ABSTRACT
Dendrophthoe plants are perennial climbing woody parasitic plants and distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Australia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Myanmar. In indigenous systems of medicine, the plants are used as astringent, aphrodisiac, and diuretic agents and are useful in pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma, menstrual diseases, swelling wounds, and ulcers. Dendrophthoe plants are useful in ulcers, asthma, impotence, paralysis, skin infection, menstrual pain, and wounds. The bark juice/aqueous decoction is used to cure menstrual pain and asthma; paste is put on boils and used with setting dislocated bones. The presence of β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, β-amyrin acetate, oleonolic acid, quercetin, quercetrin, gallic acid, chebulinic acid, catechin, leucocynidin, 3β-acetoxy-1β-(2-hydroxy-2-propoxy)-11α-hydroxyolean-12-ene, 3β-acetoxy11α-ethoxy-1β-hydroxy-olean-12-ene, 3β-acetoxy-1βhydroxy-11α-methoxyolean-12-ene, 3β-acetoxy-1β,11αdihydroxy-olean-12-ene, 3β-acetoxy-1β,11α-dihydroxy-urs12-ene, 3β-acetoxy-urs-12-ene-11-one, 3β-acetoxy-lup20-ene, 30-nor-lup-3β-acetoxy-20-one, and (20S)-3β-acetoxy-lupan-29-oic acid is confirmed by spectral data analysis. Dendrophthoe plants have antilithiatic, diuretic, cytotoxic, immunomodulatory, wound healing, antimicrobial, and in vivo antioxidant, and hepatoprotective activities. The chapter provides traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, and culture conditions of Dendrophthoe plants.
