Title:Biological Potential of a Bibenzyl Compound ‘Gigantol’ for the Treatment
of Human Disorders: Pharmacological Activities and Analytical Aspects of
an Active Phytochemical Isolated from Orchid
Volume: 19
Issue: 4
Author(s): Kanika Patel, Gireesh Kumar Singh, Gulam Mohammed Husain, Satyendra K. Prasad and Dinesh Kumar Patel*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences,
Prayagraj, 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India
Keywords:
Gigantol, hepatocellular cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, cataractogenesis, liver injury, leishmaniasis, nephrotoxicity, α-glucosidase, spasm, skin, neuroprotection, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasorelaxant, immune, antimalarial, anti-herpetic.
Abstract:
Background: Dendrobium chrysotoxum Lindl. is an important medicinal plant of the genus
Dendrobium from the Orchidaceae family. Gigantol is one of the key bioactive phytochemicals found
in Dendrobium plants. Gigantol is reported to have diverse pharmacological activities.
Aims: This narrative review explores the analytical aspects along with pharmacological activities of
gigantol as reported in different scientific publications.
Methods: To find appropriate information related to Dendrobium plants and gigantol, extensive data
extraction was done using ScienceDirect, Google, PubMed, and Scopus databases, and diverse facts
were collected, arranged and analyzed to know the therapeutic potential of gigantol. Analytical aspects
of gigantol were also discussed in the present work.
Results: Gigantol has a wide distribution in the Dendrobium officinale, Dendrobium chrysanthum,
Dendrobium crystallinum, Dendrobium aphyllum, and Dendrobium devonianum. Available data indicates
diverse pharmacological activities of gigantol. Preclinical studies have shown its effectiveness
in the treatment of cataractogenesis, liver injury, leishmaniasis, nephrotoxicity, spasm, and skin disorders.
Gigantol has been found to control hepatocellular cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder
cancer, and cervical cancer. The neuroprotective, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
vasorelaxant, immune modulatory effect, antimalarial, and anti-herpetic properties of gigantol have
also been observed. Applications of different analytical techniques for the isolation and characterization
of gigantol were also discussed in detail.
Conclusion: Gigantol has significant and diverse pharmacological activities that must be explored in
clinical setup to develop therapeutic leads for different diseases and health conditions.
