Clerodendrum indicum (L.) Kuntze
1. Identity and Botanical Description
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Clerodendrum indicum (L.) Kuntze is the currently accepted botanical name for this species. It has also been known historically under the synonyms Siphonanthus indica Linn. and Clerodendrum siphonanthus R. Br., names that appear in older pharmacognostic and Ayurvedic literature. The genus Clerodendrum (Verbenaceae, more recently placed in the Lamiaceae) is a diverse genus with about 560 to 580 species of small trees, shrubs, or occasionally perennial herbs, mostly in the tropics and subtropics of the old world. The genus was formerly placed in the family Verbenaceae but is now considered to belong to the Lamiaceae (mint) family, being classified in the subfamily Ajugoideae — one of several genera transferred from Verbenaceae to Lamiaceae in the 1990s, based on phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular data.
This genus was first described by Linnaeus in 1753 based on the species Clerodendrum infortunatum from India; Adanson later changed the Latinized form "Clerodendrum" to its Greek form "Clerodendron" in 1763, before Moldenke readopted the Latinized word "Clerodendrum" in 1942, which is now commonly used by taxonomists. The name Clerodendrum is derived from two Greek words: kleros (destiny or chance) and dendron (tree), reflecting the ancient belief that some plants of this group were healing and others poisonous.
Common Names
Clerodendrum indicum bears numerous vernacular names across the regions where it is used. In Bangladesh, its English name is "Skyrocket" and its Bengali name is "Bamunhati," and it belongs to the family Verbenaceae (sensu lato). In the Indian subcontinent, it is often referred to as Bharangi or Tubeflower — though this identification is taxonomically contested. Clerodendrum indicum is considered as Bharangi by Prof. P.V. Sharma, while most scholars identify Clerodendrum serratum as Bharangi. Additional names include: Telugu — Guntubharangi; Bengali — Bamunhati; Tamil — Kavali, Parangipattai; Marathi and Gujarati — Bharangi; Kannada — Gontu barangi; Malayalam — Kankabharani.
Botanical Description and Morphology
Clerodendrum indicum is a semideciduous, perennial plant with stems that are sometimes herbaceous but more often become woody, with the plant adopting the habit of a shrub or a small tree. Growing from an aggressively suckering, stoloniferous rootstock, the plant can be up to 3 metres tall, with stems usually very straight or arching, mostly unbranched and hollow. The stem and branches are fluted, hollow, subglabrous, virgate, and obtusely quadrangular, with annulate nodes. Leaves are arranged in whorls of 3–6, narrowly lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, with an acute or cuneate base, entire or minutely serrate margins, a shallowly acuminate apex, and are chartaceous, glabrous, dark green above, and slightly paler beneath.
Geographic Distribution
Clerodendrum indicum (family: Verbenaceae; vernacular names: Bamunhatti, Nuli gach) is an annual shrub found in areas with moderate temperature. The species occurs variably in India, Nepal, Myanmar, Malaya, Indo-China, Indonesia, Java, and Bangladesh. The plant is widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and southern China.
Plant Parts Used and Common Preparations
Leaves (aerial parts) and roots of Clerodendrum indicum are used for various medicinal purposes. Preparations documented in the ethnobotanical record include aqueous decoctions and infusions of roots, leaf juices mixed with adjuvants such as ginger, honey, ghee, or jaggery, leaf pastes applied topically, and stem bark decoctions. In contemporary research settings, the plant has been studied as crude ethanolic, methanolic, aqueous, and dichloromethane extracts derived from dried and powdered roots, leaves, or aerial parts.
2. Traditional and Historical Uses
Ayurvedic Medicine (India)
Clerodendrum indicum (L.) Kuntze, commonly known as Bharangi, has roots and leaves that are used in skin and digestive disorders by folk people. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is also used as a cough and pitta suppressant. Various Clerodendrum species including C. indicum have been historically used as folk and traditional medicine to treat many kinds of diseases, such as cold, hyperpyrexia, asthma, furunculosis, hypertension, rheumatism, dysentery, mammitis, toothache, anorexia, leucoderma, leprosy, arthrophlogosis, and other inflammatory diseases in India, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Africa.
The pounded root, or the juice thereof, combined with ginger, is considered useful in the treatment of asthma, coughs, and other pulmonary complaints as well as scrofulous affections. The juice of the leaves mixed with ghee and jaggery is said to be useful in the treatment of cough, bronchitis, asthma, and other respiratory related problems. The leaf paste is used in the treatment of diabetes. The paste from the leaves is regarded as a highly effective healing and anti-inflammatory agent when applied to wounds, and can also treat swollen lymph nodes.
Northeast India and Tribal Medicine
The plant is extensively used by the indigenous people of Northeast India as a remedy for treatment of various diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, stomachache, jaundice, cough, rheumatism, dysentery, and various skin diseases. The leaves of some Clerodendrum species form an important source of diet in the northeastern part of India. Various plant parts such as leaf and root extracts of C. indicum have been used for the treatment of rheumatism, asthma, inflammatory diseases, coughs, skin diseases, vermifuge, febrifuge, and malaria.
Southeast Asia — Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malayan Traditions
The roots of Clerodendrum indicum are found in traditional medicine practices in Thailand. The plant's roots form part of the traditional Thai "Ha-Rak" recipe, a mixture of the roots of five plants — including Capparis micracantha, Clerodendrum indicum, Ficus racemosa, Harrisonia perforata, and Tiliacora triandra — used in Thailand as an herbal medicine for the treatment of fever. In Bangladesh, the plant is deeply embedded in folk healing; plants of this species are used in traditional medical practice for the treatment of various diseases.
Respiratory and Antiparasitic Uses Across Traditions
Across multiple ethnobotanical traditions, the respiratory system has been a primary target of C. indicum use. Clerodendrum is a plant employed as a traditional remedy against bronchitis, asthma, liver and stomach disorders. The plant's leaves have also been reported to function as a vermifuge (antiparasitic), while the gum of the plant has historically been associated with antirheumatic properties.
3. Key Phytochemical Constituents
Overview of Chemical Classes
More than eleven species of the Clerodendrum genus have been well studied for their chemical constituents and biological activities, and 283 compounds — including monoterpene and its derivatives, sesquiterpene, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoid and flavonoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, steroids and steroid glycosides, cyclohexylethanoids, anthraquinones, cyanogenic glycosides, and others — have been isolated and identified. For C. indicum specifically, the following compound classes have been characterized:
Flavonoids
Flavonoids and their derivatives are among the best-characterized constituents of C. indicum. Scutellarin and hispidulin-7-O-glucuronide were isolated from the leaves of Clerodendrum indicum and Clerodendrum infortunatum (Phytochemistry, 1973). Chromatographic separation of C. indicum root extract additionally identified two flavonoids, pectolinarigenin and hispidulin. Flavonoids, important secondary metabolites widespread throughout the plant kingdom, and their derivatives are the main bioactive components of this genus.
Triterpenoids
Chromatographic separation of C. indicum root extract identified four triterpenoids: 3β-hydroxy-D:B-friedo-olean-5-ene, oleanolic acid 3-acetate, taraxerol, and lupeol. A total of thirty-one triterpenoids have been purified and characterized from the whole plants, roots, leaves, or aerial parts of Clerodendrum species, including lupeol, α-amyrin, betulinic acid, glutinol, friedelin, taraxerol, β-amyrin acetate, and magnificol.
Steroids and Steroid Glycosides
Six steroids were identified in C. indicum root extract: (22E)-stigmasta-4,22,25-trien-3-one, stigmasta-4,25-dien-3-one, stigmasta-4,22-dien-3-one, 22-dehydroclerosterol, clerosterol, and stigmasterol, along with a mixture of three steroid glycosides — 22-dehydroclerosterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, clerosterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, and stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside.
Unique Diterpenoids — The Cleroindicins
Six new compounds, cleroindicins A–F (compounds 1–6), were isolated from the aerial parts of Clerodendrum indicum and identified by spectral and chemical evidence. Cleroindicin A proved to be a novel spirocompound. These were reported in the Journal of Natural Products in 1997. Additional new cleroindicins were also reported from Clerodendrum indicum in the Journal of Natural Products, volume 60(8), 1997.
The diterpenoids isolated from Clerodendrum demonstrate a range of cytotoxic, anti-proliferative, antibacterial, anti-parasitic, and anti-inflammatory activities. The diterpenoids are classified into abietane, caurane, caurene, clerodane, and labdane types according to their main skeleton.
Additional Compounds
Phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic leaf extract of C. indicum showed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, saponins, tannins, reducing sugars, and gum. The plant also possesses pharmacologically active components including Colebrin A, Colebrin B, Colebrin D, Colebrin E, and β-sitosterol. A novel hydroquinone diterpenoid named clerodendrone has also been identified from Clerodendrum indicum.
4. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
4.1 Antinociceptive (Pain-Relieving) Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical (animal models) only — no human clinical trials.
The crude ethanolic extracts of Clerodendrum indicum Linn. leaves were investigated for possible antinociceptive activity using an acetic acid-induced writhing model in mice. The study results showed 38.91% and 55.24% inhibition of writhings in the tested mice when the ethanolic extract was administered intraperitoneally at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, respectively. These results were compared with the standard drug diclofenac sodium, which produced 68.37% inhibition at 25 mg/kg body weight. The crude ethanolic extract showed significant antinociceptive activity in a dose-dependent fashion. The results suggest that crude ethanolic extracts of Clerodendrum indicum leaves possess significant antinociceptive properties justifying its folkloric use as analgesics, and further research is necessary to isolate the principle phytochemical constituent(s) responsible for this activity.
These findings are preliminary and limited to animal models. No human clinical trials have assessed the analgesic properties of C. indicum.
4.2 Antidiarrheal Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical (animal models) only.
A study evaluating antinociceptive, antidiarrheal, and antimicrobial activities of leaf extracts of Clerodendrum indicum was published in the Pharmacognosy Journal, 2012. The findings, cited in multiple secondary reviews, demonstrate antidiarrheal activity in rodent models from this plant's leaf extracts, consistent with its traditional use for gastrointestinal complaints. No controlled human trials exist in this area.
4.3 Antimicrobial Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical in vitro only.
The leaves of C. indicum contain various bioactive compounds that may exhibit antimicrobial, antioxidant, and thrombolytic activities. Studies have aimed to identify major phytochemicals in C. indicum leaves and evaluate their antimicrobial effects, using ethanolic leaf extract assessed via the disc diffusion method against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. All documented antimicrobial evidence for this species is currently in vitro in nature; no human clinical data are available.
4.4 Antioxidant Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical — in vitro and limited animal data.
Antioxidant activity of C. indicum leaf extract has been evaluated using the DPPH assay. Additional studies have investigated the antioxidant and neurobehavioral activities of the ethanolic leaf extract of Clerodendrum indicum; antioxidant potential of the extract was investigated by multiple in vitro assays at different concentrations. The methanolic extract of the plant has been shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation in bovine brain.
Three species of genus Clerodendrum — namely Clerodendrum indicum, C. colebrookianum, and C. inerme — were investigated for their possible activity against oxidative stress-induced liver injury. Apart from generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the WRL-68 cell line (human hepatic cell line), in vitro and in vivo antioxidant assays were also assessed. This study included C. indicum as one of three species examined; species-specific results from human cells should be distinguished from whole-plant in vivo antioxidant data.
4.5 Anticancer / Cytotoxic Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical — in vitro cell line studies only. No human clinical evidence exists.
This is the most extensively studied pharmacological domain for C. indicum in contemporary literature. The key study isolated and characterized chemical constituents from the roots of C. indicum and assessed their cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines (SW620 colorectal, ChaGo-K-1 lung, HepG2 liver, KATO-III gastric, and BT-474 breast) using the MTT assay.
