Common Name:

General Information

Cryptolepis obtusa is a climbing shrub producing stems up to 4 metres long that twine into other plants for support[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East and southern Africa - Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, S. Africa.

Habitat

River valleys and shrubland, from sea-level up to 2,000 metres

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	4.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A root decoction is drunk to treat schistosomiasis and to reduce the accumulation of fluids in the lymphatic system[].

The leaf sap is drunk to treat hiccups[].
Breasts are washed with a leaf decoction to increase milk production[]. The leaf sap is applied to wounds as a disinfectant[].

A root decoction and the leaf sap are drunk to treat gonorrhoea, abdominal pain and to prevent abortion[].

The major constituents isolated from the ethanolic leaf extracts are the flavonoids: quercetin, rutin, quercitrin as well as chlorogenic acid[].
Weak antibacterial activity of the ethanolic extract has been reported against Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio cholerae[].
Individual components of the extract, upon testing, were inactive against a range of bacteria[].
Several diglycosylated steroidal alkaloids were isolated from the roots[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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