Brucea mollis

Brucea mollis, commonly known as the soft Brucea, is a significant medicinal shrub native to Southeast Asia. Renowned for its potent bioactive compounds, particularly bruceine, it is traditionally used to treat various ailments, including skin diseases and intestinal parasites, playing a vital role in both folk medicine and pharmacology.

  • Scientific name: Brucea mollis
  • Family: Simaroubaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Sapindales and the family Simaroubaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Brucea, specifically identified by the species name Brucea mollis.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Sapindales WCVP
Family Simaroubaceae WCVP
Genus Brucea WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Brucea mollis, is recognized by several different common names depending on the linguistic context and specific variety. In Chinese (zh), it is widely referred to as 柔毛鸦胆子, 鸦胆子, or 大果鸦胆子. Specifically, in both Mainland China (zh-cn) and Taiwan (zh-tw), the name 柔毛鸦胆子 is used to identify this medicinal species.
Language Common Name Source
zh 柔毛鸦胆子 Wikidata
zh-cn 柔毛鸦胆子 Wikidata
zh-tw 柔毛鸦胆子 Wikidata
zh 鸦胆子 Wikidata
zh 大果鸦胆子 Wikidata
zh 毛鸦胆子 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad distribution across several key regions in Asia. In China, it is specifically found within the South-Central and Southeast territories. Its presence extends into the Indian Subcontinent, where it inhabits the state of Assam. Furthermore, the species can be located throughout the country of Bangladesh. Finally, its range encompasses the diverse landscapes of the East Himalaya.

Region Area Source
China China South-Central WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Assam WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Bangladesh WCVP
Indian Subcontinent East Himalaya WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Nepal WCVP
Indo-China Cambodia WCVP
Indo-China Laos WCVP
Indo-China Myanmar WCVP
Indo-China Thailand WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Brucea mollis, utilizes its stems as a vital structural component that supports its growth and facilitates the transport of nutrients throughout its system. While the medicinal properties of the species are often concentrated in other areas such as the seeds or leaves, the stems provide the necessary framework and vascular pathways essential for the plant's overall physiological function and survival in its natural habitat.
Total parts
1
Scientific sources
3
Plant Part Sources Confidence
stems 3 ★★☆☆☆

Chemicals

Brucea mollis has 15 reported phytochemicals identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include (+)-epipinoresinol, (+)-lyoniresinol, (+)-pinoresinol, (+)-syringaresinol, 11-hydroxycanthin-6-one.

Total chemicals
15
Scientific sources
15

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
(+)-epipinoresinol 1 ★☆☆☆☆
(+)-lyoniresinol 1 ★☆☆☆☆
(+)-pinoresinol 1 ★☆☆☆☆
(+)-syringaresinol 1 ★☆☆☆☆
11-hydroxycanthin-6-one 1 ★☆☆☆☆
4,5-dihydroblumenol A 1 ★☆☆☆☆
4-methoxycanthin-6-one 1 ★☆☆☆☆
9-methoxycanthin-6-one 1 ★☆☆☆☆
adenosine 1 ★☆☆☆☆
beta-carboline-1-propionic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