''Dianella ensifolia'' is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

, of the family Asphodelaceae. It is native to southern China, India, Japan, Madagascar,

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It has been given different definitions. The ...

, the Pacific Islands, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and tropical Asia. Its common names include umbrella dracaena, common dianella, siak-siak, and flax lily.

Description

''Dianella ensifolia'' is a terrestrial plant that can grow in

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s, or primary

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

s in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

areas. The plant's

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

consists of branching

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s, and flowering stems, that can reach up to two meters. Its

leaf A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...

blades are pointed and tapered at both ends. When flowering, it produces a shoot about 60 cm (23.6 in) long. It has white petals, with orange/yellow anthers. Once it is pollinated by insects, it will produce

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

that are dark blue/purple, and about 1.5 cm (0.59 in) wide. These berries contain 3-6

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s, that are often eaten by native birds.

Common names

Other common names for ''Dianella ensifolia'' include umbrella dracaena, common dianella, and flax lily.

Etymology

The Latin name ''Dianella'' is after Diana, a goddess in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

. Further, the Latin ''ensifolia'' is used to regard the sword-shaped leaves of the plant.

Phytochemical properties and chemotaxonomic significance

A 2017 study investigated the roots of the ''Dianella ensifolia,'' and was able to isolate eleven compounds. When broken into groups, this would constitute two aromatics, two

chromone Chromone (or 1,4-benzopyrone) is a derivative of benzopyran with a substituted keto group on the pyran ring. It is an isomer of coumarin. Derivatives of chromone are collectively known as ''chromones''. Most, though not all, chromones are also ...

s, and 7

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

s. The compounds found in ''D. ensifolia'' can be correlated with different taxonomic levels, including the

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

, and

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

. The research concluded the structural skeletons of the compounds found in the ''D. ensifolia,'' are found within the species of ''Dianella,'' and Liliaceae. This would correlate the species to the genus. Further, the aromatics, chromones, and flavonoids were first isolated from the species itself of the genus, and thus, could serve as markers for the identification of ''Dianella ensifolia''.

Chemical composition and medicinal use of essential oil

In 2020

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

of the ''D. ensifolia'' was chemically analyzed, and tested for its

antibacterial An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricant ...

, and

cytotoxic Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are an immune cell or some types of venom, e.g. from the puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') or brown recluse spider (''Loxosceles reclusa''). Cell physiology Treating cells ...

properties. The main components of the plant essential oil were identified as allo-aromadendrene (7.3%),

Geranylacetone Geranylacetone is an organic compound with the formula CH3C(O)(CH2)2CH=C(CH3)(CH2)2CH=C(CH3)2. A colorless oil, it is the product of coupling geranyl and acetonyl groups. It is a precursor to synthetic squalene. Synthesis and occurrence Geranyl ...

(6.2%), Hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (4.4%),

Longifolene Longifolene is the common (or trivial) chemical name of a naturally occurring, oily liquid hydrocarbon found primarily in the high-boiling fraction of certain pine resins. The name is derived from that of a pine species from which the compound wa ...

(4.2%), and

β-caryophyllene Caryophyllene (), more formally (−)-β-caryophyllene, (BCP), is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene that is a constituent of many essential oils, especially clove oil, the oil from the stems and flowers of ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (cloves), the esse ...

(4.0%). When examined individually, these compounds exhibit potent antimicrobial activity,

activity, the potential to inhibit cell growth and proliferation, and in-vivo protective effects against juglone-induced oxidative stress in

roundworm The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...

. The essential oil was investigated further for its antibacterial activity, and it was determined that it effectively inhibited the growth of numerous bacterial strains, including '' Bacillus subtilis'' ATCC 6633 and ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

'' ATCC 6538. This effect was associated with the compounds geranylacetone, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, longifolene, and β-caryophyllene, found in the essential oil. The cytotoxicity of the essential oil was also examined against liver hepatocellular cells, and human breast

adenocarcinoma Adenocarcinoma (; plural adenocarcinomas or adenocarcinomata ) (AC) is a type of cancerous tumor that can occur in several parts of the body. It is defined as neoplasia of epithelial tissue that has glandular origin, glandular characteristics, or ...

cell line. The essential oil of the ''D. ensifolia'' displayed a dose-dependent effect on both tumor cell lines. This may be contributed to the reported tumor motility inhibition, and tumor aggression inhibition of β-caryophyllene.

Extract medicinal use

A study conducted in 2010 screened plant extracts for

s, and determined that the extract of ''Dianella ensifolia'' was both a strong antioxidant, and an agent that could be used to reduce skin

hyperpigmentation Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of an area of skin or nails caused by increased melanin. Causes Hyperpigmentation can be caused by sun damage, inflammation, or other skin injuries, including those related to acne vulgaris.James, William; Ber ...

. The extract of ''Dianella ensifolia'', 1-(2,4-dihydrophenyl)-3-(2,4- dimethoxy-3-methylphenyl) propane (DP), was found to inhibit a free radical, which is linked to hyperpigmentation, and ultraviolet-C induced

lipid oxidation Lipid peroxidation is the chain of reactions of oxidative degradation of lipids. It is the process in which free radicals "steal" electrons from the lipids in cell membranes, resulting in cell damage. This process proceeds by a free radical chain ...

. The extract from the plant was then tested against two pharmaceutical topical treatments. It was concluded that the plant extract, containing DP, had an increased rate of fading compared to the other treatments containing

hydroquinone Hydroquinone, also known as benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, a derivative of benzene, having the chemical formula C6H4(OH)2. It has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a ''para'' ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3026265 ensifolia