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Please cite this article in press as R.B. Saxena., Dorothy of Colchicum Variegatum L., Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2018;
05(02).
corms of colchicum variegatum, a species found in in ripening of the seeds! As this plant blossoms late
the Mediterranean. Dr. Royle found them in the in the year and not probably would not have.
marker in India, where they bear name traceable to
the xoƛxuisov and eɸeHepov of the Gracis. DIFFERENT SPECIES IN COLCHICUM [1]
Three species were included in the genus colchicum :
ANCIENT HISTORY OF NOMENCLATURE (i) Colchicum montanum- A native of Spain, leaves
[9,13] appear in the autumn with flowers. (ii) Colchicum
The plant owes its generic name to colchis, in variegatum: A native of Greek islands, with undulate,
Natolia, which abounded in this and other poisonous widely-spread leaves. (iii) Colchicum autumnale:
vegetables, and hences perhaps gave rise to some of with flat, lanceolate leaves, common to meadow,
the poetical fictious repeating the enchan tree Medea, roots possers’ diuretic and expectorant qualities, view
who was not unfrequently called colchis, from the an oxymel and syrup are directed by the collegers of
place of birth. It was brought from Natolia and Egypt London and Edinburg. An over – doses proves
through Turkey. Linnaeus, on the authority of narcotic and cathartic.
Bauhin, mentions it as of Iris tuberosa addo ` The
plant from which it is obtained is DESCRIPTION OF COLCHICUM
unicreocontournefort and many others consider it VARIEGATUM [12, 14, 18-28]
species of Iris, while some take it for the colchicum Synonym (s):
variegatum. Colchicum tessellatum Salisb [illegitimate]
Colchicum tessulatum Mill
The Latin name colchicum indicates the country of Colchicum chionense Haw ex Kunth
origin: Colchis, a region in Georgia, located in the Colchicum parkinsonii Hook f
vicinity of the Black sea where the plants originate. It Colchicum variegatum subsp. Parkinsonii (Hook.f)
was the place where according to Greek mythology: K. Richt
the sorceress Medea lived and the plant, according to Colchicum variegatums. De colorans Candargy
the legend arose from the drops of the drink prepared Colchicum variegatum var. desii Pamp.
Medea. According to legend, the Golden Fleece also Common name : Naked ladies, Naked boys, False
is hidden there. The Golden Fleece was the fur of the Autumn crocus , Checkered meadow saffron,
golden lamps, symbol of both the innocence and the variegated meadow saffron.
sun, which had hungzeus is Colchis on the tree of
life. Plant life : perennial. Habit: erect. Native : Turkey
and Greece. Growth habit: depending on site. Habitat
GENUS COLCHICUM [7, 14-17] : sub-alpine Pinus woods, richterra rose, maquis and
Plant : perennial. Flowering: September – October. forest openings, on calcareous substrate, scrub,
Bulb (Cormus): solid, resembling that of a tulip, Abieswood land. Found : Asia-Temperate : western
furrowed on one side. Leaves: strap spear-shaped, Asia East Aegean in ----- turkey, Europe : SE Europe
blunt, entire, dark green, smooth, 30 cm or more Greece. Cultivated: many other places. Distribution:
long, 3-5 cm broad. Flowers : several, rising from the Cyclades, Aegean island and south-west Turkey.
