INTRODUCTION:

Numerous fruits and vegetables are indispensable elements of human dietary requirements, contributing significantly to personal well-being and the maintenance They include a large number of bioactive components with health-promoting properties¹. Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) stands as one of the most fruits globally, particularly dominant in Asia, which encompasses approximately 91 percent of its worldwide production².

Major contributors to persimmon cultivation include China, Japan, Brazil, and Italy, while smaller producers include the United States, Spain, Egypt, Australia, and India. Persimmon fruits are wonderful on their own or in baked items such as puddings, breads, and cookies. Vitamin A, ascorbic acid, calcium, and potassium are all abundant in Diospyros kaki.

The antioxidant phenolic chemicals and other tannins found in persimmon are also beneficial. Seed extracts from persimmons have been shown to have radical scavenging action.

Tannins are also said to have anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, and antioxidant properties³. Persimmon is well-known for its nutritional features, which include 80.4 percent water, 0.59 percent protein, 0.18percent total fats, 18.5 percent carbs, and a few elements such as Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cu. Persimmons also provide 1.49gm of total dietary fiber and 7.5mg of ascorbic acid, respectively. The sugar content of persimmons, which is 12.4mg/100gm, is higher than that of other fruits such as oranges, peaches, and apples. Sucrose and its monomers (Glucose and Fructose) are abundant among sugars¹. Cough, hypertension, dyspnea, paralysis, frostbite, burns, and bleeding were among the illnesses for which fruits and leaves were traditionally employed⁴.

Table. 1 Common Names

English	Persimmon, Kaki
Spanish	Caqui, Kakidel
French	Plaqueminier
China	Shizi
Germany	Chinesischer
Italy	Cachi
Japan	Kaki

Fig. 1 Persimmon fruit

Table 2: Taxonomic Classification

Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Plantae
Subkingdom	Tracheibionta
Division	Magnoliophyta
Order	Ebenales
Family	Ebenaceae
Genus	Diosyros
Species	kaki

Fig. 2 Persimmon Plant

DESCRIPTION:

In its native habitat, persimmon trees typically reach heights ranging from 5 to 12 meters. They feature robust, blocky dark grey upon maturity, along with glossy, leathery yellow or reddish-purple foliage. The leaves are characterized by their simple, deciduous nature, arranged alternately, and shaped ovate to elliptic, with smooth margins, measuring 3.5-8cm in length, and showcasing a light-colored underside. The flowers are tubular, with a greenish-orange hue, spanning 8-13mm in length. Each fruit typically contains 1-8 flat seeds and ranges from 2 to 5cm in diameter. Initially greenish to yellowish in color, the fruit’s pulp is highly astringent before ripening, becoming deliciously sweet in the fall⁵.

CULTIVATION AND COLLECTION:

Persimmons thrive in tropical and subtropical climates. They have adaptability to various soil types but tend to perform best in well-drained sandy loam soils with a pH range of 6.5-7.5, ensuring optimal conditions for a satisfactory yield³. The commercial cultivation procedure takes place between 45 degrees north and south of the equator. Ethylene is necessary for the ripening of persimmons. During the critical period, fast softening happens within a few days, resulting in the production of jelly-like flesh, rendering the Persimmon unmarketable. Thanks to advancements in grafting techniques and other technological methods aimed at reducing its astringency, persimmon cultivation has expanded throughout various regions of China. Persimmon just requires a brief chilling period of 100 to 400 hours at temperatures below 7.2°C. When entirely dormant, persimmons can withstand temperatures of up to 18°C. During dry periods, the trees should be irrigated. Persimmon fruits are kept sweetening for 2 to 3 months at room temperature with 85-90 percent relative humidity after harvesting. The freezing point of flesh is 28.2°C. It can be categorized based on its size and quality⁶. When the fruit is bright red and tender, it should be harvested around October. It produces between 150 and 299 kilograms of fruit each year^7,8. Persimmon farmers are divided into two categories: astringent and non-astringent (or sweet). Persimmon is extensively consumed in Bangkok, which is Japanese in origin, and the farmer is astringent. Persimmon⁹.

REPORTED VALUES:

Persimmon beneficial in many conditions, some reported benefits are:

· Enhancing eye health, reducing signs of aging, thwarting specific forms of malignancies, enhancing digestion, and bolstering the immune system.

· Reducing cholesterol, improving metabolism, fortifying bones, enhancing cognitive abilities, lowering blood pressure, and skincare.

· Additionally, it aids in weight loss, inflammation reduction, and increased blood circulation throughout the body.

· The persimmon fruit has been shown to have potent anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties.

· Bile acid excretion through feces is aided by persimmon fruit.

· Persimmon vinegar administration protects against metabolic problems caused by continuous alcoholic intake^10,11.

PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES:

Antioxidant activity:

Jang, et al., 2010 Reducing power, ABTS (2,2-azinobis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid]), DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), and radical scavenging activity were employed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of four different types of seed extracts Bongok, Fuyu, Cheongdobansi, and Nishimurawase. When compared to other seeds extracts, Cheongdobansi seeds extract demonstrated the most effective antioxidant capacity due to phenolic content. The ethanolic extract was determined to have the greatest antioxidant activity in Persimmon⁹.

Antibacterial activity:

Arakawa, et al., 2014 Different strains Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus salivarius ssp. Thermophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicrom were investigated. The study found that an aqueous extract of persimmon leaf exhibited greater efficacy against S. thermophilus¹¹.

Anti-radiation activity:

Zhou, et al., 2016 The radio-protective activity of persimmon tannin against HEK 293T cell proliferation and apoptosis following gamma radiation was investigated using various methods including CCK-8 (Cell Counting Kit-8), flow cytometric assay, intracellular reactive oxygen species assay and Hoechst 33258. HEK 293T cells were exposed to 8 Gray radition doses during the study. There was an increase in cell viability, as well as a reduction in -radiation-induced ROS (reactive oxygen species). When the radiation dose was 8 Gray and the cells were pretreated with 200g/ml of persimmon tannin,the proportion of apoptotic cells was only 6.8%. All these findings demonstrated Persimmon tannin's radioactivity¹².

Anti-diabetic Activity:

Choudhry, et al., 2019 The anti-diabetic efficacy of lyophilized persimmon pulp powder was investigated in rabbits with alloxan-induced diabetes. After 21 days of treatment, the 20% pulp powder significantly reduced blood urea, serum creatinine, and blood glucose levels. In other investigations, dried permission peels were used to determine anti-diabetic effects in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The 10 percent Persimmon peels effectively reduced total cholesterol, triglyceride, blood glucose level, ALT (Alanine aminotransferase) and AST (Aspartate aminotransferase) in diabetic rats after 14 days of therapy¹³.

Anti-obesity activity:

Song, et al., 2020 The anti-obesity activity of fermented persimmon extract was elucidated in mice with diet-induced obesity resulting from a high-fat diet feeding regimen. The 8 percent fermented Persimmon extract effectively decreased triglyceride, total cholesterol, belly fat, cholesterol, body weight, and HDL (High density lipoprotein)-cholesterol according to the findings. Fermented Persimmon also prevented the differentiation of mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells into mature adipocytes¹⁴.

Anti-cancer and Anti-tumor activity:

Park, et al., 2017 The anti-cancer activity of Diospyros kaki Calyx (DKC) extract in human colorectal tumor cell lines HCT116, SW480, LoVo, and HT-29 may be determined using Diospyros kaki Calyx (DKC) extract, according to the study. The human colorectal cancer cells were strongly inhibited by the ethanolic extract of DKC: E70. DKC-E70 also inhibits cyclin D1 protein and mRNA expression, as well as cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation, which is mediated by ERK1/2, p38, JNK, and GSK3. In other research, Chen, et al., 2018 investigated the anti-tumor potential of flavonoids isolated from Persimmon leaves in H22 hepatic tumor-bearing mice. The tumor growth in the liver was significantly suppressed in mice after 11 days of treatment with PLF at a higher dose, up to 49.36 percent. Furthermore, histopathological tests demonstrated that flavonoids isolated from Persimmon leaves cured cancer cells by causing nuclear shrinkage, large areas of necrotic tissue, and a low proportion of nuclei¹⁵.

CNS activity:

Ameliorates cognition deficits and attenuates oxidative damage:

Tian, et al., 2011 HMWPT (high molecular weight Persimmon condensed tannin) was given to rats together with a subcutaneous injection of D Galactose for 6 weeks to study the problems. Biochemical investigations and behavioral factors (open field test, water maze test) were studied (label of enzymatic, non-enzymatic antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde). In D-galactose-treated rats, the HMWPT exhibited an improvement in behavioral as well as metabolic markers. In the hippocampus, HMWPT reduced neuronal degeneration and karyopyknotic cells. The thickness of the dermis and epidermis of the skin has also been observed to be diminished¹⁶.

Protective effect against GOSD induced PC12 cells injury:

Forouzanfar, et al., 2016 designed in vitro experiments in Persimmon peel and fruit pulp hydroalcoholic extract. The results showed that GOSD raised the levels of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) in 6 hours, resulting in cell death, but that there were no significant differences between the extracts in 2 and 4 hours. Persimmon appears to protect PC12 cells from GOSD, according to this study¹⁷.

CONCLUSION:

In this review of the Persimmon plant, it was discovered that it has a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and so on. However, there is very little evidence on CNS activity, so we will investigate this plant more.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

The authors declare no conflict of interest that could potentially influence the reported work.

REFERENCES:

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Received on 07.07.2021 Modified on 19.07.2023

Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2024; 17(6):2757-2760.

DOI: 10.52711/0974-360X.2024.00432