Gen
info
• There are 40 species
of the genus Lantana.
• Some are extremely unpleasant and toxic to livestock, as is
L. camara.
• In some countries, considered an invasive weed, earning the
name, "Jekyll and Hyde of plants." It releases chemicals in
its surroundings, preventing germination of the native flora. It is
wont to form dense thickets, spreads very quickly, with one plant producing
as many as 12,000 seeds a year.
 Botany
·
A gregarious, erect or half-climbing, somewhat hairy aromatic shrub;
when erect, usually 1.2 m high and when scandent, twice as high. Branches
four-sided with recurved prickles.
· Leaves: elliptic, about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wides,
pointed at the tip and rounded at the base and toothed in the margins.
· Flowers: pink, orange, yellow, white, lilac and other shades,
according to the variety and borne in stalked heads which are 2 to 3.5
cm in diameter. Calyx small. Corolla tube slender, the limb spreading,
6 to 7 mm wide, and divided into unequal lobes. Stamens 4, in 2 pairs,
included. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled.
· Fruits: Sweet tasting drupaceous fruit; purple or black, fleshy
ovoid, and about 5 mm long.
Distribution
A gregarious weed in the
Philippines. Certain varieties are cultivated as a trimmed hedge either
alone or with other shrubs.
Parts utilized
and preparation
· Leaves, bark,
roots, flowering tops.
· May be collected throughout the year.
· Sun-dry.
Constituents
· Leaves: volatile
oil, 0.2%.
· Dried flowers: volatile oil, 0.07% - caryophyllene-like bicyclic
terpene, 80%, l,a-phellandrene, 10-12%.
· Bark: Lantanine, 0.08%.
· Toxicity
is due to presence of toxic triterpenoids - the lantadenes (lantadene
A, B, C, D and icterogenin.)
·
Leaves contain a steroid, lancamarone, which is a fish poison and considered
a cardiotonic.
· Bark of stems
and roots contain a quinine-like alkaloid, lantanin, which is antipyretic
and antispasmodic.·
· Roots
are rich in oleanolic acid, a hepatoprotective triterpenoid.
Characteristics,
pharmacological Effects and constituents
· Root: sweet and
bitter tasting, refrigerant, antifebrile.
· Leaves: minty tasting, cooling natured, antiphlogistic, anti-dermatoses.
· Flowers: sweet tasting, mildly cooling, hemostatic.
· Alkaloid fraction believed to lower blood pressue, increase
respiratory rate, and inhibit uterine motility in rats.
·
Plant considered antiseptic, antispasmodic, vulnerary, diaphoretic and
carminative.
• Phytochemical analysis detected common secondary metabolites–alkaloids,
phenolics, terpenoids and other minor compounds such as phytosterols,
saponins, tannins, phycobatannin and steroids (no steroids in the yellow
and lavender leaf extracts).
Uses
Folkloric
· Influenza, cough,
mumps, incessant high fever, malaria, cervical lymph node tuberculosis:
use 30 to 60 gms dried roots or 60 to 120 gms fresh roots in decoction.
· Fever: Take decoction of bark or infusion of leaves and flowering
tops as tea.
· Hemoptysis, pulmonary tuberculosis: use 6 to 9 gms dried flowers
in decoction.
· Dermatitis, eczema, pruritus: use fresh stems and leaves.
· Rheumatism - Spread oil on leaves, warm over low flame and
apply on affected part.
· Sprains, wounds, contusions: Use pounded fresh leaves applied
as poultice.
· Leaf oil used for pruritic skin conditions and antiseptic for
wounds.
· Decoction of plant used for tetanus, rheumatism, malaria.
· Decoction of fresh leaves used as gargle for toothaches.
· Pounded leaves used for cuts, ulcers and swelling.
· Decoction of leaves and fruits used for wounds.
Studies
• Antibacterial: Extract
of shoots showed antibacterial activity against E. coli and Micrococcus
pyogenes.
• Antimotility: Evaluation of
antimotility effect of Lantana camara L. var. acuelata constituents
on neostigmine induced gastrointestinal transit in mice: Methanolic
extract of L camara showed remarkable antimotility effect from an anticholinergic
effect and suggests a potential utility in secretory and functional
diarrheas.
• Thrombin Inhibition: Translactone-containing
triterpenes show thrombin inhibitory activity.
• Antiinflammatory / Antimicrobial:
Pentacyclic triterpenoids are being studied for anti-cancer, antiinflammatory
and antimicrobial activities.
• Anti-hyperlipidemic / Anti-tumor:
Oleanolic and ursolic acids from the stems, roots and leaves have application
for human liver disorders, also as antihyperlipidemic and anti-tumor.
• Wound Healing: (1)
Investigation of wound healing activity of Lantana camara L. in Sprague
dawley rats using a burn wound model: The
study showed antimicrobial activity but not wound healing activity on
burn wound in rats. (2) Evaluation of wound healing activity of Lantana
camara L. - a Preclinical study: Study showed LC is effective in healing
excision wounds in the experimental animal and suggests further evaluation
as a therapeutic agent in tissue repair processes associated with injuries.
• Cytotoxicity:
In vitro cytotoxic activity of Lantana camara Linn: Study showed
the leaf extract of LC is cytotoxic in nature and may possess antitumor
activitry that may be due to the presence of toxic lantanoids and alkaloids.
•
Phytochemical / Termiticidal:
5% chloroform extract of Lantana camara var. aculeata leaves showed
termiticidal effects against adult termite workers.
• Biochemical Compositions/ Antibacterial
Activity: Study of the leaves
and flowers of four Lantana camara plants with yellow, red, lavender
and white flowers showed three of the four to have similar carbohydrates
and lipid compositions. The carbohydrate levels were higher in the flowers
than the leaves, and the lipds higher in the leaves except for the lavener-
and white-flowered kinds. The carbo in lavender L camara was very low.
Leaf protein electrophoresis also showed similarities and differences.
Antibacterial activities varied according to the type of tissue used.
Toxicity
• In Himachal Pradesh, L. camara variety
aculeata (red flower variety) has been responsible for livestock poisoning.
• Most of the livestock poisoning occur on grazing after prolonged
stall feeding and during fodder scarcity or draught periods.
• Toxicity: Toxic chemical constituents are toxic terpenoids:
lantadene A, B, C and D, and icterogenin. Lantadene A,B and C constitute
nearly 69% of total terpenoids. Triterpenoids are most rapidly absorbed
from the small intestine, but slow absorption from and stasis in the
rumen causes slow and continuous exposure of the liver that lasts for
days.
• Ingestion of lantana foliage causes decreased luminal motility
that may progress to ruminal atony and cause constipation and impaction
as the animals become anorectic and unable to defecate.
• Sometimes, the afflicted animals present with photosensitization
with swollen ears and eyelids.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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