Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Constituents —
The root bark has been shown to contain saponins and tannins.
78
Oleanolic
acid glycosides, scopoletin, and coumarin have been isolated from the fruit.
1032,1033
Pharmacological Studies —
Alcoholic extracts of the fruit showed a sedative effect in mice
within 30-40 min after intraperitoneal injection of leptazol, giving a protection score of 60%
against the convulsant effects of the latter.
1034
Scopoletin has been shown to possess
in vitro
and
in
vivo
antibronchoconstrictor and antiarrhythmic effects.
1035
Extracts of the fruits and the powdered
drug exhibited molluscicidal activity.
213,1036
Its antimalarial activity has been evaluated and at a dose
of 300-900 mg/kg day exhibited significant (
p
< 0.05) blood schizonticidal activity in both a 4-day
early infection test and an established infection with a considerable mean survival time comparable
to that of the standard drug, chloroquine, at 5 mg/kg day.
1037
Laboratory studies showed that
T. tetraptera
fruit aqueous extract possesses anti-inflammatory
and hypoglycemic properties.
Tetrapleura tetraptera
extract (50-800 mg/kg p.o.) produced dose-
related, significant reductions (
p
< 0.05-0.001) of the fresh egg albumin-induced acute inflamma-
tion of the rat hind paw edema. In the antidiabetic assay, the plant extract (50-800 mg/kg p.o.) also
produced dose-dependent significant reductions (
p
< 0.05-0.001) in the blood glucose concentra-
tions of both fasted normal and fasted diabetic rats.
1038
A commercial product that contains dried
aqueous extract of
Tetrapleura tetraptera
is marketed in Nigeria by InterCEDD Health Products as
an antioxidant and for the treatment of hypercholesterol.
THEVETIA NERIIFOLIA
Botanical Name —
Thevetia neriifolia
Juss.
Synonyms —
Thevetia peruviana
(Pers.) K. Schum.,
Cerbera thevetia
L.,
Cerbera peruviana
Pers.
Family —
Apocynaceae
Common Names —
Yellow oleander, laurier jaune des Indes (F)
African Names —
Arabic: thefatiah; Yoruba: oloimiojo
Description —
Thevetia peruviana
is a shrub or small tree, usually about 6 m high, bearing
small latex. The leaves are alternate, quasilinear lanceolate. The flowers are ball shaped, yellow,
about 7 cm long, and occurring in terminal cymes. It produces spherical drupes as fruits, which ripen
to a yellow color and then become dark, containing seeds enclosed in an angular bilobed shell.
32
Habitat and Distribution —
It is cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the continent.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
Thevetia
is considered extremely poisonous and is rarely used as an
ingredient in the preparation of remedies. A weak decoction of the stem bark is used for the treat-
ment of intermittent fevers.
Constituents —
The plant contains the cardenolides, thevelin A, thetin B, nerifolin, fixed oil,
and protein. An irridoid heteroside, aucubine, has also been isolated from the extract of the leaves
and fruits. The kernels yield a colored oil (ca. 95%).
Pharmacological Studies —
Thevetin, peruvoside, and nerifolin are short-acting cardiotonics.
The glucosides are rapidly eliminated and not considered important in clinical medicine since there
is little difference between effective and toxic doses. Thevetin is indicated for limited use in cases
of intolerance for digitalis and persistent edema even after digitalis therapy.
78
It has also been dis-
pensed for cardiac insufficiency with dyspnea and for ventricular insufficiency due to hypertension
and atherosclerosis.
78
TREMA GUINEENSIS
Botanical Name —
Trema guineensis
(Schumm. & Thonn.) Ficalho
Synonyms —
Trema orientalis
( L.) Blu m.