root, appearing in succession, pale purple, sometimes Altitude: 150 – 1700 m asl. Corm : 2-4 (-5) x 2 – 3.5
white, Tube : 6-30 cm long, white surrounded at the cm, ovoid to sub-globose, outer tunics dark brown,
base by 2 or 3 membranous sheaths. Limb: cut into inner dark reddish-brown, coriaceous or sub-
6, some-what un-equal , oblong, up-right, concave coriaceous, apex produced into a persistent neck 5 –
segments. Germen: base of the bulb in-closed in one 15 cm. Leaves : 3-4, hysteranthous, patent, linear-
common sheath accompanied by the rudiments of the lanceolate or ligulate, 9-15 cm x (7-) 10 – 20 (-23)
future leaves. Style : as long as stamens, thread- mm, obtuse-acute, glabrous, smooth, margins
shaped, reaching nearly to the base of the tube. cartilaginous, up-dulate, green, deciduous. Flowers:
Stigmas: linear, re-covered, channeled, downy. Fruit : 1-2 (-3), rotate, soft to deep-purple, with intense
oval, formed of three inflated, many-seeded capsules. mosaic, open wide in sunshine, often with gradual
Seeds: round, whitish, polished. twisted. Perianth –tube: exceeding the cataphyll by
2-10 cm, white or yellowish-white. Segments : deep
Characteristics: The flowers appear in September, the reder violet-purple, occasionally paler or white base,
leaves and fruit not till the spring flowering. The strongly tessellated, lanceolate to elliptic or
seeds lie buried all winter within the root, in spring oblanceolate, (2.2 -) 4-6 (-7) x (0.5-) 1-2 (2.5) cm,
they grow up on a fruit-stalk, and are ripe about the frequently slightly twisted near oburn or aculate
time of hay-harvest. May not the very great length apex, glabrous, each segments 10 – 20 veins, without
of the shafts account, in some measure, for the delay auricles at base, filament chenneles glabrous. Stams:
negative loading ( 0.60) in the second factor. (iii) 20 serious intoxication, death occurs by respiratory
% variation was mainly related to the Pb content has arrest or cardiovascular collapse, several days after
a negative loading (-52) in the third factor. intoxication.
The seeds are acrid, bitter, anodye, astringent, anti- generation of polyploidy. 11. Scavenger activity:
inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, aphrodisiac, Methanol extract of colchicum has
carminative alterative, aperient, laxative, blood acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), butyryl cholinesterase
purifier, neuralgia, gout, leukaemia, puritis, liver (BCHE) and 2, 2-diphenys-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)
disorders, enlarge od spleen, sexual debility, sciatica, in habitory and radical scavenging activity. The
lumbago and familial Mediterranean fever. percentage SEM ia -1. The colchicum variegatum
ACHE (35.50 + 2.26) demonstrated mediocre
Flowers contain colchine and democolcine which are activity. Colchicum variegatum BCHE (67.71 + 2.79)
used for the treatment of solid tumors and for certain showed prominent activity. Along with this, extract
forms of leukaemia, especially for chronic was determined for their DPPH (scavenging activity)
myclocytic leukaemia. below than 40 %. 12. Rheumatic complaints: It is
used to treat rheumatic complaints especially gout
Therapeutic uses: The therapeutic uses of colchicum also prescribed for its cathartic and antiemetic effects
variegatum are similar to colchicum luteum and and also in intial treatment for pericarditis. 13. Anti-
colchicum pusillum, because the compositions are phlogistic effect: Colchicum inhibits mitosis through
found similar. 01. Alternative: The colchicum the inhibition of motility, particular of the
variegatum causes a gradual change in the body phagcytosing lymphocytes. This is of the rapeutic
which as usually because of improve nutritive uses for blocking the immigration and the autolysis
absorption as well as the elimation of toxins from the of phagocytes in inflammatory process and there by
body. 02. Aphrodisic: These herb works as an producing and anti-phlogistic effect. 14.
aphrodisc that increases the sexual desires of a Cerminative: It reduces flatulence and help in
person. 03. Rheumatic arthritis: colchicum expelling excessive gas from the intestine. 15
variegatum is a poly-herbal formulation used in unani Laxative: This herb is known to stimulate the bousl
system of medicine for the treatment of rheumatic movement in the body naturelly and solve the
arthritis. 04. Treatment of Dysurea, constipation, problem of constipation. 16. Anodyne: It is known
inflammation and arthritis: According to unani its pain relieving properties. It is also a very
formulation contain (i) dried rhizome of Ginger beneficial pain relieving agent. 17. Derivative related
(Zingiber officinale Linn.) – 3.5 gm. (ii) dried corm of colchicine: Thiocolchicoside (colchcoside) use
of colchicum variegatum – 3.5 gm and (iii) dried muscular pain relaxant. It is not curare and it acts
exudate of Aloe ( Aloe vera Linn)- 7 gm used for through a central effect on the spastic hypertony of
treatment. 05. Rheumatic and other form of swelling: the skeletal muscle.
