Croton malambo
H.Karst.
Euphorbiaceae
Oxydectes malambo (H.Karst.) Kuntze
Common Name: Cáscara de lombrices
General Information
Croton malambo is a much-branched small tree growing around 3 - 8 metres tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Northwestern S. America - northern Colombia, northwest Venezuela
Habitat
; at elevations up to 200 metres.
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 5.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Most Croton species are relatively indifferent to their habitat and can grow on a wide range of soils in both disturbed and undisturbed vegetation[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The bark is analgesic, antiinflammatory, stimulant and tonic[
1783- Title
- Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
- Publication
-
- Author
- de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
- Publisher
- Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 978-9978-77-135-8
- Description
-
]. It is used to treat a range of conditions including diabetes, diarrhoea, colic, rheumatism and gastric ulcers[
1793- Title
- Circaea lutetiana sensu lato (Onagraceae) reconsidered
- Publication
- Harvard Papers in Botany, Vol. 9, No. 2. 2005. pp. 255-256.
- Author
- Boufford D.E.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2005
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
,
1896- Title
- Estudio fitoquímico de la corteza de Croton gossypiifolius colectada en Venezuela
- Publication
- Rev. Latinoamer. Quím. 41/3 pp 161-170, (2013)
- Author
- Suárez A.I. et al
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2013
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The leaves and bark are considered analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and sedative[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
]. They have traditionally been used as infusions or tinctures to treat diarrhoea, colitis and rheumatism[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
].
Applied externally, the leaves and bark have been used as plasters to treat colic[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
].
An aqueous extract of the bark has shown antinociceptive activity in rats[
1896- Title
- Estudio fitoquímico de la corteza de Croton gossypiifolius colectada en Venezuela
- Publication
- Rev. Latinoamer. Quím. 41/3 pp 161-170, (2013)
- Author
- Suárez A.I. et al
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2013
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The essential oils in the bark and leaves have been shown to be antioxidant antibacterial and cytotoxic[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
].
Methyleugenol is the major component of the essential oil, found in relative amounts between 55 - 94%. This compound is of value as a material for the construction of new therapeutic agents[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
].
Some minor components of the bark (tetracyclic diterpenes) have shown cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects against breast carcinoma cells, MCF-7[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
].
Other Uses
Methyleugenol is the major component of the essential oil, and is found in relative amounts ranging from 55 - 94%. This compound is of great interest and application in the food, cosmetic and perfume industries[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
]. It is also important for its ecological role, since when it is emitted by plants in an ecosystem, it acts as a repellent agent and regulates plant-herbivore interactions[
1897- Title
- Estudio químico-biológico de los aceites esenciales de Croton malambo H.Karst y su componente mayoritario, metileuge
- Publication
- Bol Latinoam Caribe Plant Med Aromat 13(4): 336 - 343, 2014
- Author
- Muñoz-Acevedo et al.
- Website
- http://www.blacpma.usach.cl
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 0717 7917
- Description
-
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
