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Botany
Erect, smooth
shrub, 1.5 to 3 mteters high with a cream-colored sticky resinous
juice. Leaves are in whorls of 3 or 4, linear-lanceolate, 10-15
cm long, with numerous horizontal nerves. Flowers are showy,
sweet-scented, single or double, 4-5 cm in diameter, white, pink
or red, borne in termianl inflorescense (cymes). Fruit is cylindric,
paired, with deep linear striations, 15-20 cm long. Seeds are
numerous and compressed, with a tuft of fine, shining, white,
silky hairs.
Distribution
Cultivated for
its flowers; nowwhere established.
Constituents
and properties
Glycoside, oleadrin; tannin;
volatile oil, 0.25%.
Nerium oleander's leaves contain two principles: neriin and oleandrin,
glucosides with properties similar to digitalin.
The seeds contain phytosterin and l-strophnathin. The bark contains
toxic glycosides: rosaginin and nerlin, volatile oil, fixed oil.
Nerium odorum's bark yielded two toxic bitter principles–neriodorin
and neriodorein. Another toxic principle is karabin. Both karabin and
neriodorin are probably resins, rather than glucosides.
Leaves and flowers are considered
cardiotonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic and expectorant. Whole plant
believed to have anticancer properties.
The pharmacologic actions of
of neriin and oleandrin resemble those of digitalis glucosides. In human
beings, toxicity manifests as nausea, vomiting, colic, decreased appetite,
dizziness, drowsiness, bradycardia and irregular heart beats, pupillary
dilation, and sometimes unconsciousness attributed to digitalis poisoning.
Parts used
and preparation
Bark and leaves.
Uses
Folkloric
- Herpes zoster (skin):
Crush leaves, mix with oil and apply on lesions. Do not apply on raw
surface. Milky juice of the plant is irritating. Caution: Not to be
taken internally.
- Herpes simplex: Mix 1 cup of chopped leaves and bark with 2 tablespoons
of oil. Apply to lesions 3 times daily.
- Ringworm: Chop a foot long branch and mix with 1 cup chopped fresh
young leaves. Mix the juice with 5 drops of fresh coconut oil. Apply
3 times daily.
- Snake bites: Pound 10 leaves and a piece of branch. Apply poultice
to the wound.
- Root, locally and internally, used for abortion.
- Roots, made into paste with water, used for hemorrhoids.
- Roots and bark used externally for eczema, snake bites and as insecticide.
- Fresh leaves applied to tumors to hasten suppuration.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, the flowers and leaves have been
used to stimulate the cardiac muscles, relieve pain and eliminate blood
stasis.
Studies
- Molluscicidal activity of Nerium indicum bark:
The study showed the bark of Nerium indicum as an important source of
botanical molluscicide and is an effective insecticide against Blatta
orientalis. Glycosides, steroids and terpenoids were also isolated from
Nerium indicum.
• Studies on polysaccharides from the flowers studied for neuro-protective
effects.
• Primary Metabolites: Study on the quantification of primary metabolities in N.
indicum yielded carbohydrates, proteins, phenols, lipids, etc. N. indicum's
stem contains higher levels of phenol which has immuno-modulating, anti-tumour
and antibacterial activities.
• Tincture Cardiovascular Effect: Tincture Karveer is a potent cardiotonic
drug which is also purported to relieve symptoms of Cor pulmonale as
a bronchodilator and cough sedative. The tincture is considered safe
and helpful, and promising for the treatment of CHF in humans.
• Neuroprotective: Study
of isolated polysaccharides from the flowers of N. indicum (J6) showed
potential as a neuroprotective agent against neuronal death in Alzheimer's
disease through a mechanism that may primarily rely on inactivation
of the JNK signaling pathway.
• Polysaccharides
/ Nerve Growth Factor-like Effect: Study
of polysaccharides J1 (a rhamnogalacturonan) and J2 (a xyloglucan) from
the whole flowers of N. indicum were tested on the proliferation and
differentiation of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells and found to have nerve
growth factor-life effect.
• Analgesic: Study of extract
of flowers and roots of N. indicum showed promising antinociceptive
activity mediated through the prostaglandin pathways with analgesic
principles interfering with the biosynthesis of prostaglandins.
• Larvicidal: Study of
larvicidal lethality of extracts of lattices of N indicum and E royleana
on Culex quinquefasciatus showed significant delay in embryonic development
of Culex larvae.
• Antimicrobial / Antifungal:
In a study of the ethanolic extracts of dried leaves of N. indicum
and Martynia annua, N indicum showed significant antibacterial and antifungal
activuty compared to M. annua.
• Anti-Angiogenesis: Study yielded three oligosaccharides. Bioactivity angiogenesis testing showed two of the oligosaccharides significantly inhibited the HMEC-1 cell tube formation.
Availability
Wild-crafted
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