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Botany
Smooth shrub, growing
toi a height of 1-3 meters, with straggling and drooping branches. Leaves
are small, obovate-elliptic, 3-6 cm long, with pointed or rounded tips
and pointed base; the margins, entire or slightly toothed. Racemes are
axillary with terminal panicles, spreading and slender, up to 12 cm
long. Flowers are scentless, borne on one side of the rachis, white
or lilac-blue with two violet stripes, about 1 cm long and 1 cm wide.
Fruit is fleshy, ovoid, orange-yellow and 7-8 mm long.
Distribution
Native of tropical
America. A common hedge and fence screen in Baguio.
Constituents
and characteristics
• Fruit is slightly poisonous with alkaloid type reactions. Deaths
have been reported from ingestion.
• Fruit contains a saponin.
• The bark contains a glucosidal principal; the leaves yield a
saponin substance.
• Phytochemical studies report new compounds: cleomisconsin A,
hardwickiic acid, 3,13-clerodadien-16, oleic acid plus other known compounds.
Parts used
Leaves and fruits.
Uses
Folkloric
Fruit has been used
as febrifuge.
Flowers are believed to be stimulant.
Infusion of leaves and juice of fruit are diuretic.
Studies
• Thrombin
Inhibitory: Study
isolated flavonoids with some compounds showing significant enzyme-inhibitory
acitivty against thrombin.
• Phytochemical
Investigation / Antiviral: The
DR extract showed 76% reduction in the viral titer of Hepatitis A. The
acitivity may be attributed to the aceteoside or lamiide content which
showed high antioxidant activity
• Cardiac
Depressant: Estimation of Cardiac
Depressant Activity of Ten Medicinal Plant Extracts from Pakistan:
cardiac depressant effect induced by D repens extract was not dose-dependent,
with a 50% negative inotropic effect, 50% negative chronotropic effect
and 80% reduction in coronary outflow.
• Saponins
/ Cytotoxicity: Study isolated
two new triterpene saponins from the leaves of DRL durantanin IV and
V, together with 10 known compounds. The methanol extract and the 2
new compounds 1,2 and E/Z acteoside showed significant cytotoxic activity
against a HepG2 cell line.
• Antioxidant:
(1) Study of the methanol extract of Duranta repens showed radical scavenging
activity. (2) Phytochemical screening isolated four new coumarinolignoids,
Repenins A-D (1-4) with known coumarinolignoids, cleomiscosin A and
durantin A. The compounds showed potent radical scavenging activity.
Toxicity
(1) Fruit is slightly poisonous with alkaloid type reactions.
Deaths have been reported from ingestion.
(2) Study of the chloroform soluble fraction of the stem of D. repens
showed toxicity with changes in biochemical parameters and abnormalities
in liver and renal functions, with degenerative changes on histopath
examination of the cellular struction of the liver, heart and kidney.
(3) Duranta erecta Poisoning in Nine Dogs and a Cat: Observed ingestion
of fruits and leaves resulted in drowsiness, hyperaesthesia and tetanic
seizures with GI manifestations of vominting, diarrhea and bleeding.
Availability
Cultivated for ornamental
purposes. |
