Common Name:

General Information

Limaciopsis loangensis is a climbing shrub producing vigorous, twining stems up to 8cm in diameter from a large underground tuber up to 50 - 60cm in diameter[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, northern Angola.

Habitat

Rain-forest, secondary forest; fringing forest and forest relics in savannah[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	0.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the tuber is given to children as a treatment for convulsions[]. Mixed with a little salt, it is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[].

A decoction of the leaves or twigs is drunk as a treatment for stomach-ache[].

About 20 alkaloids have been isolated from various parts of the plant; tests for flavonoids, saponines, tannins and quinones have been negative. Per 100g dry matter the roots contain about 1.5 g alkaloids, the stems 0.3 g, the leaves 0.02 g, whereas the fruits contain no alkaloids. The alkaloids belong to the groups characteristic of Menispermaceae: bisbenzylisoquinolines, aporphines and protoberberines. Isotetrandrine accounts for about 90% of the alkaloids, and minor alkaloids are cycleanine, nor-2-isotetrandrine, N-oxy-isotetrandrine, liriodenine, 8-oxy-palmatine, thalrugoside, thalrugosamine and berbamine[].
Isotetrandrine is active against catarrh, and its role in the mitochondrial respiratory chain is being investigated[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: subtract 1 from 12