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Comparative nutritional evaluation of
four botanical source plants of jīvantī:
A classical Ayurvedic drug
Raghavendra Naik, Rabinarayan Acharya1
Website:
www.ijhas.in
Abstract:
DOI:
10.4103/ijhas.IJHAS_123_17 CONTEXT: Jīvantī is one among the best vegetable drugs to be consumed according to classical
texts of āyurveda. As a single drug it is used as jīvanīya (longevity promoter), snehopaga (oleating),
śvāsahara (anti‑asthmatic), vayasthāpana (anti‑aging), rasāyana (rejuvenator) and cakṣuṣya
(eye tonic). It is also included as an ingredient of many polyherbal formulations.
AIMS: The present study was carried out to evaluate the comparative nutritional values of aerial
parts of Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.), Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult., Wattakaka volubilis (Linn. f.)
Stapf., and Dendrobium macraei Lindl., four claimed botanical source plants of jīvanti.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Different nutritional parameters like carbohydrate, fat, protein energy
value, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C were evaluated following
the standard guidelines.
RESULTS: Among the four plants, L. reticulata is found more nutritious by having the highest content
of protein, fat, energy value phosphorus, and Vitamin A, compared to other three source drugs of
jīvanti. Micronutrients such as zinc, manganese and calcium are more in W. volubilis. Holostemma
ada‑kodien Schult. Is having more amount of carbohydrate and Vitamin C while iron content is high
in D. macraei Lindl.
CONCLUSIONS: Among the four different source plants used in the name of classical drug jīvantī,
L. reticulata is found more nutritious with the highest content of protein, fat, energy value phosphorus,
and Vitamin A. Micronutrients such as zinc, manganese, and calcium are more in Wattakaka volubilis.
Keywords:
Dendrobium macraei Lindl, Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult, Jīvantī, Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.),
Wattakaka volubilis (Linn. f.) Stapf

Regional Ayurveda
Research Institute for Introduction promoter), snehopaga (oleating), śvāsahara
Metabolic Disorders, (anti‑asthmatic), vayasthāpana (anti‑aging),

