Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 6(8), pp.

1489-1491, 29 February, 2012

Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR
DOI: 10.5897/JMPR11.323
ISSN 1996-0875 ©2012 Academic Journals

Short Communication

Colchicum autumnale: A review

M. Akram1*, Osama Alam1, Khan Usmanghani1, Naveed Akhter2 and H. M. Asif2
1
Shifa a ul Mulk Memorial Hospital, Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan.
2
Faculty of Pharmacy and Alternative Medicine, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Accepted 19 January, 2012

Colchicum autumnale is an important ingredient of most of the herbal preparation. It is very useful herb
and it comprises of many compositions by Unani Hakeems. Meadow Saffron and Naked Lady are the
common names of C. autumnale. Physicians use it widely as the best healer of internal injuries. The
flowers emerge from the ground long after the leaves have died. Colchicum extracts were first
described as a treatment for gout in De Materia Medica by Pedanius Dioscorides in the first century AD.
Colchicine was first isolated in 1820 by the two French chemists P.S. Pelletier and J. Caventon. It was
originally used to treat rheumatic complaints and especially gouty attacks. it was also used for its
cathartic and emetic effects. The plant grows widely throughout the northern hemisphrere. The
objective of this review is to provide a consolidated report on medicinal uses of C. autumnale.

Key words: Colchicum autumnale, medicinal uses, research study.

INTRODUCTION

The name Colchicum is derived from the district of HABITAT

Colchis, located on the ancient eastern shore of the Black
Sea (Rodnan et al., 1970). The plant and its extracts
have been used for centuries in the treatment of gout,
rheumatism, dropsy, prostate enlargement and
gonorrhea. Extracts have been used to treat cancers.
The first official Pharmacopeia of the United States
(1820) listed Colchicum preparation (Rodnan et al.,
1970). Today, the plant is a primary source of colchicine,
which is used therapeutically to treat gout and
experimentally in cellular chromosomal studies. In
addition to its Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-
approved use (gout), colchicine has been used in the
following conditions: neurologic disability caused by
chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, familial
Mediterranean fever, hepatic cirrhosis, primary biliary
cirrhosis and as adjunctive treatment of primary
amyloidosis (Kyle et al., 1997), Behçet disease (Russell
et al., 2001), pseudo-gout, skin manifestations of
scleroderma, psoriasis, palmo-plantar pustulosis and
dermatitis herpetiformis (Wickersham and Novak, 2002).
*Corresponding author. E-mail: makram_0451@hotmail.com.
Tel: 920216440083. Fax: 920216440079.
Colchicum autumnale grows in wet meadows, woodland
clearings and shady rocky habitats on non calcareous
substrates. It may be found up to an altitude of 2,000
metres.
MEDICINAL USES
Colchicine is a potentially poisonous natural product and
secondary metabolite, originally extracted from plants of
the genus Colchicum (Auutumn crocus, Colchicum
autumnale, also known as the ‘meadow saffron’). Its
name comes from Colchis or Kolchis (Greek: Koλχíς,
Kolchís), an ancient Georgian state and kingdom, on the
eastern shore of the Black Sea, where plants were
widespread. The first medical use of the bulbs of the
meadow saffron has been reported in the first century
AD. In Unani Tibb it is most useful and famous agent for
removing joint pains, backache and gout, etc. It is
accepted largely by Unani and Ayurvedic physicians as a
traditional healer of internal injuries. Colchicum
autumnale has also antioxidant qualities due to which it
has been used to treat internal injuries for centuries. C.
autumnale combination is successfully used for curing
1490 J. Med. Plants Res.
piles. C. autumnale has special useful effects in gout
(small joints pain). C. autumnale has slight toxic effect
without any addictive element so it gives a rejuvenating
deep sleep to the users of its compositions. As a famous
pain killer C. autumnale gives relief in all types of
muscular, joint and gastric pains. C. autumnale relieves
burning muscular tissues, periosteum and synovial
membranes of joints. C. autumnale is a beneficial
treatment for the foot palm burning. C. autumnale has
positive effects on the efficiency of the sex organs. C.
autumnale has also been used for enlarging of penis. C.
autumnale is used to treat several kinds of cancer tumor
and unnecessary access in growth of cells.
Botany
Crocus plants are members of the lily family and often
are cultivated for their long, ornamental flowers. This
perennial herb grows to approximately 0.3 m in height
and has pale purple flowers and a fleshy conical root
(corm). The corm has a bitter, acrid taste and radish-like
odor (Ellwood et al., 1971) Low-lying leaves are arranged
around the base of the plant, growing from the bulb. In
the springtime, the plant has leaves but no blossoms
(Gabrscek et al., 2004). The plant is native to grassy
meadows, woods and riverbanks in Ireland, England and
portions of Europe and has been cultivated throughout
much of the world.
Chemistry
Colchicine is the main active principle found in autumn
crocus and is present in a concentration of approximately
0.6% of corm; concentrations may exceed 1% in the
seeds (Malichova et al., 1979), Dried leaves and flowers
contain the same concentration of colchicine as fresh
parts; however, dried flowers and seeds contain 15 times
as much colchicine as leaves (Malichova et al., 1979). A
variety of other related alkaloids have been isolated from
the plant, including colchicerine, colchamine,
colchicoside, demethyl-3-colchicine, cornigerine and 2-
demethylcolchifoline (Malichova et al., 1979; Danel et al.,
2001). Colchicine is not destroyed by heat or boiling and
is highly soluble in water. Colchysat is a hydro-ethanolic
extract of fresh C. autumnale blossoms (Poulev et al,
1994).
Pharmacology
The active principle in colchicum is the alkaloid. Its
chemical structure is well known and it provides dramatic
relief from acute attacks of gouty arthritis. This
antirheumatic effect is highly specific for gout and
colchicum has little effect on non gouty arthritis and no
analgesic property. The mechanism involves binding to
microtubule protein (tubulin) and preventing mitosis. lt
also causes depolymerization and disappearance of
fibrillar microtubules in granulocytes, preventing release
of lactic acid and proinflammatory enzymes in joints
including a glycoprotein thought to be the initiating agent
in acute gouty arthritis. Colchicine has a number of other
pharmacological actions including lowering body
temperature, depressing the respiratory center and
enhancing the action of central depressants. It has also
been shown to activate T lymphocytes.
RESEARCH STUDY
Colchicine poisoning by accidental ingestion of
meadow saffron (C. autumnale): pathological and
medicolegal aspects
Although intoxications with colchicine, the alkaloid of C.
autumnale (meadow saffron), are well known, in most
cases, the intoxications are evoked by oral or parenteral
preparations traditionally used as medication against
gout. It is reported that two persons confused this highly
poisonous plant with wild garlic (Allium ursinum). While
one person merely complained about a 3-day episode of
nausea, vomiting and watery diarrhea, the second person
died of multi-organ system derangements 48 h after the
ingestion of the colchicum leaves. At autopsy
hemorrhagic lung oedema, hypocellular bone marrow,
centrilobular fatty necrosis of the liver and necrosis of the
proximal convoluted tubuli of the kidneys were observed.
A colchicine concentration of 7.5 μg/ml was found in the
bile whereas no substance was detected in the
postmortem blood (Michael et al., 1999).
Colchicine for pericarditis
Colchicine has been commonly prescribed for the
treatment of gouty arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and in
other inflammatory diseases. Evidence has shown that
the colchicine is effective drug to treat an acute attack
and may be a way to cope with the prevention of
pericarditis in acute and recurrent cases and after cardiac
surgery. In one study, it was evaluated that colchicine is
safe and useful in recurrent pericarditis, if specific
precautions are followed, although less evidence
supports its use for the treatment of acute pericarditis,
where colchicine remains optional and there is a need for
further multicentre confirmatory studies (Massimo, 2009).
Rheumatoid arthritis
C. autumnale has been used as an ingredient of Arthritin.
Arthritin tablet was found effective for treatment of

rheumatoid arthritis (Asif and Akram, 2011).
Gouty arthritis
C. autumnale has been used as an ingredient of Gouticin.
Gouticin tablet was found effective for treatment of gouty
arthritis (Akram and Mohiuddin, 2010).
DISCUSSION
Autumn crocus is not recommended for medicinal use
due to the poisonous alkaloid (colchicines that are found
throughout the plant). The highest concentration of
colchicine is in the seeds and corms during the summer
and the amount of colchicine in two or three seeds can
be fatal (Lewis and Elvin-Lewis, 2003). Used in small,
carefully controlled doses, colchicine can be an effective
painkiller and anti-inflammatory and in pharmaceutical
form is still commonly used to treat gout. Modern
herbalists still use extracts of C. autumnale to treat gout
attacks. Given the risks of colchicine, pharmaceutical
preparations of colchicine are safer than herbal
preparations, which may have widely varying amounts of
colchicine. Colchicine acts to prevent cell division; a
property that has important potential in cancer therapies.
However, colchicine is not currently used to treat cancer
due to its toxicity and high rate of side effects (Foster and
Johnson, 2006). C. autumnale has been used as an
ingredient of herbal coded formulation gouticin for
treatment of hyperuricemia and was found effective
(Akram, 2010).
CONCLUSION
C. autumnale is commonly prescribed for treatment of
acute gouty arthritis. It has remained a drug of choice for
treatment of acute gouty arthritis. It is effective in crystal
induced inflammation. It should be prescribed in
inflammatory disorders of joints.
Akram et al. 1491
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