Some authorities place this genus in the family Cneoraceae[].

Common Name:

General Information

Harrisonia abyssinica is a spiny, evergreen shrub that branches fron the base, or can become a spreading, much-branched tree; it usually grows up to 6 metres tall, though some trees have been reported to reach 13 metres. The bole and larger branches have thorns up to 2cm long growing on conical corky outgrowths[].
The plant is widely used in traditional medicine in many parts of Africa, the roots being sold for medicinal use in many local markets[]. The tree also provides food and wood for the local population and is used as a living fence and to provide shade around homesteads[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Cameroon; then Sudan and Ethiopia south through Uganda and Kenya to Angola, Zambia and Mozambique.

Habitat

Dry evergreen forest; forest edges and clearings, transition zones between forest and savannah; wooded grassland; thickets; secondary formations; coastal bushland; riparian forest; sometimes forming thickets at elevations to 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low to moderate elevations in the arid to moist tropics, the mean annual rainfall within its area of distribution ranges between 150 - 2,000mm[].

The plant is a strong grower and the roots spread widely[]. It may form dense thickets on eroded soils[].

Edible Uses

The fruits are edible[]. The red to black, fleshy, globose globose berry is 4 - 9mm in diameter containing 4 - 8 small seeds[].

Medicinal

Harrisonia abyssinica is a popular traditional medicine in many parts of Africa, where the roots and the leaves are used in the treatment of a wide range of ailments. Considerable research has been carried out into the active compounds contained in the plant, much of which has supported the plant's traditional uses.
Many pharmacologically active compounds have been isolated from the root and stem barks; these comprise mainly limonoids, which are highly oxygenated terpenoids, plus several other terpenoids, steroids and chromone derivatives[].
A methanolic root extract showed significant antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum[]. The methanolic and water extracts from the stem bark showed moderate antiplasmodial activity in vitro, and low toxicity in the brine shrimp toxicity test[].
Crude and methanolic root extracts have shown significant in-vitro antibacterial activity against different strains of Helicobacter pylori, but the effect on a large number of strains of other bacteria was very small[].
Methanolic root and stem bark extracts have shown significant control of Giardia lamblia (a parasite causing gastroenteritis) in vitro[].
Methanolic root extracts have shown significant cytotoxic activity against several human cell lines[].
A methanolic leaf extract showed no cytotoxicity, but significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium phlei, as well as moderate antiviral activity against Herpes simplex. The antibacterial activities are mainly due to the limonoids[].
Ethanolic leaf extracts did not show significant antibacterial, antitrypanosomal or antiplasmodial activities[].
Root bark and twig extracts have shown significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and moderate activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria responsible for the disease gonorrhoea[].
A methanol extract of dried root bark showed significant antifungal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophyte and Candida albicans[].
Crude root extracts have shown strong insect antifeedant activities[].

Throughout tropical Africa the root, in the form of a powder, a decoction, or an infusion, is taken to treat a wide range of diseases. It is used in most areas in the treatment of venereal diseases, fevers and malaria, diarrhoea, urinary problems and intestinal worms; whilst more regionally the root is used when treating coughs and whooping cough; dysmenorrhoea; dizziness; insomnia; nausea; vomiting; bubonic plague; snake bites; hernia; swollen testicles; cancer and tuberculosis. It is also taken to induce abortion. It is used in the form of nose drops to treat insanity, whilst smoke from burning root bark is used to treat hookworm infections. The roots and bark are crushed and soaked in water and drunk to purify and strengthen the body. The root is also used as a rubefacient[].
The root powder is applied to incisions to treat migraine[]. The roots are also used to make a wash to disinfect wounds and abscesses[].

A leaf and twig decoction is used to treat a range of complaints including venereal diseases, fever and malaria, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, diabetes, urinary problems, general body pain and intestinal worms[].
The leaves are used as a wash throughout tropical Africa in order to disinfect wounds and abscesses[]. The pulpued leaves are used as a poultice on snakebites[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Pruned trees and shrubs are used as living fences[].
The plant has wide-spreading roots and can form dense thickets on eroded soils[]. This could make it useful as a soil stabilizer, especially on eroded slopes[].

Other Uses

The wood is easy to work, durable and resistant to fungi, termites and wood borers. It is used for making stools, bows, in house construction etc[]. In Ghana the stems, with the bark removed, are used to make state umbrellas and as the supports of chiefs' palanquins[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -
Stem cuttings root easily when treated with the rooting hormone[].

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