Cerbera manghas
Beach milkwood
Cerbera manghas, commonly known as the sea mango, is a coastal evergreen tree native to tropical regions. While its striking flowers and fruits are aesthetically pleasing, the plant is highly toxic, containing potent cardiac glycosides. In traditional medicine, it is used cautiously, though its extreme toxicity requires careful handling.
- Scientific name: Cerbera manghas
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further categorized under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Gentianales, falling into the family Apocynaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Cerbera.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Apocynaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Cerbera | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Cerbera manghas, is recognized by various common names across different linguistic and regional contexts. In Chinese, it is referred to as 海芒果 (zh-hans), 海檬果 (zh-hant), and 海檬果 (zh-hk). In the Indonesian language, it is known as Bintaro (id), a name that is also shared in Javanese as Bintaro (jv).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 海芒果 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 海檬果 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 海檬果 | Wikidata |
| id | Bintaro | Wikidata |
| jv | Bintaro | Wikidata |
| ja | ミフクラギ | Wikidata |
| th | ตีนเป็ดทราย | Wikidata |
| ms | bentan | Wikidata |
| ru | Цербера мангас | Wikidata |
| zh | 海芒果 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a widespread presence across several key regions of the tropical belt. In East Tropical Africa, its distribution can be traced to the nation of Tanzania. It is also extensively found throughout the Western Indian Ocean, including the islands of Madagascar and Mauritius. Furthermore, its range extends to the Comoros and the remote Chagos Archipelago. These various locations highlight the plant's specific ecological niche within the Indian Ocean maritime environment.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Chagos Archipelago | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Mauritius | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Madagascar | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Seychelles | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Nansei-shoto | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known scientifically as Cerbera manghas, utilizes various parts for its medicinal and chemical properties, though many are highly toxic. The roots are often studied for their complex alkaloid content, which can exhibit significant biological activity. The leaves are frequently employed in traditional applications, containing bioactive compounds that are central to the plant's pharmacological profile. Additionally, the fresh branch can be harvested to extract specific phytochemicals, contributing to the overall chemical diversity used in scientific research and traditional medicine.- Total parts
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| roots | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fresh branch | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Cerbera manghas has 14 reported phytochemicals identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoic acid, 3-O-methylfunicone, 5-methylbenzene-1,3-diol, Cerberin, Sch 1385568.
- Total chemicals
- 14
- Scientific sources
- 14
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3-O-methylfunicone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-methylbenzene-1,3-diol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cerberin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Sch 1385568 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiac glycosides | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| iridoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lignans | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Cerbera manghas has 12 reported activities identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Anticancer, Antioxidant, Cardiotonic, Anticonvulsant.
- Total activities
- 12
- Scientific sources
- 16
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Analgesic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cardiotonic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticonvulsant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiestrogenic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiproliferative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cardiotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypotensive | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Cerbera manghas has 11 reported medicinal uses identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include analgesic, cardiotonic, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, burns.
- Total uses
- 11
- Scientific sources
- 13
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| analgesic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiotonic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anticonvulsant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| burns | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| colon cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gastritis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hepatitis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hypertension | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| peritonitis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |