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[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is analgesic, antiinflammatory, stimulant and tonic[]. It is used to treat a range of conditions including diabetes, diarrhoea, colic, rheumatism and gastric ulcers[, ].

The leaves and bark are considered analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and sedative[]. They have traditionally been used as infusions or tinctures to treat diarrhoea, colitis and rheumatism[].
Applied externally, the leaves and bark have been used as plasters to treat colic[].

An aqueous extract of the bark has shown antinociceptive activity in rats[].

The essential oils in the bark and leaves have been shown to be antioxidant antibacterial and cytotoxic[].
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[].
Some minor components of the bark (tetracyclic diterpenes) have shown cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects against breast carcinoma cells, MCF-7[].

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[]. 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[].

Propagation

Seed -

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