Millettia pachycarpa benth: A herbal medicinal plant of southeast Asia

Abstract

Plants and plant products are constituent parts of the inventory of drugs since time immemorial. Millettia pachycarpa (Family: Fabaceae) is widely seen in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, and Japan. The plant is used as anticancer, agricultural pesticide, blood tonics, anti-infertility, anthelmintic, piscicide, and kidney disorder and also to manage fish nursery. Anthelmintic and piscicidal properties of root peel, insecticidal potential of the seed, and antifeedant properties of the leaf of the plant have been established. Phytochemicals recovered from M. pachycarpa reveal to be millepachine daidzein; genistein; wighteone alpinumisoflavone pomiferin; warangalone auriculasin; 6, 8-diprenylorobol; furowanin A; isoerysenegalensein E; erysenegalensein E; 17β-estradiol; 4-hydroxytamoxifen; 4-hydroxylonchocarpin; barbigerone 13-homo-13-Oxa-6a, 12a-dehydrodeguelin; tephrosin; deguelin; 4', 5'-dimethoxy-6, 6-dimethylpyranoisoflavone 6a, 12a-dehydrodeguelin; phenylated isoflavone dihydroflavonol; lupinifolol; cis-12a-hydroxyrotenone rot-2'-enonic acid; cis-12'-enonic acid; 5, 7, 4'-tetrahydroxy-6, 8-diphrnyl isoflavones; 5, 7, 3', 4'-tetrahydroxyl-6, 8-diphenylisoflavone phenylated chalcone 6"-dimethyl-ranoisoflavone millewanin G; millewanin H; furowanin B; 4-methoxylonchocarpin; isobavachromene and dorspoinsettifolin. Anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, antiestrogenic, as well as estrogenic activities of some of these isolated compounds of the plant have already been established. This article reviews the pharmacological properties of crude extract and 12 major phytochemicals recovered from M. pachycarpa.