Dorstenia contrajerva

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Dorstenia contrajerva
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Moraceae
Tribe:
Dorstenieae
Genus:
Dorstenia
Species:
D. contrajerva
Binomial name
Dorstenia contrajerva
Synonyms

Dorstenia contrajerva L. var. houstonii L.
Dorstenia houstonii (L.) L.
Dorstenia quadrangularis Stokes
Dorstenia alexiteria L.
Dorstenia quadrangularis Stokes var. sinuata Stokes
Dorstenia quadrangularis Stokes var. pinnatifida Stokes
Dorstenia palmata Willd. ex Schult.
Dorstenia maculata Lem.
Dorstenia contrajerva L. subsp. tenuiloba S.F.Blake

Dorstenia contrajerva or Snakewort is a species of herb in the Mulberry or Moraceae plant family. It is native to Northern South America and Central America. The species name "contrajerva" is the Latinized form of the plant's Spanish name, "contrahierba," a name for plants used for treating poisoning and venomous bites and stings, and for which its rootstocks are used in folk medicine (as contrayerva).[1] It is cultivated in Indonesia and Malaysia, and locally in Africa and South America. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.[2]

Description

Dorstenia contrajerva is a small evergreen perennial plant with a creeping rhizome and a rosette of leaves with long stems. Leaves are variably shaped, with plants with lobed and unlobed leaves co-occurring in the same populations.[3] Leaves are up to 20cm long on stems up to 25cm long. When damaged the plant exudes a white latex. Tiny male and female flowers are distributed intermixed on a discoid receptacle of convoluted shape. The fruits are small and contained in a quadrangular container. The tiny seeds are explosively expelled.

Plants acaulescent or nearly so. The stems, if any, are very short and covered with persistent petiole bases. Leaves are often very numerous and crowded. Stipules persistent; petiole 8-25 cm. Leaf blade long-petiolate, oblong-ovate, deltate-ovate, or orbiculate, entire or deeply pinnately or almost palmately lobed, 6-20 × 7-22 cm, sparsely scabrous or pubescent. The lobes acute to acuminate, narrow or broad. Inflorescences: receptacle flat, curved, or undulate, quadrangular or irregularly lobed, accrescent in age and 2-5 cm. wide, scaberulous beneath. On long slender peduncle, 7-25 cm. Drupes somewhat globose. Seeds yellowish. 2 n = 30.[4][5][6]

In the United States Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary (1927), the rhizome of Dorstenia contrajerva or Contrayera is described as fusiform, 1–2 headed, 5–7.5 cm long, 12 mm thick, reddish, with an unpleasant odor and acrid, bitter taste.[7]

Distribution

Dorstenia contrajerva is native to southern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America including Peru.[8] It is cultivated in Indonesia (Java) and Malaysia (Malacca), and locally in Africa and South America.[9] In North America Dorstenia contrajerva has been introduced to Florida and is a weed in greenhouses and nurseries. It is sometimes cultivated as a house plant.[10][11]

Dorstenia contrajerva

Habitat

It grows in shady places in disturbed vegetation in mangroves, savannahs, thickets, and tropical forests.[12][13]

Medicinal Uses

The United States Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary of 1927 says that the aromatic root of this plant was used for low fevers, typhoid, diarrhea, dysentry, serpent bites; in decoction, tincture.[14] Maud Grieve writes in her Modern Herbal (1931) that contrayerva given as a powder or decoction is a “Stimulant, tonic, and diaphoretic; given in cases of low fevers, typhoid, dysentery, diarrhoea, and other illnesses needing a stimulant.” [15][16] In folk medicine it is used to treat bites of poisonous animals.

The first description[17][18]. of this plant and its medical usage in Mexico was made at the end of the sixteenth century by the Spanish naturalist and physician Francisco Hernández de Toledo: “The herb called Tozpàtli has a round root about the size of a hazelnut, with thin strands and of an azure color, from which are born delicate petioles, and on them cymbal-like eyes, almost similar to those of the Polypodium, but smaller and more green. As they say, it carries no flower at all. It grows in high and flat, but hot places. The root is sharp and fragrant to taste, hot and dry almost in the fourth degree, and of subtle parts. This herb cures ringworm, boils, whitlow, and also what they call French evil (i.e. syphilis), and clears up tumors and abscesses. The root applied externally, or taken by the mouth alleviates many diseases that can be easily understood using the Method, and good speech, considering the qualities and properties described (above). Finally, this is an important and noteworthy plant, without which our apothecaries and those who spend in them cannot be.” [19][20].

In the entry “Contra-yerva” in Chambers Cyclopedia of 1728, it is said that its root “brought from Peru” is “esteem'd an Alexiterial, and a sovereign Antidote against Poison.” [21] It also says that the root and the recipe Lapis Contrayerva (see below) are of great efficacy in small pox, measles, fevers and in “all Cases where either a Diaphoresis or Perspiration is required.”[22]

The 18th–19th century Spanish Mexican physician and botanist Vicente Cervantes describes it as: "a plant with an aromatic smell, an acrid taste, somewhat bitter and persistent. Its virtue is stimulating, tonic and diaphoretic, it is recommended in putrid or adynamic fevers."[23]

Other uses

In North America powder made from the rootstocks and leaves is mixed with tobacco for improving the taste of cigarettes.[24]

