Bio-Medical Importance of Agronomic Weeds: An Overview

Boydston

Weeds are also using resources such as water, light, space and air that are necessary for crops (Gaba et al., 2014).The more similar the weed and crop requirements, the more they will compete for those resources.Weeds that compete aggressively with crops reduce their yield.
Weeds are the potential source of useful drugs if they are evolved through complete identification, characterization, and biochemical screening.Medicinal plants and the drugs derived from them are cheaper in cost, have lesser side effects and hence popular among the people.It is reported in a research that around 80% of the world's human population relies over weed and related plants as they are well-known for healing many diseases.Pakistan have biodiversity in climate and in geographical situation and have many useful medicinal plants and weeds in heritage, but its flora is never as it should be explored for medicinal point of view and not for food purpose.Despite of the facts that medicinal weeds are considered to be mostly rich in nutrients.In this review we have discussed biomedical importance of many noxious weeds which are disturbing the crop productivities but have many useful impacts for the pharmaceutical industry.Gokharu (Xanthium strumarium L.) Gokharu Xanthium strumarium L. (Asteraceae) is a common weed and used for its medicinal purposes from thousands of years (Ramírez-Erosa., 2007).Its English name is Burweed and in Pakistan locally known as Gokharu (Gethe et al., 2011).As cultural herbal medicine Gokharu has been used from ages to cure many human diseases, which includes rhinitis, nasal sinusitis, headache, gastric ulcer, urticaria, rheumatism bacterial, fungal infections and arthritis (Fan et al., 2019).Botany Gokharu (Xanthium) belongs to the Asteraceae.Gokharu is an annual herb plant which have 90 cm height with erect and branched stem (Acharya and Rai, 2011).It is often dotted with purple and white short hairs spread across the surface (Ramírez-Erosa et al., 2007).Leaves of ghokaru are green in color, with cauline, mostly alternate (proximal 2-6 sometimes opposite) with petiole symmetry (Gould et al., 2010), which are 5-20 cm long and 4-16 cm wide; the shape of blades is lanceolate, linear, ovate, orbiculardeltate The achenes are black, fusiform, obovoid, enclosed in the hardened involucre, with two hooked beaks and hooked bristles (Strong et al., 2006).The flowering time ranges from July to August, and fruiting stage lasts from September to October.Phytochemistry Phytochemistry of Gokharu (Xanthium) reported more than 170 chemicals, which have been isolated and identified from X. strumarium, includes sesquiterpenoids (Olivaro et al., 2016), phenylpropenoids (Van Kiem et al., 2020), lignanoids, coumarins, steroids, glycosides, flavonoids, thiazides, anthraquinones, naphthoquinones and other compounds (Jiang et al., 2020).Among them, sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids are the most abundant and major bioactive constituents in X. strumarium, and are considered as the characteristic constituents of this plant.In addition to the chemical constituents found in fruits, constituents in other parts of X. strumarium were also comprehensively reported, including leaves, roots and stems, etc. Biomedical Importance Gokharu weed possess comprehensive pharmacological effects which, includes antiallergic rhinitis effects (Peng et al., 2014), anti-tumor effects (Han et al., 2007), antiinflammatory and analgesic effects (Kim et al., 2005), insecticide and anti-parasitic effects (Nejad et al., 2018), antioxidant effects, antibacterial and antifungal effects (Kumar et al., 2019), antidiabetic effects, anti-lipidemic effects and antiviral effects (Wang et al., 2011).It is noteworthy that the research areas of modern pharmacy primarily focus on chemical components and extracts, which indicated the promising potential of Gokharu for treating disease.

Khaksi (Sisymbrium officinale)
Khaksi or Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) is known as a conventional weed in South Asia and South Australia (Guarise et al., 2019).It is a common weed of crops, pastures, roadsides, disturbed sites and waste areas.Khaksi with its scientific name Sisymbrium officinale, is also known as Wild mustard (Jangli Sarsoon), Hedge mustard, Oriental mustard, Tumbling mustard, and Indian hedge mustard (Blažević et al., 2010).Khaksi or Hedge mustard is domesticated from Europe and lies in the family Brassicaceae/Cruciferae.This weed plant is widely used for its edible seeds and leaves (Rahman et al., 2018).Botany Khaksi is a straight and herbaceous annual weed plant that grows upto 3.5 ft. in height.It has erect stem which have hairs from greenish to purple greenish.Khaksi have egg shaped, oblong to lanceolate leaves which measures about 4-8 inches in length and 1-3 inch in width.The flowers of khaksi have four petals in yellow color and measures ~4 mm in length.The fruit of this plant produced capsules which are 0.5-1.0inch in length which contains cylindrical and flattened, seeds which are reddish brown and size of 1 mm long (Zorzan et al., 2020).Phytochemistry Phytochemical investigation of the Sisymbrium officinale elixir showed that the presence of some relevant constituents which includes putranjivine and proline.Putranjivine is deliberated as the glucosinolate marker of Sisymbrium officinale, whereas a stable existence of proline is typical of the Brassicaceae family.S. officinale is rich in sulfated compounds (particularly glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and sulfated lactones), to which its beneficial properties (Di Sotto et al., 2010) Biomedical Importance Khaksi plants have a great biomedical importance It is used as herbal medicine and its plants fresh or dried delivers a medicinal effect to humans.It supports treatment of chest congestion, coughs, asthma and fever (Kayani et al., 2014).Ahmad et al. 2018 reported that khaksi aids in reducing swelling and inflammation, cleansing of spleen and liver, removing piles and wounds.It is superficially used as an agent for gout, arthritis and rheumatic problems.Khaksi also play a significant role in the treatment of antiinflammatory diseases, with the aim to avoid common undesired side effects of the main synthetic drugs commonly utilized.Herbal remedies and dietary plants used in traditional medicine could be a promising source of new effective drugs.Moreover, shoots and leaves of the wild plant have been traditionally used also as food, in salads.Jangli Palak (Rumex dentatus) Jangli Palak (Rumex dentatus) is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common names toothed dock and Aegean dock.It is native to parts of Eurasia and North Africa, and it is widely known elsewhere as a introduced species.It grows in disturbed habitat, often in moist areas, such as lakeshores and the edges of cultivated fields.Botany Jangli palak is an annual or biennial herb producing a slender, erect stem up to 70 or 80 centimeters in maximum height.The leaves are lance-shaped to oval with slightly wavy edges, growing to a maximum length around 12 centimeters.The inflorescence is an interrupted series of clusters of flowers, with 10 to 20 flowers per cluster and each flower hanging on a pedicel.Each flower has usually six petals, the 3 inner of which are edged with spinelike teeth and have tubercles at their centers.Phytochemistry Its plants have high levels of oxalic acid, which gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour.Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies.The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked.

Biomedical Importance
Its tender young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.As for medicinal purpose, its roots are used as an astringent application in the treatment of cutaneous disorders.People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition Bathu (Chenopodium album) Bathu (Chenopodium album) is rapidly growing annual weed plant, belongs to genus Chenopodium (Pandey and Gupta, 2014).It is cultivated in few regions but elsewhere in world it is nominated as weed.This plant tumbles under genus Chenopodium which is distributed globally and have around 250 common species (Sukhorukov and Kushunina, 2014).Kochar et al. 2009 reported that bathu grow naturally as weed with many crops including wheat, barley, mustard and gram.It's used as food and herbal medicine as reported in many countries and literature.The common names for bathu in different countries are as Bathua sag (Hindi), Chandanbetu (Bengali), Parupukkirai (Tamil), Pappukura (Telgu)and Katu ayamoddakam (Malyalam).Botany Bathu botanical description is as follow, it tends to grow upright at initial stage and reached the height of 10-150 cm (rarely to 3 m), but characteristically becomes horizontal after flowering due to the weight of the foliage and seeds (Saini and Saini, 2020).The leaves are alternate and varied in appearance and have 3-7 cm length and 3-6 cm width.Its leaves are waxy-coated, unlettable and mealy in appearance, with a whitish coat on the underside.The small flowers are radially symmetrical and grow in small cymes on a dense branched inflorescence 10-40 cm length, the flowers are bisexual and female, with five petals which are mealy on outer surface, and shortly united at the base (Bajwa et al., 2019).Phytochemistry Bathu is augmented with phytochemicals like flavonoid, isoflavonoid, polyphenol etc., have gathered prodigious interest for their possible role in the looking after of human health predominantly major reduction in cancer risk.Bathu have been found to have flavonoid as phenolic amide and is hypotensive in activity.It has saponin, cinnamic acid amide, alkaloid chenoalbicin; apocarotenoids, xyloside; phenols and lignans.It also has seven free phenolic acids i.e. gallic acid, protocatechuric acid, protocatechuric aldehyde, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid and vanillin.Gallic and protocatechuric acids were found in the fruits of C. album, while vanillin and mcoumaric acid in leaves whereas; vanillic, caffeic and syringic acids were present in both fruits and leaves.

Biomedical Importance
Bathu is used as anthelmintic, cardiotonic, carminative, digestive, diuretic and laxative.It is also useful in peptic ulcer, dyspepsia, flatulence, strangury, pharyngopathy, splenopathy, opthalmopathy and general debility.A fine powder of leaves is dusted to ally irritation and leaf juice is used for treating burns.The powdered plant (25-50 %), when mixed with normal food was reported to suppress oestrus cycle.A decoction of aerial parts mixed with alcohol is rubbed on the body affected by arthritis and rheumatism.The tender shoots are eaten raw in salad or with curd.The leaves are rich in potassium and vitamin C. Its use for the treatment of hepatic disorders, spleen enlargement, intestinal ulcers and burns.

Gajar booti (Parthenium hysterophorus)
Gajar booti is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae.Its common names include Santa-Maria, whitetop weed, and famine weed.In sub-continent, it is locally known as carrot grass, congress grass or Gajar Booti.The pollen grains of Parthenium hysterophorus invades disturbed land, including roadsides.It infests pastures and farmland, causing often disastrous loss of yield, as reflected in common names such as famine weed.In some areas, heavy outbreaks have been ubiquitous, affecting livestock and crop production, and human health.The plant produces allelopathic chemicals that suppress crop and pasture plants, and allergens that affect humans and livestock.It also frequently causes pollen allergies.Botany Gajar booti is a much-branched, short-lived annual weed plant, it is erect, herbaceous plant that forms a basal rosette of leaves during the early stage of growth.It usually grows 0.5-1.5 m tall, but can occasionally reach up to 2 m or more in height.Mature stems are greenish and longitudinally grooved, covered in small stiff hairs (hirsute), and become much branched at maturity.The alternately arranged leaves are simple with stalks (petioles) up to 2 cm long and form a basal rosette during the early stages of growth.Numerous small flower-heads (capitula) are arranged in clusters at the tips of the branches (in terminal panicles).Colour changes to light brown when seeds are mature and about to shed.Flowering can occur at any time of the year, but is most common during the rainy seasons.Photochemistry Biochemical exploration of Gajar booti has indicated that all its fragments comprising trichomes and pollen encompass contaminants called sesquiterpene lactones (Ashour et al., 2018).Gajar booti contains a bitter glycoside parthenin, a major sesquiterpene lactone.Other phytotoxic compounds or allelochemicals are hysterin, ambrosin, flavonoids such as quercelagetin 3,7dimethylether, 6-hydroxyl kaempferol 3-0 arabinoglucoside, fumaric acid.P-hydroxy benzoin and vanillic acid, caffeic acid, p courmaric, anisic acid, p-anisic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, sitosterol and some unidentified alcohols.Parthenin, hymenin and ambrosin are found to be the culprits behind the menacing role of this weed in provoking health hazards.Gajar booti from different geographical regions exhibited parthenin, hymenin, coronopilin, dihydroisoparthenin, hysterin, hysterophorin and tetraneurin.Biomedical Importance Gajar booti have many advantages for human health.The main benefits include as it is a possible solution to cure skin inflammation (Patel, 2011), rheumatic pain, diarrhea (Maishi et al., 1998), urinary tract infections, dysentery, malaria and neuralgia (Fazal et al., 2011).CONCLUSION Although weeds are very harmful for our crops in agriculture, but we can't ignore their importance in pharmaceutical industry.They are rich source chemicals that can be used directly for curing many human diseases.There should be need to conserve weeds and to explore their potential roles for pharmaceutical industry.