Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
base. The flowers are fragrant, yellowish in color, and borne on leafy branchlets. The brown fruits
are edible and resemble a small bunch of bananas, with characteristic fruiting carpels (10-20)
and distinct stripes, and hairy; they are yellow when ripe. The seeds are embedded in sweet-
tasting pulp. 9
Habitat and Distribution — The plant grows in fringing forests, deciduous and savanna for-
ests, and dry coastal shrubs. It is distributed from Senegal to Zaire. Related species occur in most
forest regions of the continent.
Ethnomedicinal Uses — The main use of Uvaria in West Africa is in the preparation of a
remedy for jaundice and intermittent fevers. The root bark is used for respiratory catarrh and for
dysentery. An infusion of the root is used in the treatment of severe abdominal pain. The root decoc-
tion is also administered as a purgative for the treatment of hepatitis. The juice of the fresh leaves
is applied to fresh wounds and sores and sometimes is instilled into the eyes as weak solution in the
treatment of conjunctivitis. An alcoholic extract prepared from root bark, stem, or dried leaves is
taken for the treatment of an inflammatory condition known as “Calabar swelling.”
Constituents — Uvaria elaborate a complex mixture of alkaloids, flavonoids, and tan-
nins. 1055,1056 The species also contains C-benzylated monoterpenes, dihydrochalcones, and cyclo-
hexene epoxides. 1057-1059
Pharmacological Studies — Uvaria flavonoids have been shown to possess significant antimi-
crobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacilus substilis, and Mycobacterium smegmatis,
and activities of some of the isolates and their derivatives were found to be comparable to those of
the clinical antibiotic streptomycin sulfate. 1060 Uvaria extracts have antimalarial, antidiabetic, and
strong antioxidant properties.
VERNONIA AMYGDALINA
Botanical Name — Vernonia amygdalina Del.
Synonyms — Bracheilema paniculatum R.Br., Cacalia amygdalina Kuntze., Decaneurum
amygdalinum DC., Cheliusia abyssinica Sch.Bip. ex Walp.
Family — Compositae
Common Name — Bitter leaf
African Names — Ashanti: mponasere; Bini: oriwo; Ewe: krepi agbo, avenya (Togo); Fanti:
bowen; Fulani: siwakewi, dakuna (Eguinea); Ga: akpa gbo; Hausa: shiwaka; Igbo: olugbu; Malinke:
kosa finna; Mende: njenyani; Twi: awonwene; Wolof: ndumburghai; Yoruba: ewuro, e jije
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