okra plant
Abelmoschus esculentus · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (765 studies) · ★★★★★
Okra plant, scientifically known as Abelmoschus esculentus, is a versatile flowering plant celebrated for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, it is used traditionally to support digestive health, manage blood sugar levels, and promote skin vitality, making it a vital component in herbal wellness.
Names
Common Names
- gumbo
- lady's-finger
- okra
- lady's-fingers
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Hibiscus longifolius
- Cafe del pais
- Abelmoschus tuberculatus var. deltoidefolius
- Ají turco
- Naju
- Gumbó
- Café del país
- Quiabo
- Yerba de culebra
- Calalu
- Abelmoschus longifolius
- Angu
- Ñajú
- Chumbombó
- Gombó
- Chicombo
- Guingombó
- Quigombo
- Café del pais
- Gombo
- Chumbombo
- Abelmoschus bammia
- Quingombo
- Abelmosco comestible
- Semilla de culebra
- Bamia
- Ocra
- Quigombó
- Quingombó
- Abdelmoschus esculentus
- Hibiscus esculentus
- Najú
- Quingambo
- Chaucha turca
- Quiabeiro
- Yambó
- Chimbombo
- Aji turco
- Cocra
- Bolondron
- Guingombo
- Quimbombó
- Hibiscus ficifolius
- Quillobo
- Molondron
- Ñaju
- Okra
- Chicombó
- Gambó
- Quimbombo
- Guingambó
- Jolocin
- Hibiscus praecox
- Calalú
- Abelmoschus praecox
- Bolondrón
- Ñangu
- Molondrón
- Bombó
- Abelmoschus tuberculatus
- Nangu
- Guingambo
- Nangú
- Ñangú
- Cafe del país
- Jolocín
- Gumbo
- Yambo
- Gambo
- Bombo
- gombo
- Molondrón
German:
- Okra
- Okraschote
- Ocker
- eßbarer Bisameibisch
French:
- gombo
- Okra
- Hisbiscus esculentus
- Corne grecque
- Hibiscus esculentus
- Bahmia
- calou en Guyane
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Abelmoschus esculentusSynonyms
- Hibiscus praecox
- Hibiscus esculentus
- Abelmoschus tuberculatus
- Abelmoschus tuberculatus var. deltoidefolius
- Hibiscus esculentus var. praecox
- Hibiscus ficifolius
- Hibiscus esculentus var. textilis
- Hibiscus longifolius
- Abelmoschus praecox var. hispidus
- Abelmoschus praecox
- Abelmoschus praecox var. pubescens
- Hibiscus bammia
- Abelmoschus longifolius
- Hibiscus esculentus var. vulgaris
- Hibiscus esculentus var. zhukovskyi
- Abelmoschus bammia
- Hibiscus esculentus var. elongatus
- Hibiscus esculentus var. vavilovii
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, Abelmoschus esculentus, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae. Finally, its taxonomic placement is completed within the genus Abelmoschus.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malvales | WCVP |
| Family | Malvaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Abelmoschus | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific distribution across various regions of Europe. In Southeastern Europe, its presence is documented in Albania and Bulgaria. It can also be found within the borders of Greece and Romania. Additionally, the species extends into Eastern Europe, specifically located in Krym. These locations define the documented geographical range for Abelmoschus esculentus.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Europe | Albania | WCVP |
| Southeastern Europe | Bulgaria | WCVP |
| Southeastern Europe | Greece | WCVP |
| Southeastern Europe | Romania | WCVP |
| Eastern Europe | Krym | WCVP |
| Eastern Europe | South European Russia | WCVP |
| Eastern Europe | Ukraine | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Cape Verde | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as okra, offers various therapeutic benefits through its diverse components. The mucilaginous fruits are widely consumed and utilized for their nutritional and soothing properties, while the leaves serve as a traditional remedy in many cultures. Specifically, the young leaves are often prized for their higher concentration of bioactive compounds and are frequently used in dietary preparations to support health. Furthermore, a concentrated extract derived from different parts of the plant can be prepared to harness its medicinal potency for targeted therapeutic applications.| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| fruits | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Young leaves | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extract | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | RSC advances (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Abelmoschus esculentus has 109 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, quercetin, Isoquercitrin, Lectin, lysine.
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | Dr. Duke (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| quercetin | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Isoquercitrin | Nutrients (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Lectin | International immunopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lysine | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| palmitic acid | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tryptophan | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 12,13-epoxyoleic acid | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3-Methyl-1-butanol | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 4-o-beta-d-galactopyranosyl-d-galactose | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Abelmoschus esculentus has 536 reported activities identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antibacterial, Antistress.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 7 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antistress | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypolipidemic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 11B-HSD-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Abelmoschus esculentus has 48 reported medicinal uses identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include blood glucose, breast cancer, dyslipidemia, inflammation, Antidiabetic.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| blood glucose | Journal of food biochemistry (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | International journal of biomaterials (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dyslipidemia | Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | Pharmaceutical biology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | RSC advances (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cancer | Chemistry & biodiversity (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Diabetes mellitus | Frontiers in veterinary science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Drought | Frontiers in plant science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Insulin Resistance | Folia medica (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| abscesses | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| A. esculentus lectin (AEL) | International immunopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AE extracts | Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Abelmoschus esculentus extract | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Kelpak |
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Seaweed Extract | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous and methanolic seed extracts | TheScientificWorldJournal (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| green vegetables | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lectin isolated from AE | Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria-PGPR | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |