Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
christembine. The plant also yields a toxalbumin. The yield of the active compound embelin is
reported to be higher in this species than in the Asian species
E. ribes
.
78
Pharmacological Studies —
Controlled clinical studies have showed that the alcoholic and
aqueous extracts of
Embelia
were very effective against ascarides.
543
The active constituent embe-
lin and its derivatives (such as isobutyl-embelin and n-hexylaminoembelin) were active against the
parasites
Paramphistomum cervi, Trichus ovis, Oesophagostomum columbianum,
and
Dipylidium
camimum
at low concentrations within a contact period of 30 min.
544
The diimines were found to
be inactive.
544
Embelin has also been investigated as an antifertility agent because of its remarkable
properties of preventing implantation without being blastotoxic and also its estrogenic and proges-
togenic activity.
545,546
Toxicity —
The plant may be toxic due to the toxalbumin content. Proper processing is essential
to detoxify the extract.
EMILIA SONCHIFOLIA
Botanical Name —
Emilia sonchifolia
DC.
Synonyms —
Cacalia sonchifolia
Hort. ex L.,
Crassocephalum sonchifolium
(L.) Less.,
Gynura ecalyculata
DC.
Family —
Compositae
African Names —
Igbo: nti-ele; Swahili: mchekacheka; Yoruba: odundun-odo
Description —
This is a straggling herb up to 90 cm tall, common in farmlands and open places
in the forest, especially along paths and roadsides. The leaves, alternately arranged on the stem and
branches, are 10 cm long and 5-7 cm broad and somewhat triangular in shape. They are deeply
and irregularly lobed and clasp to the stem. The flowers are small (about 1.3 cm long and 7 mm in
diameter), pinkish, and cylindrical in shape. They occur singly or sometimes in small clusters in the
axils of the leaves or at the ends of the stem and branches.
Emilia
produces small, hairy achenes
about 3 mm long.
77
Habitat and Distribution —
It is a forest plant, distributed throughout western, central, and
southeast Africa. The related species
E. sagittata
is common in the West Coast.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
In West Africa, the plant is employed as a leaf decoction for fevers.
The juice from the crushed leaves is instilled in the eyes for the treatment of conjunctivitis. The
leaves are used as an occasional vegetable for their laxative activity or eaten cooked in soup or fresh
in salad as a health food. Infants are bathed with the decoction for the prevention of high fever and
convulsions. It has also been used as an ingredient for the preparation of anti-inflammatory and
wound-healing remedies.
Constituents —
The flowers contain flavonoids, while alkaloids and phytosterols have been iso-
lated from the whole plant. The major constituents include kaempherol-3-d-galactoside, quercitrin,
quercetin, rutin, ursolic acid, senkirkine, doronine, β-sitosterol, and stigmasterol.
Pharmacological Studies —
Emilia
possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Fresh juice and methanolic extract of the leaves were found to be potent inhibitors of hydroxyl radi-
cal formation and superoxide radical generation
in vitro
.
547
The methanolic extract inhibited the
carrageenan-induced edema in rats.
548
It has also been found to be cytotoxic to DL, Ehrlich ascites
carcinoma (EAC), and mouse lung fibroblast (L-929) cells, but not toxic to normal human lympho-
cytes, under
in vitro
conditions. Oral administration of the extract (100 mg/kg body weight) to mice
reduced the development of both solid and ascites tumors and increased the life span of these tumor-
bearing mice. The same methanol extract inhibited DNA synthesis, as shown from a reduction in
tritiated thymidine incorporation into DL cells
in vitro
.
549
Emilia sonchifolia
exhibited pronounced opioid-mediated antinociceptive activity action in
mice. At test doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg p.o.,
Emilia
extract clearly demonstrated antinociceptive
