Cock’s comb plant: Introduction, Classification, History, Description, Cultivation, Phytochemical Constituents, Traditional Uses, and Pharmacological Action
Introduction
A member of the genus Celosia, Celosia cristata [Celosia in Greek means burning] is also known as cockscomb because the blossom resembles the head of a rooster (cock). China refers to it as Chi Kuan. It is a member of the family Amaranthaceae, class Magnoliopsida, and order Caryophyllales. Many members of this family of plants are valued as ornamental plants because of their eye-catching inflorescences. Numerous medical features of the plant with promising activity are also known, in addition to its growing landscape. The plant with a strong medicinal effect is mentioned in Chinese herbal treatments as well as Indian Ayurveda. Commonly known as cockscomb, this plant is used to treat a variety of conditions, including hematemesis, abnormal uterine bleeding, hematochezia, hemorrhoidal bleeding, leukorrhea, chronic dysentery with persistent diarrhoea, redness of the eye and dizziness caused by excessive heat or fire in the liver, nebula with blurred vision, and more. The decoction of the entire herb is the best approach to using the plant for therapy according to conventional practice. Some people compare the Cockscomb blossoms’ dense, velvety texture to brain matter. The plume kinds are planted more frequently because of their fluffier, lighter, airier texture that blows freely in a breeze.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Celosia
Species: c. cristata
Scientific Name: Celosia cristata
Common Name(s): Cock’s comb, woolflowers, Red Cockscomb, Foxtail Amaranth, Crested Celosia and Fire-flame Bush.
History
Although theories about the origins of Celosia in the wild include dry slopes of Africa and India as well as dry stony regions of both North and South America, the precise geographical origins of Celosia are unknown. They have been cultivated in North America since the 18th century, wherever their origins may have been. There are no references to its use in any western herbals, whether they are contemporary or centuries old, European or Native American, although it is supposedly used by Chinese herbalists to halt bleeding, treat blood disorders, and treat infections of the urinary system. The term Celosia, which means “fire,” is derived from Greek. It perfectly captures the appearance of Celosias, particularly the yellow, red, and orange plumed types, which resemble licks of flames shooting from the stems. The crested Celosia was given the common name “cockscomb” because, before reproducing, its tiny, wavy, fan-shaped blossoms closely resembled the red combs of roosters. Celosias had special meanings in the Victorian flower language, including warmth, humour, and foolishness. It just goes to illustrate how little humour they must have experienced. However, the Victorians were on the right road in a way. Even today, if you observe people, especially kids, passing by a Celosia planting, you probably see a smile. Their peculiar blossoms scream out for attention. The blooms are very gentle when you touch them. The sides of the spikes with cockscomb or cristata types feel velvety. Celosia plumosa are tens of smaller, feathery-looking spikes that are arranged like a Christmas tree. These very unbreakable plumes resemble feathers. Even during powerful storms, they maintain their shape and texture. Celosia plumosa appears the same from a distance in the rain as they do when they are gleaming in the sun.
Description
It is a non-woody plant that gets between 5 and 2 feet tall. It is frequently grown in Africa, South America, India, and a few Asian countries. The leaves are saggitate or arrow-shaped, alternating, and simple. The leaf displays pinnate venation and the whole edge. These have a length of 2-4 inches and are either red or greenish-purple colour. Red is the colour of flowers.
Cultivation
The plant demands acidic, sandy, and loamy soil and may grow in both full sun and moderate shade. It favours rich, organically rich soil that is fruitful and wet. Celosia is 10 to 12 inches apart and reaches a height of one to 1.5 feet. If the plant is grown directly in the garden, the heads could be bigger. It takes a week for it to germinate indoors.
Phytochemical Constituents
The primary component of Celosia cristata is flavonoids. Cristatein (5-hydroxy-6-hydroxymethyl-7,2′- dimethoxyisoflavone) and Cochliophilin A (5-hydroxy-6,7- methylenedioxyflavone) are both present in it. When a plant is in the flowering stage, its leaves contain two glycoproteins, CCP-25 and CCP-27. From the inflorescence of Celosia cristata, pure Celosianins, or betacyanins of the amaranthine class, such as Celosianin I, Celosian II, and their C-15 epimers, are extracted. Four-hydroxyphenylethanol, kaempferol, quercetin, -sitosteol, 2-hydroxyoctadecenoic acid, stigmasterol, and saponins including cristatin, celosin A, celosin B, celosin C, and celosin D are all present in plant seeds. Begam et al. extracted CCP-27, an antiviral protein, from Celosia cristata leaves. For the goal of isolation, he applied the ammonium sulphate fractionation method. Gel filtration chromatography was used to further purify the protein.