Chemical constituents

The United States Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary (1927) says that the root of Dorstenia contrajerva contains contrayerbine, cajapine, volatile oil, resin, a bitter principle, and starch.[25] A 2016 study isolated the following 11 compounds from Dorstenia contrajerva: dorsjervin A, dorsjervin B, psoralen, dorstenin, squalene,  ?-sitosterol, cycloartocarpesin, 1-O-linolenoyl-2-O-stearoyl-3-O-ß-D-galactopyranosyl glycerol, bergapten, dorsteniol, and xanthoarnol.[26] The cardenolide syriogenin was isolated in the root.[27]

Vernacular names

  • English: snakewort, tusilla
  • French: herbe aux serpents, racine de charchis
  • German: bezoarwurz, schlangenwurz
  • Spanish: contra de cobra, contrahierba, barbudilla (Mexico), hierba de sapo, higuerilla (Argentina), mano de leon (Venezuela)[28][29]

Pictures

References

  1. ^ Standley, Paul Carpenter & Steyermark, Julian A, Flora of Guatemala, Chicago, 1946: 28–29.
  2. ^ Linnaeus, Carl. Species plantarum, Tomus I, Pars II, 1753: 683.
  3. ^ Hayden, John, W. Flora of Kaxil Kiuic “Dorstenia contrajerva L.”. Retrieved 23.10.2017.
  4. ^ Flora of North America. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  5. ^ Standley, Paul Carpenter & Steyermark, Julian A, Flora of Guatemala, Chicago, 1946: 28.
  6. ^ Hayden, John, W. Flora of Kaxil Kiuic “Dorstenia contrajerva L.”. Retrieved 23.10.2017.
  7. ^ Culbreth, David M. A Manual of Materia Medica and Pharmacology, 7th edition, Philadelphia, 1927:
  8. ^ Berg, Cornelis C. (2001). "Moreae, Artocarpeae, and Dorstenia (Moraceae), with Introductions to the Family and Ficus and with Additions and Corrections to Flora Neotropica Monograph 7". Flora Neotropica. 83: 1–346.
  9. ^ Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  10. ^ Flora of North America. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  11. ^ Hayden, John, W. Flora of Kaxil Kiuic “Dorstenia contrajerva L.”. Retrieved 23.10.2017.
  12. ^ Atlas de las Plantas de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana, “Contrayerba Dorstenia contrajerva L. Moraceae”. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  13. ^ Hayden, John, W. Flora of Kaxil Kiuic “Dorstenia contrajerva L.”. Retrieved 23.10.2017.
  14. ^ Culbreth, David M. A Manual of Materia Medica and Pharmacology, 7th edition, Philadelphia, 1927:
  15. ^ Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Porter, Noah, ed. (1913). Webster's Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts: C. & G. Merriam Co. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ Grieve, M. “Contrayerva”, A Modern Herbal. Retrieved on 14.10.2017.
  17. ^ Weinmann, Johann Wilhelm. Phytanthoza-Iconographia, ben Hieronymi Lenz, 1739: 218.
  18. ^ Atlas de las Plantas de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana, “Contrayerba Dorstenia contrajerva L. Moraceae”. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  19. ^ “A yerza llamada Tozpàtli, tiena la rayz redoda del tamaño de un auellana, con unas hebras delgadas, y de un color açul, de donde nacen unos peçoncillos delicados, y en ellos las ojas cymbrossas, y casi semejantes a les del polipondio, pero menores y mas verdes, segun dizen no lleua flor ninguna. Nace en lugares altos y llanos, pero calientes, la rayz es aguda y olorosa al gusto, caliente y seca casi enel quarto grado, y de partes sutiles, cura esta yerua los empeynes y los diuiessos, y panarriços, y tambien el que llaman mal frances, y resuelbe los tumores y apostemas, la rayz aplicada por defuera, o tomada por la boca, aproueccha aotras muchas enfermedades que facilmente podra entender el que usando de Methodo, y buen discurso, considerando las dichas virtudes y facultades, finalmente esta es una principal y notable planta, sin la qual no deuian estar nuestras boticas y que todos lo gastaran.” Hernández, Francisco.Quatro libros de la naturaleza, y virtudes de las plantas, y animales, 1615: 79–80. Later edition: J. R. Bravo, 1838: 115.
  20. ^ Modern translation: “cura los salpullidos, los lamparones, los forúnculos y el llamado mal gálico, resuelve los demás tumores y alivia otras enfermedades que por las propiedades dichas, fácilmente puede conocerse cuáles sean”, Atlas de las Plantas de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana, “Contrayerba Dorstenia contrajerva L. Moraceae”. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  21. ^ Chambers, Ephraim. Cyclopaedia: or, An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 1, London 1728: 318.
  22. ^ Chambers, Ephraim. Cyclopaedia: or, An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 1, London 1728: 319.
  23. ^ "es una planta de olor aromático, sabor acre, algo amargo y persistente. Su virtud es estimulante, tónica y diaforética, se recomienda en las fiebres pútridas o adinámicas". Atlas de las Plantas de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana, “Contrayerba Dorstenia contrajerva L. Moraceae”. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  24. ^ Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  25. ^ Culbreth, David M. A Manual of Materia Medica and Pharmacology, 7th edition, Philadelphia, 1927:
  26. ^ Peniche-Pavía,H.A.,et al. “Metabolites isolated from the rhizomes of Dorstenia contrajerva with anti-leishmanial activity”. Retrieved 15.10.2017.
  27. ^ Casagrande, C., Ronchetti F., Russo, G. “The structure of syriogenin” Tetrahedron, Volume 30, Issue 19, 1974, Pages 3587-3589
  28. ^ Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
  29. ^ Flora of North America. Retrieved 14.10.2017.
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