Gen info
- Sanchezia is a genus of shrubs, rarely, small trees or herbs, in the plant family Acanthaceae. It contains 45 species.
- Etymology: The genus name Sanchezia honors John Sanchez, a 19th century professor of botany in Cadiz, Spain. The specific epithet speciosa is from Latin speciosus, meaning showy or beautiful. The specific epithet oblonga derives from Latin, likely referring to the shape of the leaves or fruits.

Botany
• Sanchezia is a small, semi-woody erect evergreen shrub growing 1.3 to 2.4 meters. Stems are smooth bright green to purple. Leaves are large, up to 26 centimeters in length, opposite, lanceolate. Blade is green, with well defined yellow or ivory veins. Flowers are yellow, tubular, with red bracts, about 5 centimeters long, and borne in terminal spikes of 6 to 10. Fruits are oblong capsules with 6 to 8 circular, compressed seeds.

• Stem - smooth bright green or purple stems. Leaves - simple, opposite, large variegated, blade oblong to elliptic, 10-40 cm long, green or with yellow veins. Fruit a narrowly cylindrical capsule, infrequently formed in cultivation  Flower - flowers several, borne in clusters on an erect terminal spike sometimes divided at the base, with an ovate orange to red bract below each flower cluster. Corolla of fused petals, tubular, 4.5-5.5 cm long with five short, rounded lobes, yellow to orange, bearing oblanceolate orange sepals half as long, two protruding stamens, continuously through the year; .Fruit - a narrowly cylindrical capsule, infrequently formed in cultivation. (13)

Distribution
- Introduced.
- Naturalized. (8)
- Popular ornamental plant in the Philippines.
- Native to Bolivia, Brazil North, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. (9)
- Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants throughout the tropics. In some areas, ornamental species have becomes problematic as invasive weeds. (10)

Constituents
- Phytochemical screening of leaves yielded alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, triterpenoids, carbohydrates, steroids, phenolic compounds, saponins, and tannins. (see study below) (4)
- Study of ethanolic extract of leaves yielded 4 compounds: quercetin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosid (quercitrin) (1), quercetin 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosid (hyperosid) (2), sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosid (daucosterol) (3), and 3-methyl-1H-benz[f]indole-4,9-dione (4). (see study below) (5)
- Study of root and bark yielded the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, and tannins. (see study below) (7)
- Methanolic extract of leaves revealed tannins, alkaloids, and flavonoids. (see study below) (11)
- Chromatographic study of leaves isolated five compounds: mangiferin (1), β-sitosterol (2), margaric acid (3), ursolic acid (4), oleanolic acid (5). (see study below) (12)

Properties
- Studies suggest antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory properties.

Parts used
Roots, leaves, bark.

Uses
Edibility
- No reports found on culinary use.
- Although used as component in some traditional medicine, it is not generally considered edible.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- Ethnomedicinally used to treat cancer, rheumatism, cardiovascular problems, immune related problems, and headache. (11)
- In Vietnam, used in traditional medicine for treatment of gastritis.
- In Thailand, roots used to treat impotence and increase sexual desire.

Studies
• Anti-Cancer / MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line / Antioxidant / Leaves: Study evaluated a methanolic fraction of S. speciosa leaves for cytotoxicity on MCF-7 human breast cancer, SK-MEL-5 human malignant melanoma and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, HUVEC cells. Results showed highest activity on MCF-7 and moderate toxicity towards SK-MEL-5. The methanol extract also exhibited significant antioxidant activity, comparable to standard drug quercetin. (2)
• Antibacterial / Antifungal / Insecticidal: Study evaluated various fractions of S. speciosa for antimicrobial and insecticidal activities of S. speciosa. Among the fractions, the chloroform fraction was the best extractive for antibacterial and antifungal properties. Findings also showed insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum. (3)
• Cytotoxicity: The n-hexane and ethyl acetate soluble fractionates of leaves extract showed significant cytotoxic activities to brine shrimp lethality bioassay, with standard drug vincristine sulfate as positive control. (see constituents above) (4)
• Antioxidant / Anti-Inflammatory / Leaves: Study isolated four compounds from the ethanol extract of S. speciosa leaf. Antioxidant activities were in the order of Compound 2>C1>C4>C3. Compound 2 showed an IC50 of 20.83 ± 1.29 µg/ml for radical scavenging activity. On anti-inflammatory evaluation, order of activity was Compound 4>C3>C2>C1, with compound showing strongest inhibition with IC50 of 193.70 ± 5.24 µg/ml. (see constituents above) (5) Study of ethanol extract of leaves isolated four compounds. At 1.5 g/kbw dose of leaf extract, there was significant reduction of paw edema induced by Carrageenan. (6)
• Cytotoxicity on Human Epithelial Cervical Cancer (HeLa) Cell Line / Roots and Bark: A dichlormethane extract of root showed substantial cytotoxic activity (IC50 2.528±0.31 µg/mL) in brine shrimp lethality assay and MTT cell proliferation inhibition on HeLa cell line with IC50 of 26.7±0.72 µg/mL. Results suggest S. speciosa root extract possess significant cytotoxic potential i brine shrimp and MTT bioassay. (see constituents above) (7)
control. (see constituents above) (4)
• Antiulcer / Leaves: Screening for gastric and duodenal antiulcer effects on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models showed the n-hexane fraction produced highest activity. Of the five solvent extracts, a methanol extract showed highest antiulcer activity. Percent inhibition of gastric ulceration by the n-hexane fraction was 28.57% (p<0.05), compared to misoprostol at 22.86%. On acysteamine-induced ulcer models, the fraction was effective against gastric and duodenal ulcer (83.3%), improved ulcer damage (54.17%), and significantly reduced mean ulcer and ulcer index. (see constituents above) (12)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
TAXONOMY OF VASCULAR PLANTS IN BOTANICAL GARDEN, BAGUIO CITY / Chua, Racquel Tan PhD Biol 1 /
(2)
In vitro Anti-oxidant and Anti-cancer Activity of Methanolic Extract from Sanchezia speciosa Leaves / Paydar, Mohammadjavad; Yi Li Wong; Moharam, Bushra Abdulkarim; Won Fen Wong; Chung Yeng Looi / Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 2013; 16(20): pp 1212-1215 / DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2013.1212.1215
(3)
In Vitro Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Insecticidal Activities of Ethanolic Extract and Fractionates of Sanchezia speciosa Hook f. / Md. Abu Shuaib Rafshanjani et al / Int. Res.J. Pharm. 2014, 5(9)
(4)
Preliminary phytochemical screening and cytotoxic potentials from leaves of Sanchezia speciosa Hook.f / Shumaia Parvin, Md. Abu Shuaib Rafshanjani, Md. Abdul Kader, Tahmida Sharmin / International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research, 2015; Vol 1, No 3: pp 145-150
(5)
In vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of isolated compounds of ethanol extract from Sanchezia speciosa Leonard's leaves. / Bui Thanh, Vu Duc L, Nguyen Thanh H, Nguyen Tien V / J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2017 Jan 1; 28(1): pp 79-84 / DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp-2016-0086.
(6)
Phytochemical and anti-inflammatory effect from the leaf of Sanchezia speciosa Leonard growing in Vietnam / Loi Vu Duc, Tung Bui Thanh, Ha Vu Hoang and Tuyen Nguyen Manh / Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2016, 8(7): pp 309-315
(7)
IN VITRO CYTOTOXICITY OF SANCHEZIA SPECIOSA EXTRACTS ON HUMAN EPITHELIAL CERVICAL CANCER (HELA) CELL LINE / NUSRAT SHAHEEN*, MUHAMMAD UZAIR, BASHIR AHMAD CH and ALAMGEER* / Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica Drug Research, 2017; Vol 74, No 5: pp 1389-1304
(8)
Acanthaceae: Sanchezia oblonga / Co's Digital Flora Database
(9)
Sanchezia oblonga / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(10)
Sanchezia / Wikipedia
(11)
Pharmacognostic characteristics and antimicrobial activity of Sanchezia oblonga Ruiz & Pav. / KC Swapan, M Tanmoy, B Mainak / Plant Science Today, 2025; 12(SP2) / DOI: 10.14719/pst.5264
(12)
Chemical Constituents and Antiulcer Activity of n-Hexane Extract of Sanchezia nobilis Hook F. Leaves from Vietnam / Xuan Bui Thi, LV Duc, N Minh et al / Asian Journal of Chemistry, 2019 /
Corpus ID:201226241 / DOI: 10.14233/AJCHEM.2019.22156
(13)
Shrubby Whitevein / SOCFINDO Conservation

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