Plants have been used as one of the important source for treating various diseases of human beings since ancient times. Numbers of plants are mentioned in different traditional system of medicine, among them Spathodea campanulata P. Beauvais is one of the important medicinal plant. Different parts of Spathodea campanulata such as flowers, leaves, stem, bark and roots have been reported for possessing anti-inflammatory, analgesic, cytotoxic, anti-diabetic and anticonvulsant activity. Phytochemical screening shows the presence of various secondary metabolites like alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides and sterols. Relevant information and literature on Spathodea campanulata from electronic databases such as Academic Journals, Google, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed and Web of Science were collected and analyzed. Available literatures evidently show that Spathodea campanulata possess a wide range of pharmacological activities that could be explained by the presence of variety of phytochemicals. The aim of the present review to provide detailed information regarding geographical distribution, phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of this plant.

Background Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv. known as the African tulip tree has potential medicinal properties that have been shown traditionally for the treatment of various ailments. The aim of the present study was isolation, identification, and evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of phytochemicals from the chloroform extract of S. campanulata. Result Three compounds were isolated by using column chromatography and preparative TLC from chloroform extract of leaves of S. campanulata. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods, including, FTIR, ESI-TOF MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. In vitro cytotoxic activity of compounds was evaluated by using SRB assay against human leukemia cancer cell lines (HL-60). Results were expressed in IC50 values. Stigmasta-5,22-dien-3-ol, octadecenamide, and umbelliferone were isolated and identified from chloroform extract. The isolated compounds showed cytotoxicity with decreasing cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, but it was found low as compared to positive control, i.e., Adriamycin against HL-60 cell lines. Conclusion The results indicate that isolated compounds, i.e., stigmasta-5,22-dien-3-ol (44.12μg/ml), octadecenamide (35.65μg/ml), and umbelliferone (80.60μg/ml) showed antiproliferative activity, but it was low compared to positive control Adriamycin (10.09 μg/ml). Also, according to our knowledge, this study is the first report on the isolation and identification of octadecenamide and umbelliferone from the leaves of S. campanulata. Graphical abstract

The aim of the present work was the phytochemical investigation and in vitro evaluation of different extracts of Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv. leaves for anticancer activity. Method: Chloroform, Ethyl acetate, Methanol and Aqueous extracts of Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv. were tested for their anticancer activity on three cancer cell lines i.e. MCF-7 (Breast), HL-60 (Leukemia), and HT-29 (Colon) at various concentrations using Sulphorhodamine B assay. Results: Phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts proves the presence of flavonoid, alkaloids, saponins, tannins and triterpenes. Chloroform, Ethyl acetate and Methanolic extracts showed dose dependent anticancer effect on leukemia (HL-60) cancer cells but these extracts were inactive against breast (MCF-7) and colon (HT-29) cancer cell lines. The activities of these different extracts were compared with the standard drug Adriamycin. Aqueous extract was inactive against all three cell lines. Conclusion: The results of in vitro anticancer activity showed that plant can be used in the treatment of leukemia. Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv.

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