''Sarcococca saligna'', the sweet box or Christmas box, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Buxaceae. This shrub is native to northern

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Its common name in

is sheha.

Biological activity and medical usage

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before th ...

, the leaves of ''Sarcococca saligna'' are used as

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lub ...

, blood purifier and muscular

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It ...

. The aqueous-methanolic extract of ''S. saligna'' has saponins,

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner ...

phenols In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of one or more hydroxyl groups (— O H) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest is phenol, . Phenolic compounds ...

, and

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Th ...

s which have calcium channel blocking activity. Therefore, this shrub shows cardio-suppressant, vasodilator and tracheal relaxant effects. In addition ethanolic extract of ''S. saligna'' has steroidal alkaloids which can demonstrate cholinesterase inhibitory activity. The ethanolic extract of ''S. saligna'' indicate

antibacterial activity The shelf life of a product can be extended either by adding artificial preservatives or by taking hygienic measures during the manufacturing process. As the consumer trend today is towards preservative-free foods with a long shelf-life, industry ...

against several human pathogenic bacteria and antifungal activity against ''Aspergillus'' species. This extract can increase the antifungal activity of fluconazole against resistant ''Aspergillus'' species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q11109983 saligna