Be-still tree
Cascabela thevetia · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (436 studies) · ★★★★★
Be-still tree, scientifically known as Cascabela thevetia, is a striking evergreen shrub prized for its bright yellow blooms. While its medicinal potential is widely studied, the plant contains potent cardiac glycosides, making it highly toxic if mishandled. Always exercise extreme caution when exploring its pharmacological properties and traditional uses.
Names
Common Names
- Be-still tree
- Captain Cook tree
- Lucky nut
- Yellow oleander
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Catapis
- Chirca
- Venenillo
German:
- Gelber Oleander
- Schellenbaum
French:
- bois lait
- Thévétia du Pérou
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Cascabela thevetiaSynonyms
- Thevetia linearis
- Thevetia longifolia
- Thevetia neriifolia var. hirsuta
- Thevetia neriifolia var. leucantha
- Thevetia neriifolia var. pubescens
- Thevetia peruviana
- Cerbera peruviana
- Thevetia peruviana f. aurantiaca
- Cerbera thevetia
- Cerbera linearifolia
- Cascabela peruviana
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Gentianaales, it is further categorized into the family Apocynaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Cascabela.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Apocynaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Cascabela | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across several continents and regions. In Southeastern Europe, it can be found specifically in Italy. Its range extends to the Macaronesian region, particularly within the Canary Islands. In West Tropical Africa, the species is distributed throughout Gambia and Senegal. Finally, its presence is noted in West-Central Tropical Africa, specifically encompassing the Gulf of Guinea Islands.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Europe | Italy | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Canary Is. | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Chad | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Angola | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| Western Asia | East Aegean Is. | WCVP |
| Arabian Peninsula | Gulf States | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Cascabela thevetia, utilizes various anatomical components for its medicinal applications, though it is important to note that many parts contain potent cardiac glycosides. The large, lanceolate leaves are frequently studied for their bioactive compounds, and when processed into a fine leaf powder, they can be used in specific topical or traditional preparations. The woody stem bark also contains concentrated alkaloids used in various botanical extracts. Furthermore, the plant produces distinctive elongated fruit, which is encased in a thick fruit rind that serves as a protective layer for the seeds. While these parts are chemically significant, their use requires extreme caution due to the plant's inherent toxicity.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| fruit | BMC complementary and alternative medicine (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | Die Pharmazie (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Cascabela thevetia has 54 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Cardiac Glycosides, Flavonoids, Apigenin 5-methylether, Arachidic acid, Aucubin.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac Glycosides | 4 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Apigenin 5-methylether | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Arachidic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aucubin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| BETA-SITOSTEROL | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Betulin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CATALASE | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Caoutchouc | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cardenolides | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Cardiac Glycosides
- The Medical journal of Australia
- Natural product research
- Chemistry & biodiversity
- ACS omega
Flavonoids
- Natural product research
- Chemistry & biodiversity
Apigenin 5-methylether
- Dr. Duke
Arachidic acid
- Dr. Duke
Aucubin
- Dr. Duke
BETA-SITOSTEROL
- Dr. Duke
Betulin
- Dr. Duke
CATALASE
- Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
Caoutchouc
- Dr. Duke
Cardenolides
- Dr. Duke
Activities
Cascabela thevetia has 290 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antiviral, Cardiotonic, Cardiotoxic, Cytotoxic.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cardiotonic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cardiotoxic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Diuretic | 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) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ATPase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Cascabela thevetia has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cardiac disorders, diuretic.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| cardiac disorders | Natural product research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diuretic | Natural product research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf Powder | ACS omega (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| crude methanolic extracts | Natural product research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| frozen fresh leaves | Phytochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem bark | Die Pharmazie (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |