Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Squill (Drimia maritima L.) and its novel biological activity

  • Review
  • Published:
Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Squill (Drimia maritima L.) as well- known medicinal plants from ancient times has been used for treatment of different ailments. This review article evaluated a comprehensive investigation on squill in modern medicine and its relation to traditional believes. The information were extracted from accessible resources (PubMed, Wiley, Springer, and Google) and Persian and English traditional books. Squill was traditionally used as good remedy for cough, asthma, indigestion, alopecia, pain and lice. Modern clinical studies confirmed the traditional believes on squill in treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver, asthma, head lice, alopecia and inflammatory pains. Also, the antioxidant, anti-parasite, anti-cancer and insecticidal effects of squill have been confirmed in experimental studies. The results of investigations exhibited that squill had good potency in management of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, therefore, it can be more considerate in clinical future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdolhosseini S, Mokaberinejad R, Alian Nezhadi V, Bozorgi M, Nazem E (2017) Evaluation of treatment with squill vinegar in 10 patients with head pediculosis. Asian J Clin Case Rep Tradit Altern Med 1:57–64. https://doi.org/10.22040/ajcrtam.2017.24888

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Haruwi M-O-E, Abu, Mansur, Ali., (1992) Al-Abnieh An Haghyagh al-Dawiya. Tehran Publication and Printing Institute

  • AliAbdi F (2012) Comparision the efficacy of squill lotion 2% and clobetasol propionate (0.05%) in treatment of alopecia areata. Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

  • Avicenna (2008) The canon. Translated by Sharafkandi A. Soroush Press Tehran

  • Babaeian M et al (2015) Herbal remedies for functional dyspepsia and traditional Iranian medicine perspective. Iran Red Crescent Med J 17:e20741. https://doi.org/10.5812/ircmj.20741

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bayazıt V, Konar V (2010) Analgesic effects of scilliroside, proscillaridin-a and taxifolin from squill bulb (Urginea maritima) on pains. Digest J Nanomater Biostruct 5:465–467

    Google Scholar 

  • Bozorgi M, Amin G, Kasebzade S, Shekarchi M (2016) Development and validation of a HPLC-UV method for determination of Proscillaridin A in Drimia maritima. Res J Pharmacogn 3:1–7

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bozorgi M, Amin G, Shekarchi M, Rahimi R (2017) Traditional medical uses of Drimia species in terms of phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology. J Tradit Chin Med 37:124–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-6272(17)30036-5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards SE, Rocha IdC, Williamson EM, Heinrich M (eds) (2015) Squill. In: Phytopharmacy. Wiley, pp 366–367. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118543436.ch104

  • El-Seedi HR, Burman R, Mansour A, Turki Z, Boulos L, Gullbo J, Goransson U (2013) The traditional medical uses and cytotoxic activities of sixty-one Egyptian plants: discovery of an active cardiac glycoside from Urginea maritima. J Ethnopharmacol 145:746–757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.12.007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fennell C et al (2004) Assessing African medicinal plants for efficacy and safety: pharmacological screening and toxicology. J Ethnopharmacol 94:205–217

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fürst R, Zündorf I, Dingermann T (2017) New knowledge about old drugs: the anti-inflammatory properties of cardiac glycosides. Planta Med 83:977–984

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greeff K, Schadewaldt H (1981) Introduction and remarks on the history of cardiac glycosides. In: Cardiac glycosides. Springer, pp 1–12

  • Hadarbegi F (2015) Effect of extract of squill extract on nonalcoholic fatty liver. Islamic Azad University

  • Hassid E, Applebaum SW, Birk Y (1976) Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid: a naturally occurring inhibitor of Spodoptera littoralis (boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Phytoparasitica 4:173. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02981084

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ibn Sina H (2004) Ghanoon Soroush. Tehran, Iran

  • Jorjani SE (2013) Zakhire Kharazmshahi. Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran

    Google Scholar 

  • Khare CP (2007) Indian medicinal plants. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Mammadov R, Makasçı-Afacan A, Uysal-Demir D, Görk Ç (2010) Determination of antioxidant activities of different Urginea maritima (L.) Baker plant extracts. Iran J Chem Chem Eng 29:47–53

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mozaffarian V (2013) A dictionary of Iranian plant names. Moaser, Tehran

    Google Scholar 

  • Nejatbakhsh F, Karegar-Borzi H, Amin G, Eslaminejad A, Hosseini M, Bozorgi M, Gharabaghi MA (2017) Squill Oxymel, a traditional formulation from Drimia Maritima (L.) Stearn, as an add-on treatment in patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma: a pilot, triple-blind, randomized clinical trial. J Ethnopharmacol 196:186–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.12.032

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pohl T, Koorbanally C, Crouch NR, Mulholland DA (2001) Bufadienolides from Drimia robusta and Urginea altissima (Hyacinthaceae). Phytochemistry 58:557–561

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Radomski JL, Woodard G (1946) A survey of the present status of red squill as a rodenticide*†. J Am Pharm Assoc (Sci ed) 35:289–295. https://doi.org/10.1002/jps.3030351002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanyal D, Mukherjee P, Raychaudhuri M, Ghosh S, Mukherjee S, Chowdhury S (2015) Profile of liver enzymes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and newly detected untreated type 2 diabetes Indian Journal of. Endocrinol Metab 19:597–601. https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.163172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sathiyamoorthy P, Lugasi-Evgi H, Schlesinger P, Kedar I, Gopas J, Pollack Y, Golan-Goldhirsh A (1999) Screening for cytotoxic and antimalarial activities in desert plants of the negev and bedouin market plant products. Pharm Biol 37:188–195. https://doi.org/10.1076/phbi.37.3.188.6298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoll A, Suter E, Kreis W, Bussemaker B, Hofmann A (1933) Die herzaktiven substanzen der meerzwiebel. Scillaren a Helv Chim Acta 16:703–733

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tobyn G, Denham A, Whitelegg M (2010) The western herbal tradition: 2000 years of medicinal plant knowledge. Singing Dragon, Churchill Livingstone. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-10344-5.00020-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuncok Y, Kozan O, Cavdar C, Guven H, Fowler J (1995) Urginea maritima (squill) toxicity Journal of toxicology. Clin Toxicol 33:83–86

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Viegi L, Pieroni A, Guarrera PM, Vangelisti R (2003) A review of plants used in folk veterinary medicine in Italy as basis for a databank. J Ethnopharmacol 89:221–244

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson EM, Driver S, Baxter K (2009) Stockley’s herbal medicines interactions. Pharmaceutical Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Zakaria Razi M (2005) Al-Hawi. The Academy of Medical Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Download references

Acknowledgements

This paper is the outcomes of an in-house non-supported study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohaddese Mahboubi.

Ethics declarations

Ethical statement

N/A.

Conflict of interest

This manuscript described has not been published before; not under consideration for publication anywhere else; and has been approved by all co-authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mahboubi, M., Mohammad Taghizadeh Kashani, L. & Mahboubi, M. Squill (Drimia maritima L.) and its novel biological activity. Orient Pharm Exp Med 19, 227–234 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-018-0341-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-018-0341-y

Keywords

Navigation