A paste of colchicum variegatum, saffron and egg
paste is applied for relieving. 06. Wounds: A dried CONTRA INDICATION [38,39,53-54]
and powdered corm of the plant is very useful in 01. The bitter variety is not to be ingested under any
healing the wounds, powder sprinkled on effected circumstance as it may cause death.02. Avoid the use
areas. It promotes circulation. 07 Tuttharja: A term of sweet variety in patients taking colchicine. 03.
applied to a collyrium made of copper sulphate and Caution is also warranted in patients on cyclosporine,
root of colchicum variegatum is used as a cleanser for gemfibrozil, macrolide antibiotics and St. John`s
the eyes. 08. Piles : When a cloth coated with cow wort. 04. Care must be observed old and weaked
Ghrita and paste of corm is appled on the piles mass, patients, as well as with those who suffer from heart,
it necroses and falls down in due time. 09. Extract: kidney or gastro-intestinal conditions. 05. The sweet
The extracted colchine is employed oralley in tablet variety is also contraindicated during pregnancy and
form for acute gout, enlarge prostate, gonorrhea, breast feeding. 06. This plant is also toxic to
dropsy and familial Mediterranean fever. It is also animals, particular when they are fed on dry fodder.
used most of finger wrist and abdomen the most The alkaloids even pass in the milk and can
painful location, in rheumatoid headache and accumulate to rich toxic level. 07. The toxic dose in
rheumatic iritis, swollen joints, with or without humans is about 10 mg, while 40 gm would always
effusion, muscular pain sub-acute and chronic be fatal (leads respiratory and cardiovascular
sciatica. 10. Affect chromosome separation: disruption with few days). 08. At therapeutic dose,
Nordenstan (1998) considered that polyploidy in this colchicine is an extremely effective as anti-
genus might be related to the presence of colchicine, inflammary agent and pain killer, as it prevents the
an alkaloid known to affect chromosome separation migration of macrophages to the inflamed joint,
after the anaphase of mitosis. This effect of cochicine associated with an acute attack of gput (caused by
was discovered by B. Permice in 1889, described precipitation of urate crystals). 09. Long term use of
more fully by Eigstiefal (1945) and revolutionized colchicum variegatum can cause kidney and liver
cytogenetics because it permitted experimental damage. 10. Regular use of colchicines can cause
sebare irritation to intestine. To countrate this, it is (80%) is shown by the crude methaloic extract
available to use the drug with Suchi (Atropa against lipoxygenase, while low to significant activity
Belladonna Linn) and khurasani Ajvani (Hyoscyamus (32 %) was evident against butyrylcholine- sterase
Niger Linn.). 11. When taken in large doses it may and acetylcholinesterase (29-61 %) and noactivity
cause diarrohea, salivation, vomiting, abdominal against urease. 06. Inflammation in rheumatoid
cramps, convulsions and general paralysis, these disorder: In modern medicine, anti- inflammatory
symptoms appears several hours after administration disorder and inflammatory dis-order and produce
even if the dose is large and this probably due to its associated side effects. They have the tendency to
conversion in the oxydicolchins. 12. Colchicine in develop tolerance and gradually the dosage is
large doses low body temperature potentiates the increased to marked levels. In this study the drug
action of central depressant drug, increase the effect colchicum variegatum was selected due to the anti-
of the chemoreceptor trigger some as vaso motor inflammation, anti- rheumatic and analgestic
centre causing contraction of blood vessels and rise activities claimed by unani physicion and
blood pressure. 13. Muscular weakness and philosophers. The above observation shows the drug
ascending paralysis may occur in toxic doses and seems to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic
death may take place due to failure of respiratory effects of the drug in rheumatoid arthritis, as it
