Common Name:

General Information

Picralima nitida is a shrub or a tree that can reach a height of 35 metres, but is usually less. The bole can be up to 60cm in diameter[, ].
A popular medicinal herb in Africa, where it is commonly gathered from the wild for local medicinal use. It is also often traded in local markets and via the internet[].

Known Hazards

The seed contains alkaloids[]. It is used medicinally in parts of Africa, but considered toxic in other areas[].
The crushed seeds, roots or fruit pulp are ingredients for arrow poison[].
The immature fruits are pounded and thrown in the water as a fish poison[].

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Cote D'Ivoire to Uganda, south to Gabon and DR Congo.

Habitat

An understorey tree in rainforest, also in mature secondary forest and semi-deciduous forest along river banks, at elevations up to 900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round[].

Edible Uses

A little of the fruit and bark is sometimes chewed in order to allay hunger while on long marches in the bush[, ].

Medicinal

Picralima nitida is a commonly used herbal remedy in west Africa. All parts of the plant are bitter and throughout its distribution area the seeds, bark and roots have a reputation as a febrifuge and remedy for malaria, as well as also being extensively used for pain relief and to treat chest and stomach problems, pneumonia and intestinal worms[, ]. Considerable research has been carried out into the medicinal properties, much of it supporting the traditional uses.
The stem bark, fruit and seeds contain a number of indole alkaloids[]. The seeds are particularly rich in alkaloids (3.5 - 4.8%).
Akuammine is the principal alkaloid of the mature seeds[, ] It is a powerful sympathomimetic, and has a local anaesthetic action almost equal to that of cocaine[].
Akuammine also has strong sympathomimetic and local analgesic activities; its effects are comparable to that of cocaine. It causes marked and lasting hypotension, without affecting respiration. In higher doses it causes a strong inhibitory effect on intestinal peristaltic movements. At such doses it also has hypertensive activity with a weaker, but longer lasting effect than yohimbine[].
Akuammigine shows clear sympatholytic activity and antagonizes the effect of adrenaline on the heart, vessels and regulatory centre of the circulation system[]. It is identical with yohimbine[].
Akuammidine has hypotensive, skeletal muscle relaxant and local analgesic activities. Its local analgesic activity is about 3 times as potent as cocaine. It acts selectively as a sympatholytic, unaccompanied by parasympatholytic effects. It inhibits the irritability of the sympathetic nervous system and opposes akuammine[].
Pseudo-akuammigine acts as an indirect reversible and competitive parasympathomimetic. In low doses it excites and in high doses it inhibits the central nervous system, respiration, contraction of the skeletal muscles and contraction of the smooth muscles. It increases hexobarbital-induced sleeping time and has local analgesic, anti-inflammatory, cholinesterase-inhibiting and hypotensive activities[].
Alstonine has shown antipsychotic effects in the treatment of schizophrenia, without some of the side effects of the commonly used drug clozapine. Alstonine appears to lack the proconvulsant properties of clozapine[].
Extracts of the seeds have analgesic activities comparable to those of morphine[]
Extracts ofthe roots, stem bark and fruit rind showed highly significant inhibitory effects in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum, including chloroquine-resistant strains, even in low concentrations. The dichloromethane extract of the fruit rind was the most active. The antimalarial activity is also present in the seeds and leaves, but at a lower level[].
The basic fraction of the methanol extract of the stem bark exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against a wide range of gram-positive bacteria and fungi, but limited activity against gram-negative bacteria[].
In clinical trials, a cream formulation of the methanol extract of the stem bark exhibited impressive effectiveness against skin conditions of pityriasis versicolor, tinea pedis interdigitalis (athlete’s foot), tinea capitis (ringworm of the head), and tinea corporis (ringworm of the body)[].
A hot water extract of the stem bark had a significant effect against Trypanosoma brucei, which was statistically comparable to that of diminazene aceturate (Berenil), commonly used in the treatment of sleeping sickness[].
The seed extract exhibited faster hypoglycaemic activity than the standard drug tolbutamide299].

The bark is said to be febrifuge, purgative and vermifuge. It is crushed and chewed, or a decoction is drunk (sometimes with sugar added), as a treatment for many conditions, including fevers, coughs, venereal disease, hernias, jaundice, yellow fever, male sterility, food poisoning and internal parasites[, ]. Combined with other herbs, it is used to relieve blennorrhoea[].

The root is said to be vermifuge[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of jaundice, fevers and pneumonia[].

The leaves are commonly used as a vermifuge[]. A decoction is taken as a treatment for measles and guinea worm[].
The leaf sap is dripped into the ears when treating otitis[, ]. A lotion made from the leaves is applied externally as a treatment for measles[].

A decoction of the fruit is used in the treatment of coughs and typhoid fever[].
The fruit shell, after removing the flesh and seeds, is filled with palm-wine and then drunk as a fever treatment after it has had time to absorb the bitter principle present in the shell[].

The seeds are analgesic, febrifuge, stimulant and tonic. They have an intensely bitter flavour, but are often chewed or eaten with lemon juice to treat hernia, vomiting or diarrhoea []. They are extensively used in place of quinine for the treatment of fevers[]. The powdered seeds are also used in the treatment of pneumonia and other chest-conditions[].
The crushed seeds are applied as a poultice on abscesses[]. A paste of the pulverized seeds, mixed with shea butter, is rubbed on the abdomen to treat leucorrhoea in women[].
The seeds are recognized as toxic in parts of Africa, where their use appears to be restricted to external treatment for abscesses[].
Two seeds are said to be sufficient for treating hernias, though the method of using them is not known[].

Other Uses

Small dippers and spoons are made from the shell of the fruit[, ].

The pale yellow wood is hard, elastic, fine-grained and takes a high polish[]. It is used traditionally to make a range of mainly small items such as incense holders, combs, spoons, walking-sticks, arrows, weaver's shuttles, dolls, plane-blocks and handles for tools[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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