Traditional Uses
1. It is used to treat osteoporosis, leucorrhea, atherosclerosis, and weariness.
2. According to Dian Nan’s Herbal, its seeds have been utilised for reducing “liver-heat,” enhancing vision, clearing wind-heat, and acting as an anti-inflammatory.
3. The flowers are used as an astringent to treat diarrhoea, bloody stools, and haemorrhoids bleeding, while seed decoction is used to cure dysentery.
4. In Chinese medicine, the leaves are used to treat worms, inflammation, menstrual bleeding, and dysentery.
Pharmacological Action
The plant has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including dysentery, coughs, spitting up blood, excessive menstruation, amenorrhea, intestinal bleeding, lung bleeding, female disorders, haemorrhoids, urinary tract infections, blood diseases, mouth sores, retinal haemorrhage, conjuntivitis, eye diseases, eye and liver problems, and to lower blood pressure (C. cristata).
The seeds have been used to treat eye inflammation, headaches, painful urination, intestinal worms, blurred vision, coughing up blood, bleeding, and diarrhoea (C. argentea).
Leaf stalks have been applied directly to boils, ulcers, and other inflammatory conditions. C. argentea flowers have been used to treat dysentery, abnormal uterine bleeding, and blood spitting up. For amenorrhea, dysentery, spitting up blood, haemorrhoids, leukorrhea, and abnormal uterine bleeding, flower tips have been utilised. C. argentea seeds have been applied to shattered bones as a poultice. In Asian traditions, leaves and petals have been employed as aphrodisiacs and as remedies for dysmenorrhea and diarrhoea.
Hepatoprotective activity: The hepatoprotective potential of cristatain, a compound isolated from the ethanolic extract of Celosia cristata seeds, was examined. Chemical agents like CCL4 and DMF were used to cause hepatotoxicity. The hepatoprotective action of Cristatain was demonstrated by its dose-dependent inhibition of CCl4 and DMF-induced rise of serum transaminase activities, and it was further supported by histological hepatic lesions.
Anti-ageing and antioxidant properties: DPPH assay was used to assess the in-vitro activity of Celosia cristata ethanol extract. The ethanol extract of Celosia cristata has been found to suppress the formation of intracellular superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide caused by silica. Additionally, it had antiaging effects as measured by elastase and hyaluronidase activity suppression.
Antiviral protein and antioxidant activity: The antiviral and antioxidant activities of proteins CCP-25 and CCp-27 extracted from Celosia cristata leaves were compared. The increased activity of redox enzymes like peroxidase, catalase, and polyphenyl oxidase was one way that antiviral proteins demonstrated substantial antioxidant action. Utilizing an antioxidant power assay for ferric reduction, it was examined.
Betalains and antioxidant activity: When tested using the DPPH assay, many betalains from the Amaranthaceae family showed high antioxidant activity. The relationship between their structure and their operations was addressed. So, natural antioxidants from the Amaranthaceae family can also be employed.
Anthelmintic activity: An investigation was conducted to determine the anthelmintic potential of aqueous, methanolic, and chloroform extracts of Celosia cristata leaves. To better understand how intestinal roundworm parasites behave physically and physiologically, adult Pheretima posthuma worms were employed. There was no discernible action in chloroform extract. To measure considerable anthelmintic action, observations of time for paralysis and time for death were made. In comparison to methanolic extract, the aqueous extract showed more notable activity.
Effect on adipogenesis: The adipogenic potential of native human adipose tissue progenitor cells was assessed in response to an extract of Celosia cristata flowering top. It was discovered that the extract can reduce the lipid content of progenitor cells that are differentiating. The expression of the genes involved in adipogenesis was examined in studies on adipogenesis. There were positive findings that can be used in the management of obesity.
It was discovered that a protein made from Celosia cristata support-flowering .’s stage leaves had ideal antiviral characteristics. By acting as a deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease against supercoiled pBlueScript SK+ plasmid DNA and Torula yeast rRNA, respectively, it was discovered that the isolated protein, CCP-27, has this function. The Amaranthaceae plant Celosia cristata, which is vulnerable to the pathogen, contains cochliophilin A (5-hydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxyflavone), which is known as a host-specific attractant toward the zoospores of Aphanomyces cochlioides, a cause of root rot and damping-off diseases in Chenopodiaceae. Celosia seedlings were found to contain 1.4 g of content per gramme of fresh weight. Additionally, five well-known flavonoids and a brand-new isoflavone called cristatein (5-hydroxy-6-hydroxymethyl-7,2′-dimethoxyisoflavone) were found.