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 1(2), 157-161.
35. Website: https://elsevier.libguides.com/Scopus
36. Website: https://scholar.google.com/
37. Website:https://clarivate.com/academia-government/scientific-and-academic-research/research-discovery-and-referencing/web-of-science/
38. Website: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
39. Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/
40. Website: https://link.springer.com/
41. Website: https://www.elsevier.com/en-in
42. Website: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
43. Website: https://www.tropicos.org/home
44. Website: https://powo.science.kew.org/
45. Website: https://www.ipni.org/
46. Olayemi, A. (2008). Ethnobotanical and pharmacological evaluation of the medicinal plants used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
47. Gokhale, S. B., et al. (2009). Antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants used by tribal people of Maharashtra. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge.
48. Lukhoba, C. W., et al. (2006). Medicinal plants of the genus Spermacoce. Fitoterapia.
49. Choudhury, M. D., et al. (2010). Hypoglycemic activity of plants: A review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
50. Duke, J. A., & Ayensu, E. S. (1985). Medicinal Plants of the World. Reference Publications.
51. Parhi, P. K., & Prithwiraj Mohapatra, P. M. (2012). Pharmacognostical profile of Spermacoce ocymoides (Burm. F) DC. – A study on a medicinal botanical.
52. Shanmugham, S., Annadurai, M., Rajendran, K. (2011). Journal of Applied pharmaceutical Sciences, 01(08), 94- 97
53. Ebana, R. U. B., Madunaga, B. E., Ekpe, E. D., Otung, I. N., (1991). Journal of Applied Bacteriology, 398-401
54. Warrior, P. K,, Nambiar, V. P. K., Ramankutty, C. (1994). Indian Medicinal Plants. Hyderabad, India: Orient Longman LTD.
55. Parrotta, J. A. (2001). Healing Plants of Peninsular India. Wallingford CAB International Publishing, 614–615.
56. Ankad, G. M., Konakeri, R. T., Hegde, H. V., & Roy, S. (2015). Variation in pharmacognostic characters and polyphenolic contents among four species of medicinal plants from the genus spermacoce (rubiaceae). Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 77(4), 446.
57. Vinayak, M., Chandrashekhar, K., Shishir, M. (2013). Pharmacological activities of Spermacoce hispida Linn: A review. International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research, (4), 8-22.
58. Sharma, S., Malik, J. K., & Chandra, D. (2022). Pharmacognostic Evaluation and Antioxidant Potential of. Spermacoce hispida.
59. Rajkumar, T. (2013). Anti-microbial studies of Spermacoce hispida seed oil. International Journal of Innovative Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 1(1), 62-70.
60. Chellaiah, M., Muniappan, A., Nagappan, R., Savarimuthu, I. (1999). Medical plants used by traditional healers in Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2-43.
61. Kar, A., and Sahu, N. P. (2010). Studies on medicinal plants for antimicrobial activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
62. Okpuzor, J., et al. (2010). Medicinal plants and their ethnopharmacological applications in Nigeria. Pharmacognosy Journal.
63. Duru, M. K., et al. (2012). Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of medicinal plants used in traditional healing in Nigeria. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
64. Lado, P. D., et al. 2014 (). Phytochemical screening and biological activities of Spermacoce species. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
65. Olajide, O. A., et al. (2003). Phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of some plants used in traditional medicine. Phytotherapy Research.
66. Sam, N. D., et al. (2018). Antimicrobial activity of Spermacoce mauritiana against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 12(10), 202-208.
67. Goyal, S. P., et al. (2012). Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Spermacoce mauritiana in animal models. Phytotherapy Research, 26(7), 1051-1056.
68. Das, P., et al. (2019). Ethnobotanical uses of Spermacoce mauritiana in digestive health: A comprehensive review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 245, 112-118.
69. Kumar, P., & Rajendra, P. (2017). Wound healing properties of Spermacoce mauritiana and its potential in traditional medicine. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 13(50), 209-213.
70. Sharma, S., et al. (2015). Antioxidant potential of Spermacoce mauritiana and its phytochemical composition. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 79, 40-45.
71. Singh, M., et al. (2017). Antidiabetic potential of Spermacoce mauritiana in experimental models. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 211, 22-28.
