Common Name:

General Information

Strychnopsis thouarsii is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 15 metres tall[].
The plant is widely used in Madagascar as a treatment for malaria, and research has substantiated this use. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of dyestuff and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Madagascar.

Habitat

Humid and evergreen forest; at elevations up to 1,150 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 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 leaves or root bark is drunk to treat liver problems, enlarged spleen, fever and malaria, sometimes as an adjuvant of chloroquine[].

The leaves contain the alkaloids fangchinoline, isocorydine, liriotulipiferine, N-methylindcarpine, predicentrine, and sinoacutine[].
The roots have been shown to contain the alkaloid fangchinoline and the related tetrandrine[].
The stem bark yielded the alkaloid tazopsine[].
In a test with several bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, fangchinoline was the most active compound tested against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and against a multidrug-resistant lymphoblastic acute leukaemia cell line[].
Fangchinoline also has an antagonistic effect on the antinociceptive properties of morphine[].
Tazopsine has shown strong activity against Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium yoelli[].

Other Uses

The root yields a bright yellow dye[].

The branches are used to make temporary huts in the forest[].

Propagation

Seed -

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