''Kielmeyera variabilis'' (malva-do-campo or pau santo) is tree growing to a height of 3–6 meters, found in savannah regions of eastern and central Brazil (the

Cerrado The ''Cerrado'' (, ) is a vast ecoregion of tropical savanna in eastern Brazil, particularly in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District. The core areas of the Cerrado biome are t ...

). ''K. variabilis'' is traditionally used in folk medicine to treat tropical diseases including

schistosomiasis Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The urinary tract or the intestines may be infected. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody s ...

leishmaniasis Leishmaniasis is a wide array of clinical manifestations caused by parasites of the trypanosome genus ''Leishmania''. It is generally spread through the bite of phlebotomine sandflies, ''Phlebotomus'' and ''Lutzomyia'', and occurs most freq ...

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, as well as fungal and bacterial infections.Alves TMA, Silva AF, Brandão M, Grandi TSM, Smânia EF, Smânia Jr A, Zani CL 2000. Biological screening of Brazilian medicinal plants. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 95: 367-373. ''K. variabilis'' has been shown to contain three

flavonol Flavonols are a class of flavonoids that have the 3-hydroxyflavone backbone (IUPAC name : 3-hydroxy-2-phenylchromen-4-one). Their diversity stems from the different positions of the phenolic -OH groups. They are distinct from flavanols (with "a ...

s and a biflavone known to show antioxidant activity:

quercitrin Quercitrin is a glycoside formed from the flavonoid quercetin and the deoxy sugar rhamnose. Austrian chemist Heinrich Hlasiwetz (1825-1875) is remembered for his chemical analysis of quercitrin. Occurrence Quercitrin is a constituent of the d ...

, quercetin-3-O-β-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-β-galactoside; and podocarpusflavone A (the biflavone). In 2019 a new acylphoroglucinol isolated from the branches of the tree showed activity against Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA).

Notes

References

* * Kielmeyera Endemic flora of Brazil Trees of Brazil Flora of the Cerrado Medicinal plants of South America Taxa named by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius Plants described in 1825 {{Calophyllaceae-stub