72. Shah, G. L., Gopal, G. V. (1985). Ethnomedical notes from the tribal inhabitants of the North Gujarat (India). Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany, 6, 193-201.
73. Hao, Y. K., Weng, W. F., and Ji, S. G. (2024). Pharmacognostical studies on Spermacoce pusilla Wallich. Pharmacology Discovery, 4(1).
74. Rahman, M. A, Uddin, S. B., Wilcock, C. C. (2007). Medicinal plants used by Chakma tribe in Hill districts of Bangledesh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 6, 508-17.
75. Vadivelan, S., Sinha, B. N., Betanabhatla, K. S., Christina, A. J., Pillai, R. N. (2007). Anti-inflammatory activity of Spermacoce articularis Linn on carrageenan induced paw edema in Wistar male rats. Pharmacologyonline, 3, 478-84
76. Yeast-induced, S. A. L. O. (2018). Antipyretic potential of aqueous leaf extract of Annona muricata. L. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 11(3), 148-151.
77. Dahiya, S. S., and Solanki, P. (2011). Evaluation of in vitro anthelmintic activity of methanolic extracts of different parts of Spermacoce articularis L. f. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3(5), 244-247.
78. Sultana, R., Rahman, M. S., Bhuiyan, M. N., Begum, J., Anwar, M. N. (2008). In vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity of Borreria articularis. Bangladesh Journal of Microbiology, 25, 95-98
79. Proma, R. Z., Kar, T. R., Siddique, M. A. B., Ahsan, M. A., and Saha, K. Proximate and elemental analysis of two medicinal plants: Cassia alata and Spermacoce latifolia.
80. Ahmad S. K., Hassan, Md. M., Imam, M. Abeer, U., Ahmad I. (2013). Chemical group characterization and biological investigation of Spermacoce latifolia. International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Research, 4(3), 194-199.
81. Saha, K., Lajis, N. H., Israf, D. A., Hmazah, A. S., Khozirah, S., Khamis, S., et al. (2004). Evaluation of antioxidant and nitric oxide inhibitory activities of selected Malaysian medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 92(2-3), 263-267.
82. Ghani, A. (1998). Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh, 115.
83. Guha, Bukshi, D.N. (1999). A lexicon of medicinal plants of India. In: P Sensarma, DC Pal. Vol 1. Naya Prakash, Calcutta, 302- 303.
84. Vieira, I. J., Mathias, L., Braz-Filho, R., Schripsema, J. (1999). Iridoids from Borreria verticillata. Organic Letters, 1, 1169-71
85. Moreira, V. F., Oliveira, R. R., Mathias, L., Braz-Filho, R., Vieira, I. J. (2010). New chemical constituents from Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae). Helvetica Chimica Acta, 93, 1751-7
86. Lorenzi, H., Matos, F. J. (2002). Plantas medicinais do Brasil. Sao Paulo: Nova Odessa.
87. Maynart, G., Pousset, J. L., Mboup, S., Denis, F. (1980). Antibacterial activity of borreverine, an alkaloid isolated from Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae). Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de Ses Filiales, 174, 925-8.
88. Benjamin, T. V. (1979). Investigation of Borreria verticillata, an antieczematic plant of Nigeria. Quarterly Journal of Crude Drug Research, 17, 135-136.
89. Nunez, L. M., et al. (2016). Antimicrobial activity of Spermacoce assergens (Rubiaceae). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 185, 1-5.
90. Martinez, A. M., et al. (2014). Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Spermacoce assergens. Pharmacognosy Research, 6(3), 225-230.
91. Barboza, G. E., et al. (2012). Antioxidant properties of Spermacoce assergens extracts. Fitoterapia, 83(3), 586-589.
92. Shoibe, M., Chy, M. N. U., Alam, M., Adnan, M., Islam, M. Z., Nihar, S. W., & Suez, E. (2017). In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Activities of Cissus adnata (Roxb.). Biomedicines, 5(4), 63.
93. Patil, R. H., Patil, M. P., & Maheshwari, V. L. (2023). Traditional Knowledge, Ethnomedicinal Importance and Practical Uses of Apocynaceae Members. In Apocynaceae Plants: Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, Bioactivity and Biotechnological Advances. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 13-21.