flame-of-the-forest
Butea monosperma · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Moderate (103 studies) · ★★★☆☆
Flame-of-the-forest, scientifically known as Butea monospermum, is a striking deciduous tree celebrated in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Renowned for its vibrant orange blossoms, every part of this plant—from bark to seeds—offers therapeutic benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and digestive properties, making it a vital botanical treasure in herbal healing.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native range
- Asia-Temperate
- Parts used
- Seed · Stem
- Common names
- Not available
- Scientific synonyms
- Kennedia Monosperma · Plaso Monosperma · 8 more
Names
Regional and Traditional Names
German:
- Malabar-Lackbaum
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Butea monospermaSynonyms
- Kennedia monosperma
- Plaso monosperma
- Corallodendron monospermum
- Rudolphia frondosa
- Plaso frondosa
- Plaso monosperma var. flava
- Butea braamiana
- Erythrina monosperma
- Butea monosperma var. lutea
- Butea frondosa var. lutea
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales, it is further categorized into the family Fabaceae. Finally, it is placed within the specific genus Butea.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Butea | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range across parts of Asia. In China, it can be found specifically throughout the South-Central and Southeast regions. Its distribution extends into the Indian Subcontinent, where it is native to Assam. Furthermore, the species is well-documented within the borders of Bangladesh. Finally, it also thrives in the rugged terrains 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 | India | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Pakistan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Sri Lanka | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | West Himalaya | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Butea monospermum, commonly known as Palash or Flame of the Forest, possesses various parts that are utilized for their medicinal properties. The leaves are often employed in traditional remedies to treat skin diseases and fever, while the stems and the stem bark are frequently used in decoctions to address ailments such as inflammation and digestive issues. The seeds are highly significant in Ayurvedic practice, often used to treat various parasitic infections. Furthermore, the seed oil, extracted from the harvested seeds, is valued for its topical applications and its role in managing specific dermatological conditions.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| seed | Acta microbiologica Hungarica (and other 6 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| stem | Natural product research (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaf | Scientific reports (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| flower | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Butea monosperma has 21 reported phytochemicals identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CATECHIN, Flavonoids, Butin, Isocoreopsin, quercetin.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| CATECHIN | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Butin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Isocoreopsin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| quercetin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-)-Medicarpin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-)-Medicarpin acetate | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Butrin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gallic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
CATECHIN
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Computational biology and chemistry
- Chemistry & biodiversity
Flavonoids
- Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
- Computational biology and chemistry
- Natural product research
Butin
- Computational biology and chemistry
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Isocoreopsin
- The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics
- Computational biology and chemistry
quercetin
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Chemistry & biodiversity
(-)-Medicarpin
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
(-)-Medicarpin acetate
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Butrin
- The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics
Flavonoid
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Gallic acid
- Chemistry & biodiversity
Activities
Butea monosperma has 17 reported activities identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Cytotoxic, Antiamnesic.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aphrodisiac | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | Chemistry & biodiversity (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiamnesic | Pharmaceutical biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiepileptic | Metabolic brain disease (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifertility | Computational biology and chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antigenotoxic | Chemistry & biodiversity (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Butea monosperma has 26 reported medicinal uses identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, constipation, diarrhea, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus subtilis.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| cancer | Current drug targets (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| constipation | Archives of Razi Institute (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diarrhea | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Agrobacterium tumefaciens | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bacillus subtilis | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Breast cancer | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Enterobacter aerogenes | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Enterobacter cloacae | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Escherichia coli | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Free Radical | Chemistry & biodiversity (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| extracts | Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem bark | Natural product research (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Preparations | Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Seed powder | Archives of Razi Institute (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| alcoholic bark extract | The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous ethanolic extract cocktail | Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous preparations | The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| arkas | The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| butin isolated from the seeds | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ethanol extracts | Journal of chromatographic science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |