Erythrophleum africanum

Erythrophleum africanum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Erythrophleum
Species: E. africanum
Binomial name
Erythrophleum africanum
(Welw. ex Benth.) Harms

Erythrophleum africanum, the African blackwood, is a legume species in the genus Erythrophleum found in Savannahs of tropical Africa.[1] It produces a gum similar to gum arabic.[2]

The larvae of Charaxes phaeus, the demon emperor, and of Charaxes fulgurata, the lightning charaxes, feed on E. africanum.

This plant is toxic to herbivores. Phytochemical constituents detected in the leaves aqueous extracts are saponins, cardiac glycosides, tannins, flavonoid glycosides, free flavonoids and alkaloids.[3] In Africa, the stem of the plant is used as a toothpick for oral hygiene because of the richness of the plant in flavonoids and anthocyanidins.[4] The plant also yields dihydromyricetin.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Erythrophleum africanum". plants.jstor.org.
  2. ↑ Nussinovitch, Amos (2009-10-07). Plant Gum Exudates of the World: Sources, Distribution, Properties, and Applications. CRC Press. ISBN 9781420052244.
  3. ↑ Hassan, SW; Ladan, MJ; Dogondaji, RA; Umar, RA; Bilbis, LS; Hassan, LG; Ebbo, AA; Matazu, IK (2007). "Phytochemical and toxicological studies of aqueous leaves extracts of Erythrophleum africanum". Pakistan journal of biological sciences: PJBS 10 (21): 3815–21. PMID 19090235.
  4. ↑ Kadja Amani Brice (2011). "Erythrophleum africanum Afzel. (Caesalpiniaceae), an African toothpick: Phytochemical screening, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity". Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 5 (27). doi:10.5897/JMPR10.678.
  5. ↑ Hänsel, R.; Klaffenbach, J. (1961). "Optisch aktives Dihydromyricetin aus Erythrophleum africanum". Archiv der Pharmazie (in German) 294 (3): 158. doi:10.1002/ardp.19612940306.

External links

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