Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
up to 4 glands on the lower leaf surface and 3-7 glands on the margins. Inflorescence an axillary
cyme, often with up to 2 (-4) cm long tendrils between the branches, up to 35 flowered in male,
2-6 flowered in female inflorescence; peduncle (0.5-)1-12(-16) cm long; bracts and bracteoles nar-
rowly triangular, 0.5-1 mm long, acute, minutely toothed. Flowers unisexual, regular, 5-merous,
pale greenish; pedicel 2-10(-15) mm long in male flowers, slightly shorter in female ones; sepals
and petals free; male flowers with sepals up to 8 mm long and petals 8-11 mm long, filaments of
stamens fused at base, ovary rudimentary; female flowers with sepals up to 6.5 mm long and petals
up to 4.5 mm long, ovary superior, ovoid, 3-6 mm long, 3(-6) ribbed, stigmas almost sessile, kidney
shaped, stamens rudimentary. Fruit an ovoid capsule 2.5-4.5 × 1.5-3 cm, leathery to woody, pale
green, 30-50 seeded. Seeds ovoid, 3.5-5.5 × 3-4 × 2 mm, pitted.
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Habitat and Distribution —
The genus
Adenia
consists of about 95 species, about 60 of them
occurring on the African continent, 20 in Madagascar, and 15 in Asia. The genus is subdivided
into six sections.
Adenia cissampeloides
belongs to section
Ophiocaulon,
while
Adenia lobata
belongs to section
Blepharanthes
.
A. cissampeloides
occurs from Senegal east to Somalia and south
throughout Central and East Africa to southern Africa, including South Africa. It is also found in
the Seychelles.
A. lobata
occurs from Senegal east to Ethiopia and has been found south to Angola
and Mozambique.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
Adenia
species are used as fish poisons. The dried leaves have been
employed as diuretics, febrifuges, and abortifacients. Various parts of the plant have been used as
a diaphoretic and for the treatment of gallbladder problems, colic, dysentery, cholera, gonorrhea,
infertility, threatened abortion, and dysmenorrheal and chest problems. The stem and roots are
used in a limited extent for the same purpose. The exudate or sap from the plant is highly toxic and
should not be used.
Constituents —
The plant contains cacogenic glycosides barterin (tetraphyllin B) and volkenin
(epitetraphyllin B) in the leaves, fruits, stem, and roots. The leaves also yield gummiferol, a cyto-
toxic polyacetylenic diepoxide with
in vitro
anticancer activity. Leaves and root bark are rich in
iron; the average iron content of the leaves per 100 g dry matter is 32.5 mg, of stem bark 9.9 mg,
and of root bark 32.1 mg.
Pharmacology —
Adenia cissampeloides
extract has been shown to contain hepatotoxic
compounds with
in vivo
liver-damaging activity, and the excessive use of the plant has been
associated with liver complaints among the Zulu people in South Africa. Stem pulp showed a sig-
nificant parricidal effect on the beet armyworm
Spodoptera exigua.
In a laboratory test, aqueous
extracts of the plant had a dose-dependant depressing effect on the blood pressure of cats. The
effect was neutralized by small doses of atropine. Possible sympathomimetic and vasoconstric-
tive activity were also shown. An extract of the plant showed poor
in vitro
activity when tested
against
Plasmodium falciparum
. A diethyl-ether extract from the bark, formulated as an emulsifi-
able concentrate, was found to be an effective anesthetic for the African honeybee (
Apis mellifera
adansonii
).
1
An extract of
A. gummifera
exhibited antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition
(AChEI) activity.
50
AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA
Botanical Name —
Aframomum melegueta
K. Schum
Synonyms —
Aframomum grana-paradisi
(L.) K. Schum;
Aframomum
meleguetella
K.
Schum;
Alexis grandiflora
(Sm.) Salisb.;
Alpinia grana-paradisi
(L.) Moon;
Amomum grandiflo-
rum
Sm.;
Amomum grana-paradisi
L.;
Amomum melegueta
Roscoe;
Cardamomum grana-paradisi
(L.) Kuntze;
Cardamomum grandiflorum
(Sm.) Kuntze;
Torymenes officinalis
Salisb.
Family —
Zingiberaceae
Related Species —
A. daniellii, A. strobilaceum, A. exscapum, A. korarim