C
CCRAS, Ministry of
lassical texts of Āyurveda have rasāyana (rejuvenator), and cakṣuṣya (eye
AYUSH, Bengaluru,
Karnataka, 1Department explained different categories of food tonic) actions in Āyurveda.[2,3] Apart from
of Dravyaguna, Institute materials including vegetables under its use as a vegetable, it is also used as a
for Postgraduate the heading of śākavarga. This aspect ingredient of 223 polyherbal formulations
Teaching and Research
of āhāra (diet) is developed under the explained in Āyurvedic literature.[4]
in Ayurveda, Jamnagar,
Gujarat, India umbrella of nutraceutical in the current
scenario which is gaining more popularity. Though jīvanti is considered as best śāka
Address for Ācārya Caraka mentioned jīvanti dravya (vegetable) by many authors and
correspondence: as ṣreṣṭha śāka (best vegetable) to be attributed with important properties, the
Dr. Raghavendra Naik,
consumed for maintaining good health.[1] botanical source of jīvanti is in a state of
Regional Ayurveda
Research Institute for It is also known for its jīvanīya (longevity controversy. Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) is
Metabolic Disorders, accepted as the botanical source of genuine
Unit of CCRAS, Ministry This is an open access journal, and articles are jīvanti,[5] but various herbs are used under
of AYUSH, GCP distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Annexe, Near Ashoka Attribution‑NonCommercial‑ShareAlike 4.0 License, which
Pillar, Jayanagar, allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work How to cite this article: Naik R, Acharya R.
Bengaluru ‑ 560 011, non‑commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and Comparative nutritional evaluation of four botanical
Karnataka, India. the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. source plants of jīvantī: A classical Ayurvedic drug.
E‑mail: ayuraghu@gmail. Int J Health Allied Sci 2018;7:69-74.
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Naik and Acharya: Nutritional evaluation of four sources plants of jīvantī
the name of jīvantī in the different parts of the country,
namely, Wattakaka volubilis (Linn. f.) Stapf, Holostemma
ada‑kodien Schult. of Asclepiadaceae family, Dendrobium
macraei Lindl.(orchidaceae),[6] etc.
Recent literature review shows that only a few
preliminary works have been carried out on these plants
regarding their nutritional values. To establish the drug
as best śāka dravya, a detailed evaluation regarding their
comparative nutritional value is still lacking. Hence,
the present study has been planned to estimate the
comparative nutritional value of four different source
plants used in the name of jīvantī.
Materials and Methods
All the four source plants of jīvantī, i.e., L. reticulata (Retz.),
Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult., W. volubilis (Linn. f.)
Stapf., and D. macraei Lindl. were collected from their
natural habitats following good collection practices. The
collected materials were washed under running water,
shade dried, powdered, and stored in airtight container.
Dried leaf powder was used for nutritional evaluation by
following standard guidelines mentioned below.
Carbohydrate
Total carbohydrates were estimated by phenol‑sulfuric
acid method.[7] To 1 ml of sample, 1 ml 5% (w/v) phenol
was added followed by 5 ml concentrated sulfuric acid.
The sample tubes were kept in ice while adding sulphuric
acid. The mixture was incubated at room temperature
for 20 min and the absorbance read at 490 nm.
Protein
Protein determination was performed as per the method
described in AOAC.[8] 2 g of sample was taken and dried
at 105°C to constant weight and transferred to digestion
tube. To each sample 7 g K2SO4, 5 g selenium powder,
12 ml H2SO4 and 5 ml H2O2 was added. It was then heated
for 60 min at 400°C. The digestion tube was then cooled
to 50°C–60°C. 50 ml NaOH was added to the sample.
The sample was then titrated with 0.2 N HCl.
Calculation
Protein ( % ) =
Titre value × Volume of acid taken × 6.25 × 100
Sample weight × 0.2N × 1000
True protein
Total soluble protein content present in the samples
was estimated by the Folin‑Lowry method.[9] To 1 ml
sample, 5 ml reagent C was added and mixed well. The
mixture was incubated at room temperature for 10 min.
To this added 0.5 ml reagent D, mixed and kept at dark
for 20 min. The resulting color was measured at 660 nm.
70 International Journal of Health & Allied Sciences - Volume 7, Issue 2, April‑June 2018
Fat
This estimation was performed using the Soxhlet
extraction method.[10] A total of 10 g of the powder form
of the sample was weighed and wrapped with a filter
paper and placed in a thimble. The thimble was covered
with cotton wool and placed in the extraction column
that was connected to a condenser. A volume of 200 ml
of n– Hexane was used to extract the lipid.
Energy value
The sample calorific value was estimated (in Kcal) by
multiplying the percentage crude protein, crude lipid,
and carbohydrate by the recommended factor (2.44, 8.37,
and 3.57, respectively) used in the analysis. The caloric
value was determined based on the Atwater factor.[11]
Calcium
Calcium estimation was carried out following versanate
EDTA method.[12] About 2–4 g of sample was weighed in
conical fl ask or 100 ml centrifuge tubes. To this, 30 ml
of NH4OAc was added and shaken well for 5 min and
decanted. Then, 30 ml of 0.5N HCl was added to each
sample and shaken well for 5 min in an upright loosened
position. Then, the solution was filtered using Whatman
No. 1 filter paper and the filtrate was collected. For 5
or 10 ml extract, 10 drops each of NH2OH. HCL, K4Fe
(CN) 6 and TEA were added and enough of 10% NaOH
was added to raise pH to 12. 5 drops of calcon indicator
was added and titrated against standard EDTA. The
endpoint is the change of color from red to blue.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C was estimated by the method of Omaye
et al.,[13] One gram of powdered sample was treated with
4.0 ml of 10% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and centrifuged
for 20 min at 3500 g. A volume of 0.5 ml of supernatant
was then, mixed with 0.1 ml DTC reagent. The tubes
were incubated at 37°C for 3 h. 0.75 ml of ice cold 65%
H2SO4 was added and the tubes were allowed to stand
at room temperature for an additional 30 min. The color
developed was read at 520 nm.
Vitamin A
One gram of the sample was weighed and macerated
with 20 ml of n‑hexane in a test tube for 10 min. Then,
3 ml of the upper hexane extract was transferred into a
dry test tube in duplicates and evaporated to dryness.
Following this, 0.2 ml of acetic anhydride chloroform
reagent was added and 2 ml of 50% TCA in chloroform
was also added. The absorbance was taken at 15 s and
30 s intervals at 620 nm.[14]
Iron, zinc, and manganese
Microwave plasma‑atomic emission spectrometry
was used to determine iron, zinc, and manganese.[15]
The viewing position and nebulizer pressures were
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Naik and Acharya: Nutritional evaluation of four sources plants of jīvantī
optimized automatically using the Agilent MP Expert
software. Detection limits and limits of quantification
for the analyzed elements are calculated.
Phosphorus
The vanaomolybdophosphoric acid colorimetric
method[16] was used to determine phosphorus content of
acid extractions. Two milliliter of the sample was added
to a test tube, followed by 2 ml of a vanadate‑molybdate
color reagent. The absorbency of the sample was
determined at 440 nm.
Statistical analysis
Results of the study were analyzed using analysis of
variance. All the statistical tests were performed at 5%
level of significance using Sigmastat software. The results
were expressed as mean values ± standard deviation.
Results and Discussion
Nutritional value
Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories
or energy. These are substances needed for growth,
metabolism, and for other body functions. According
to the Dietary Reference Intakes published by the
USDA, 45%–65% of calories should come from
carbohydrate, 10%–35% of calories should come from
protein and 20%–35% of calories should come from
fat.
Carbohydrate serves as stored forms of energy as
glycogen in liver and muscles. It provides major source
of energy and responsible for breaking‑down of fatty
acids and preventing ketosis.[17] Among four source
plants of jīvanti, the highest amount of carbohydrate
is observed in Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult. and
L. reticulata [Graph 1]. Proteins are building blocks
of the human body they help in normal growth and
development and are responsible for maintenance and
repair of body tissue. The other functions of proteins
are regulation of body processes and formation of
enzymes and hormones. Proteins also aid in the
formation of antibodies that enable the body to fight
infection. They serve as a major energy supplier.[18]
40.00%
34.68
35.40
35.00%
30.00% 26.56 24.24
25.00% 23.96 24.24
20.00%
15.25 13.35
15.00%
10.00%
6.66
5.00%
0.00%
Carbohydrate Protein
L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. volubilis
Graph 1: Nutritional value of four source plants of jīvanti
International Journal of Health & Allied Sciences - Volume 7, Issue 2, April‑June 2018
True protein reflects only the nitrogen associated
with protein and does not include the nitrogen from
nonprotein sources. In the present study, L. reticulata
and Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult. are found having
maximum amount of protein and true protein contents
[Graph 1].
Lipids help with brain function, joint mobilization, and
even energy production. They also help the body to
absorb fat‑soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and E.[19]
It is reported that vegetable fats and oil lower blood
lipids, thereby reducing the occurrence of disease
associated with damage of coronary artery.[20] Among
four source plants of jīvanti, the highest amount of fat
content is found in L. reticulata and W. volubilis (Linn. f.)
Stapf [Graph 1].
Energy value
Among the four source plants of jīvanti, W. volubilis
is having the highest energy value followed by
L. reticulata and Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult [Graph 2].
Energy support many functions of the body at work
and play. Carbohydrate, proteins, and fats are main
sources of energy. Among the three, fat is the most
concentrated source of energy because it furnishes
more than twice as much energy for a given weight as
protein or carbohydrate. Fats have the greatest amount
of food energy per mass 9 cal/g. Proteins and most
carbohydrates have about 4 cal/g.[21]
Mineral composition
Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances
with a definite chemical composition and an ordered
atomic arrangement. Among the plants, vegetables are
the excellent sources of minerals and contribute to the
required dietary allowance of these essential nutrients.
Minerals are very important and essential ingredients
of diet required for normal metabolic activities of body
tissues. Out of 92 naturally occurring minerals, 25 are
present in living organisms. They are constituent of
bones, teeth, blood, muscles, hair, and nerve cells.
Vitamins cannot be properly assimilated without the
correct balance of minerals.[22]
300
239.29
250 236.76
207.06
185.93
Kcl/100 gm
200
15.35 150
9.93 11.93
100
9.02
7.39 5.57 50
2.86
0
Category 1
True protein Fat
L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. volubilis D. macraei
D. macraei
Graph 2: Energy value of four source plants of jīvanti
71
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Naik and Acharya: Nutritional evaluation of four sources plants of jīvantī

Iron hydrolase, decarboxylase, and transferase enzymes.[30] It is

D. macraei Lindl. is having maximum iron content
among four source plants of Jīvanti [Graph 3]. Iron
functions as hemoglobin in the transport of oxygen. In
cellular respiration, it functions as essential component
of enzymes involved in biological oxidation such as
cytochromes c, c1, a1, etc.[23] Iron is required for proper
myelination of the spinal cord and white matter of
cerebellar folds in the brain and is a cofactor for a
number of enzymes involved in neurotransmitter
synthesis.[24] Iron is involved in synthesis and packaging
of neurotransmitters, their uptake and degradation into
other iron‑containing proteins which may directly or
indirectly alter brain function.[25]
Zinc
Maximum zinc content is found in W. volubilis
followed by L. reticulata and Holostemma ada‑kodien
Schult [Graph 4] Zinc is a component of many
metalloenzymes and also a membrane stabilizer and a
stimulator of the immune response.[26,27] Its deficiency
leads to loss of appetite and impaired immune function.
In more severe cases, zinc deficiency causes hair loss,
diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation, impotence,
hypogonadism in males, and eye and skin lesions.[28,29]
The high zinc content may be useful in skin diseases
and rheumatism.
Manganese
Among the four different source plants of jīvanti,
maximum manganese content is observed in W. volubilis
and L. reticulata [Graph 5]. Manganese is a cofactor of
involved in glycoprotein and proteoglycan synthesis and
is a component of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase.
Manganese is a co‑factor in phosphohydrolases
and phosphotransferases involved in the synthesis
of proteoglycans in cartilage. Manganese is a part
of enzymes involved in urea formation, pyruvate
metabolism and the galactotransferase of connective
tissue biosynthesis.[31]
Phosphorus
In the present study, amount of phosphorus is found
the maximum in L. reticulata and Holostemma ada‑kodien
Schult [Graph 6]. Phosphorus is located in every cell of
the body and is vitally concerned with many metabolic
processes, including those involving the buffers in
body fluids.[32] It functions as a constituent of bones,
teeth, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphorylated
metabolic intermediates, and nucleic acids. It serves
buffering action, which is phosphate buffers, functions
in the formation of high energy compounds, that is, ATP
and is involved in the synthesis of phospholipids and
phosphoproteins.[23]
Calcium
Highest calcium content is found in W. volubilis followed
by L. reticulata [Graph 7]. Calcium contributes to
healthy bones and strong teeth. It also assists in various
other physical functions of the body like regulation of
heartbeat, blood clotting, and nerve‑related functions.
Calcium plays an important part in nerve‑impulse
transmission, prevention of colorectal carcinoma and in
the mechanism of the neuromuscular system.[33] Reduced

2000 1831.19
1800 60
1600 51.49
50 47.26
1400 40.86
1200 40 32.48
ppm

ppm

1000 30
800
20
600 423.12 455.35
400 300.17 10
200 0
0
L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. volubilis D. macraei
L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. volubilis D. macraei

Graph 3: Iron content of four source plants of jīvanti Graph 4: Zinc content of four source plants of jīvanti

6000 2000 1850.8

4870.25 1693.7
5000
1500
4000
940
ppm

ppm

3000 1000
1975.07 1891.3
2000
1289.66 500
1000
15.25
0 0
L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. volubilis D. macraei L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. Volubilis D. macraei

Graph 5: Manganese content of four source plants of jīvanti Graph 6: Phosphorus content of four source plants of jīvanti

72 International Journal of Health & Allied Sciences - Volume 7, Issue 2, April‑June 2018
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Naik and Acharya: Nutritional evaluation of four sources plants of jīvantī

extracellular blood calcium increases the irritability of

60000 56000
nerve tissue, and very low levels may cause spontaneous
50000
discharges of nerve impulses leading to tetany and 40000
convulsions.[32]

ppm
30000 24800
16800 18400
20000
10000
Vitamins 0
Vitamins are organic compounds occurring in natural L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. volubilis D. macraei
foods, especially in vegetables either as such or as
utilizable “precursors.” Vitamins are needed for Graph 7: Calcium content of four source plants of Jīvanti
maintenance of skin, mucous membranes, bones, teeth
and hair, vision and reproduction. They help the body
to absorb calcium and phosphorous; needed for bone 600
520.77
growth and maintenance. Vitamins are involved in 500
404.17 419.23
blood clotting, normal functioning of nervous system 400

and endocrine glands. They are also needed for the 300

µg
233.51

metabolism of macromolecules.[34] 200

100
0
Vitamin A
L. reticulata H. ada-kodien W. Volubilis D. macraei
Among the four source plants of jīvanti, studied for their
vitamin content, the highest amount of Vitamin A is
Graph 8: Vitamin A content of four source plants of jīvanti
observed in L. reticulata followed by W. volubilis [Graph 8].
Vitamin A (retinol) is an essential nutrient needed in
small amounts by humans for the normal functioning
1.15 1.13
of the visual system; growth and development; and
1.1 1.07
maintenance of epithelial cellular integrity, immune
Percentage

1.05 1.02
function, and reproduction.[35] 1 0.97
0.95
Vitamin C 0.9
In this study, vitamin C content is found the maximum 0.85
in Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult. followed by D. L. reticulata H. ada-kodien Schult W. volubilis (Linn. f.) Stapf. D. macraei Lindl

macraei Lindl. and L. reticulata [Graph 9]. Vitamin C

(Ascorbic acid) is water‑soluble vitamin required in
high amount, as its loss is frequent from the body. It
participates in reversible oxidation‑reduction system.
Vitamin C prevents Scurvy disease and also aids in the
formation of folic acid derivatives, which are essential
for DNA synthesis.[34]
Conclusions
Jīvantī is one of the important and widely used medicinal
herbs known as the best wholesome vegetable. Among
the four different source plants used in the name of
classical drug jīvantī, L. reticulata is found more nutritious.
The highest content of protein, fat, energy value
phosphorus, and Vitamin A were found in L. reticulata.
Among the other three plants, micronutrients such as
zinc, manganese, and calcium are more in W. volubilis.
Holostemma ada‑kodien Schult. is having more amount of
carbohydrate and Vitamin C while iron content is high
in D. macraei Lindl.
Financial support and sponsorship
This study was financially supported by the Institute
for Postgraduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda,
Jamnagar.
Graph 9: Vitamin C content of four source plants of jīvanti
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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