- Two triterpenoids — oleanolic acid 3-acetate and betulinic acid — displayed moderate to strong cytotoxicity toward all cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 1.66–20.49 µmol/L, whereas 3β-hydroxy-D:B-friedo-olean-5-ene and taraxerol were cytotoxic only to the SW620 cell line (IC50 = 23.39 and 2.09 µmol/L, respectively).
- The triterpenoid lupeol showed potent cytotoxicity on both SW620 (IC50 = 1.99 µmol/L) and KATO-III cell lines (IC50 = 1.95 µmol/L), while the flavonoid pectolinarigenin displayed moderate cytotoxicity against these cells (IC50 = 13.05 and 24.31 µmol/L, respectively).
- Stigmasterol was effective against the SW620 cell line (IC50 = 2.79 µmol/L), and β-sitosterol was also active against SW620 (IC50 = 11.26 µmol/L), BT-474 (IC50 = 14.11 µmol/L), and HepG2 cancer cells (IC50 = 20.47 µmol/L); however, none of the characteristic 24β-ethylsteroids of either Clerodendrum species were shown to be cytotoxic.
A separate network pharmacology and virtual docking study examined the potential of compounds from C. indicum against cancer targets. Clerodendrum indicum and Clerodendrum serratum are reported to have anticancer activity; a study was carried out to identify selective anticancer agents from these plant species using a docking-weighted network pharmacological approach to understand multi-therapeutics potentiality against various types of cancer. Five compounds — apigenin 7-glucoside, hispidulin, scutellarein-7-O-beta-d-glucuronate, acteoside, and verbascoside — were predicted to be potential binding therapeutics for cancer target proteins. These are computational predictions, not clinical outcomes.
A separate study evaluated cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of leaf and bark extracts of C. indicum. Cytotoxic potential was explored using the brine shrimp mortality assay and antioxidant potential was explored using DPPH assays. Of four extracts, the methanol extract of C. indicum leaf showed significant cytotoxic activity of 90% at the dose of 200 µg/ml.
All cytotoxic findings are from in vitro or computational studies. No clinical trials or animal tumor-model data specific to C. indicum extracts as anticancer interventions have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature.
4.6 Neurobehavioral and Central Nervous System Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical (in vitro and animal) only.
An investigation of in vitro antioxidant and in vivo neurobehavioral activities of Clerodendrum indicum leaf extract was published in Bioresearch Communications (2019). In vivo neurobehavioral activities were assessed in mice models at two test doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. No human trials addressing central nervous system effects of C. indicum have been identified.
4.7 Anti-inflammatory Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical in vitro and animal data; no human clinical trials.
Pharmacological studies showed that rheumatism, asthma, and other inflammatory diseases can be treated with the root and leaf extracts of C. indicum, and the juice of the leaf has wider application in hepatic eruption and pemphigus. These claims are extrapolations from animal and in vitro models. This body of research provides scientific evidence for some traditional therapeutic claims, including antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anthelmintic activities. Evidence quality across all these areas remains limited to preclinical work.
4.8 Hepatoprotective Activity
Evidence level: Preclinical — in vitro and limited rodent data.
Clerodendrum has been frequently employed as a traditional remedy against bronchitis, asthma, liver, and stomach disorders. Three species including Clerodendrum indicum were investigated for their possible activity against oxidative stress-induced liver injury. Apart from generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the WRL-68 human hepatic cell line, in vitro and in vivo antioxidant assays were also assessed, and features of immune cell proliferation (MTT) were analyzed. These results are preliminary and species-specific conclusions for C. indicum in human liver disease cannot be drawn.
5. Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Clerodendrum indicum
- Respiratory system: Historically the primary indication across South and Southeast Asian traditions — cough, asthma, bronchitis, and scrofulous (lymph node) complaints. Supported by ethnobotanical records and preclinical anti-inflammatory data.
- Musculoskeletal system: Traditional use for rheumatism and inflammatory joint conditions, corroborated by preclinical anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive findings.
- Gastrointestinal system: Used for diarrhea, dysentery, stomachache, and as a vermifuge (antiparasitic) in multiple traditions. Preclinical antidiarrheal studies exist.
- Dermatology / wound care: Topical leaf paste used for wounds, swollen lymph nodes, hepatic eruption, and pemphigus in folk traditions. The juice of the leaf has wider application in hepatic eruption and pemphigus.
- Metabolic and endocrine: Traditional use for diabetes (the leaf paste is used in the treatment of diabetes), and blood pressure management. Preclinical data exist for antidiabetic and antihypertensive properties within the genus.
- Oncology (exploratory): Cytotoxicity of isolated root constituents against several human cancer cell lines has been demonstrated in vitro; no clinical relevance established.
- Nervous system (exploratory): Neurobehavioral effects studied in mice models; evidence is very preliminary.
6. Dosage Forms and Dosages Reported in Studies
No standardized human dosages have been established for Clerodendrum indicum. The following dosages appear exclusively in preclinical (animal model) studies and are presented as reported in the source literature:
- Antinociceptive study (mice): Ethanolic leaf extract was administered intraperitoneally at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight, producing 38.91% and 55.24% inhibition of writhings, respectively.
- Neurobehavioral study (mice): In vivo neurobehavioral activities were assessed at two test doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight.
- Cytotoxicity study (brine shrimp / in vitro): Methanol extract of C. indicum leaf showed significant cytotoxic activity of 90% at the dose of 200 µg/ml.
Traditional preparations documented across ethnobotanical records include root decoctions and leaf juices, but specific dose quantities are not standardized and vary widely between communities and individual practitioners.
7. Safety Considerations
Formal human toxicology studies specifically on Clerodendrum indicum are absent from the peer-reviewed literature. No clinical adverse event data, no human dose-ranging studies, no pharmacokinetic studies in humans, and no systematic toxicology reviews specific to this species have been identified.
Various pharmacological activities of the plant have been reported, such as antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anthelmintic activities, providing scientific evidence for some traditional therapeutic claims — but the correlating safety profile under therapeutic use has not been characterized in controlled studies.
The following specific observations are documented in the source literature:
- Taxonomic confusion risk: Clerodendrum indicum is considered as Bharangi by some authorities, while most scholars identify Clerodendrum serratum as Bharangi. This botanical ambiguity means that preparations labeled "Bharangi" in Ayurvedic commerce may contain either or both species, complicating safety assessment and clinical interpretation.
- Lack of human clinical toxicity data: All dosing data originate from animal experiments. Extrapolation of rodent intraperitoneal doses to human oral dosing carries significant uncertainty.
- Potential for pharmacological interactions: Given preclinical evidence of antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antinociceptive, and hepatoprotective properties, theoretical interactions with antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, analgesic, and hepatically metabolized pharmaceuticals are conceivable, but have not been studied in humans.
- Pesticidal properties: Plants belonging to the genus Clerodendrum are well known for their pesticidal properties, which reflects the presence of bioactive secondary metabolites and warrants caution regarding dose and preparation method.
8. Summary of Evidence Strength
The body of research on Clerodendrum indicum is almost entirely preclinical. Pharmacological studies indicate that the crude extracts and some special monomer compounds of the genus Clerodendrum exert various biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-hypertensive, anti-obesity, anti-diarrheal, hepatoprotective, memory enhancing, and neuroprotective activities — but these findings are derived almost exclusively from cell-line and animal-model experiments. It is imperative to validate the folkloric claim of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine so that the beneficial ones can be deployed as phytomedicines and the bioactive constituents from such beneficial plants could be isolated and used as leads in drug discovery.
At present, no randomized controlled trials, no systematic reviews of clinical evidence, and no regulatory approval (by agencies such as the FDA, EMA, WHO, or comparable national bodies) exist for any therapeutic indication of Clerodendrum indicum as a dietary supplement or phytomedicine. Its status remains that of a traditional herb with a partially characterized phytochemical profile and promising but unvalidated preliminary pharmacological data.
References
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