A Brief Review of the Noxious Weed: Parthenium hysterophorus Linn.

Abstract

Every day we consume leafy vegetables in our meals, many of them are domesticated and few are wild ones. The weeds which are wild are nonedible and give an adverse effect on our health. Parthenium hysterophorus—a very common weed in India—is considered noxious and produce allergic respiratory problems, contact dermatitis, mutagenicity in human and livestock. Many of times it was mistakenly collected with the domesticated vegetables. It contains phenolic compounds namely caffeic, p-coumaric, gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic, anisic, vanillic and ferulic found in its all the parts which inhibit the germination and growth of grasses, legumes, cereals and vegetables. It is also rich in Sesquiterpene lactones (SQLs)—Parthenin, coronopilin, hymenin—which is toxic in nature to cattle and man. Parthenin is the major allergen and it has an alpha methylene group exocyclic to gamma lactone, which is probably essential for the induction of allergy. This plant is also reported in inhibiting DNA, RNA and protein synthesis. This short review may be useful to the researchers, scientists and toxicologists towards the fastest growing noxious weed and its impact on human health.

Keywords: Parthenium hysterophorus Linn., parthenin, sesquiterpene lactones (SQLs), noxious weed, plant dermatitis

Cite this Article

Ahmad MN, Shekh MR, Saiyad MA. A Brief review of the noxious weed: Parthenium hysterophorus Linn. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Health Professions. 2018; 8(2): 1–7p.