Alchornea cordifolia
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''Alchornea cordifolia'' is a shrub or small tree distributed throughout tropical Africa, it can grow up to 8 metres tall. The plant is used in traditional African medicine. Common name is the Christmas bush.


Chemical constituents

The leaves, roots and stem bark contain
terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes" ...
s, steroid glycosides, flavonoids,
tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...
s, saponins,
carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or m ...
s and the imidazopyrimidine
alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...
s alchorneine, alchornidine, and several
guanidine Guanidine is the compound with the formula HNC(NH2)2. It is a colourless solid that dissolves in polar solvents. It is a strong base that is used in the production of plastics and explosives. It is found in urine predominantly in patients experie ...
alkaloids. The leaves also contain a range of hydroxybenzoic acids:
gallic acid Gallic acid (also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a trihydroxybenzoic acid with the formula C6 H2( OH)3CO2H. It is classified as a phenolic acid. It is found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. I ...
and its ethyl ester, gentisic acid,
anthranilic acid Anthranilic acid is an aromatic acid with the formula C6H4(NH2)(CO2H) and has a sweetish taste. The molecule consists of a benzene ring, ''ortho''-substituted with a carboxylic acid and an amine. As a result of containing both acidic and basic ...
, protocatechuic acid, and
ellagic acid Ellagic acid is a polyphenol found in numerous fruits and vegetables. It is the dilactone of hexahydroxydiphenic acid. Name The name comes from the French term ''acide ellagique'', from the word ''galle'' spelled backwards because it can be ...
(alizarine yellow). A C20
homolog In biology, homology is similarity due to shared ancestry between a pair of structures or genes in different taxa. A common example of homologous structures is the forelimbs of vertebrates, where the wings of bats and birds, the arms of prima ...
of vernolic acid named alchornoic acid can be found in the seed oil.


Uses of Alchornea cordifolia

The plant is cultivated for its medicinal purposes in the country Democratic Republic of Congo. It supplies dye and wood and in other occasions it is widely used for food. Its dried leaves are substituted for tea. The roots of the plant are used to treat venereal diseases, amoebic dysentery and diarrhoea. It is used to make drops to cure eye diseases like conjunctivitis.


References


External links

* Alchorneae Flora of Africa Medicinal plants of Africa {{medicinal-plant-stub