Medicinal Potential of Herminium edgeworthii (Hook.f. ex Collett) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti and Lu Q. Huang and Habenaria diphylla (Nimmo) Dalzell: A Review of Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Therapeutic Prospects
Keywords:
Ashtavarga, Habenaria diphylla (Nimmo) Dalzell, Herminium edgeworthii (Hook.f. ex, Collett) X.H. Jin, Orchidaceae, Rasayana, Schuit, Raskoti, Lu Q. HuangAbstract
Herminium edgeworthii (Hook.f. ex Collett) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti and Lu Q. Huang and Habenaria diphylla (Nimmo) Dalzell are terrestrial tuberous orchids of the genus Habenaria (Orchidaceae) that have been used in South Asian traditional medicine for centuries as ingredients of the Rasayana (rejuvenating) drugs called Ashtavarga, e.g., Chyawanprash. Due to increased collection, slow growth, limited distribution, and taxonomical intricacies, both species are considered critically important for conservation and have attracted considerable scientific interest. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Herminium edgeworthii (Hook.f. ex Collett) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti and Lu Q. Huang and, where applicable, extrapolate the knowledge to Habenaria diphylla (Nimmo) Dalzell. For the latter species, the review focuses primarily on the botany, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry, as well as the pharmacology of related Habenaria species (Habenaria intermedia D.Don, Habenaria digitata Lindl., Habenaria aitchisonii Rchb.f.). The tubers of Herminium edgeworthii (Hook.f. ex Collett) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti and Lu Q. Huang were found to contain phenolic acids (gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, hydroxybenzoic acid), flavonoids, coumarins (e.g., scopoletin), stilbenoids/bibenzyls (batatasin III), triterpenoids, and taxane-type diterpenoids. The pharmacology of this species is predominantly supported by in vitro and in vivo studies that demonstrate antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antiinflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. In contrast, there is a lack of phytochemical and pharmacological data on Habenaria diphylla (Nimmo) Dalzell. Therefore, the discussion on this species is largely based on extrapolation from related plants of the genus Habenaria. Particular attention is drawn to the taxonomical complexities of the Ashtavarga drugs “Riddhi” and “Vriddhi” and the need for conservation and further research on both species. The review highlights the promising therapeutic potential of the two orchid species, as well as the necessity to address the gaps in taxonomy, phytochemistry, pharmacology, standardization, and cultivation before their medicinal properties can be fully harnessed.
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