Syzygium cumini(L.)Skeels:A review of its phytochemical constituents and traditional uses

Syzygium cumini(S.cumini)(L.) Skeels(jambolan) is one of the widely used medicinal plants in the treatment of various diseases in particular diabetes.The present review has been primed to describe the existing data on the information on botany,phytochemical constituents,traditional uses and pharmacological actions of 5.cumini(L.) Skeels(jambolan).Electronic database search was conducted with the search terms of Eugenia jambolana,S.cumini,jambolan,common plum and java plum.The plant has been viewed as an antidiabetic plant since it became commercially available several decades ago.During last four decades,numerous folk medicine and scientific reports on the antidiabetic effects of this plant have been cited in the literature.The plant is rich in compounds containing anthocyanins,glucoside,ellagic acid,isoquercetin,kaemferol and myrecetin.The seeds are claimed to contain alkaloid,jambosine,and glycoside jambolin or antimellin,which halts the diastalic conversion of starch into sugar.The vast number of literatures found in the database revealed that the extracts of different parts of jambolan showed significant pharmacological actions.We suggest that there is a need for further investigation to isolate active principles which confer the pharmacological action.Hence identification of such active compounds is useful for producing safer drugs in the treatment of various ailments including diabetes.

城市绿地中鸟类对海南蒲桃的取食和传播作用

海南蒲桃(Syzygium cumini)是亚热带地区城市绿地中常见的绿化植物,其果实数量多、果期长,可为鸟类提供大量食物资源。2020年6月—8月借助Safari 10×26变焦双筒望远镜,采用焦点扫描法对访问海南蒲桃果实(种子)的鸟类行为进行观察,详细记录鸟类的种类、取食基质、访问频次、取食时间、取食数量和取食方式等信息,探讨鸟类在海南蒲桃种子传播及种群更新中的生态作用。结果表明:成熟的海南蒲桃能吸引7种食果鸟类对其种子进行取食,其中白头鹎(Pycnonotus sinensis)、红耳鹎(Pycnonotus jocosus)、白喉红臀鹎(Pycnonotus aurigaster)和黄臀鹎(Pycnonotus xanthorrhous)4种鸟类以整吞的方式取食海南蒲桃的种子,属于种子潜在传播者。不同种鸟类对海南蒲桃果实的取食频次间存在显著差异(t=4.310,df=6,P<0.01),平均访问只数、平均取食时间和平均取食量间存在极显著差异(P<0.001)。食果鸟类的形态特征(体长、体重和嘴峰大小)与取食数量间均呈正相关。鸟类主要以呕吐的方式传播海南蒲桃的种子,观察期间在鸟类取食后停歇的树木下方地面上常散落着较多表面洁净、无果肉包裹的裸露种子,且有大量的海南蒲桃幼苗成功更新,说明城市绿地中的植物是可以借助鸟类的取食和传播来实现其种群的更新。