centre. reduces or minimizes the symptoms/sign of the
aliments. The study also revealed that the drug has no
RESEARCH STUDIES [38,55-64] effect on blood pressure, pulse, respiration and
01 Colchicine extracts also being useful in the weight of patients. During study, gastric upset ( 2 %)
treatment of SLE. Which is an auto immune disorder leading to loose motions were observed as side effect
affects many organs but more particular the brain, of the drug. The results are highly significant at P<
skin, kidney and joints. 02. Cancer treatment: 0.001 and P < 0.012, respectively. 07. Phyto-toxic
colchicum variegatum, contains Tropolone groups of assay: The medium was prepared by mixing various
alkaloids colchicines, colchicine shows anti-mitotic inorganic constituents in distilled water ( 100 ml) and
activity and used in cancer for the dispersal of tumors pH was adjusted ( 5.5 – 6.5 ) by adding KOH
and for treatments of various neoplastic diseases. solution. The medium was taken auto-claved at
Cancer cells usually divide much faster than normal 1210C for 15 min. The samples (30.0gm) dissolved in
cells. Therefore compounds that stop cell division i.e. ethanol ( 15 ml) served as stock solution. Sterilized 9
alkaloids such as colchicine, demecolcine are also flasks, three for each concentration, were inaulated
being helpful in cancer treatment. 03. Anti-oxidant with 1000, 100 and 10 µl for stock solution to give
activity: The ethanolic extract from corms of the final concentration of 1000, 100 and 10 µg/ml,
colchicum variegatum was investigated phyto- respectively. The solvent was allowed to evaporate
chemistry and found colchicum offered promising over night under sterile condition. The each flask, 20
anti-oxidant activity. The highest activity was ml of medium at a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 was added. The
displayed by chloroform fraction about 91 %, while 10 plants of L. dequinoctialis Welv, each containing
overall range was found 56 – 91 %. 04. Anti-fungal a rosette of three fronds was added to each flasks.
and anti-bacterial activity: The methaloic extract of One other flask was supplemented with solvent, and
corms of colchicum variegatum and sub-sequent reference plant growth inbitor (paraquat) that served
fraction in different systems were screeried for anti- as negative control. All flasks were plugged with
bacterial and anti-fungal activities. The crude extract cotton and kept in the growth cabinet for 7 days. The
and all the feaction demonstrated moderate to number of fronds per flask were counted and
excellent anti-fungal activity against tasted pathogens recorded on day seven. Seven % growth inhabitation
in anti-fungal bio-assay. Excellent anti-fungal = 100 – No found in test/No of found in control x
activity was shown against trichophyton longifusus, 100. 08. Insecticides activity: The crude extract and
up to 75 % and microsporum canis, up to 85 % while various fraction of colchicum variegatum were
the crude extract and sub-sequent fractions shows screened against various insects like R. Dominica 25
mild to moderate activities in an anti- bacterial bio- % and analis 15 %. The chloroform fraction show
assay with maximum anti-bacterial activity 58 % low activity against R. Dominica 25 % and analis 35
against bacillus subtilis. 05. Enzyme in-hibition %. In case of n-butanol fraction, showed 33 % R.
activity : The crude methanolic extract and various dominice and against analis 44 %. The rest of
fraction of colchicum variegatum including fraction were displayed no activity against there.
chloroform, ethyl-acetate, n- butanol and aqueous
were carried out against acetyl-choline sterase ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
butylacholines terase, lipoxygenase and urease The author thankful to his deep gratitude to Guru of
enzymes, a significant enzyme in-habitation activity crocus Dr. B. Methew, 90. Foly Road, Clay gate KT
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