Aquilaria
Lign-aloes trees
Aquilaria, commonly known as agarwood or oud, is a genus of trees renowned for producing precious resin. Found across Southeast Asia, these trees develop fragrant, dark heartwood in response to fungal infections. This highly valued substance is prized globally in traditional medicine, luxury perfumery, and spiritual incense rituals.
- Scientific name: Aquilaria
- Family: Thymelaeaceae
- Native range: Asia-Temperate
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Malvales, it is classified under the family Thymelaeaceae. Its specific taxonomic designation is within the genus Aquilaria.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malvales | WCVP |
| Family | Thymelaeaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Aquilaria | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Aquilaria, is recognized by a variety of common names across different languages and regions. In Russian, it is referred to as Аквилария, while in Lithuanian, it is called Agarmedis. In Vietnam, the plant is widely known as Chi Dó trầm, and in Chinese, it is identified as 沉香属. Additionally, in the Malayalam language, it is known as അകിൽ.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ru | Аквилария | Wikidata |
| lt | Agarmedis | Wikidata |
| vi | Chi Dó trầm | Wikidata |
| zh | 沉香属 | Wikidata |
| ml | അകിൽ | Wikidata |
| ar | عود | Wikidata |
| bg | аквилария | Wikidata |
| th | สกุลกฤษณา | Wikidata |
| ja | アクイラリア属 | Wikidata |
| fi | Agarupuut | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. Within China, its presence is noted in the South-Central areas as well as the Southeast. It can also be found growing on the island of Hainan. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, the species is documented in the state of Assam. Finally, its range extends into the neighboring territory of Bangladesh.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Cambodia | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Laos | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Myanmar | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Thailand | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known scientifically as Aquilaria, is highly valued for its unique medicinal and aromatic properties derived from specific components of its structure. The most prized part is the agarwood, a dense, fragrant substance that forms when the tree undergoes a specific fungal infection. This precious material is primarily found within the heartwood of the trunks, where the tree produces a dark, resinous substance as a defense mechanism. This specialized resin permeates the wood, transforming it into the aromatic agarwood that is used globally in traditional medicine and perfumery.- Total parts
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 8
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| agarwood | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| resin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| trunks | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| heartwood | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Agarwood | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Aquilaria has 13 reported phytochemicals identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, resin, Sesquiterpenes, chromones, cucurbitacin.
- Total chemicals
- 13
- Scientific sources
- 15
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| resin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Sesquiterpenes | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chromones | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cucurbitacin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cucurbitacins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lignans | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| mangiferin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| sesquiterpenes | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| steroids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Aquilaria has 6 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidepressant, Antimicrobial, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Bacteriostatic.
- Total activities
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antidepressant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bacteriostatic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypoglycemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Aquilaria has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Alzheimer's disease, antidepressant.
- Total uses
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antidepressant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |