Cistanche tubulosa
Desert hyacinth
Cistanche tubulosa, commonly known as a parasitic medicinal herb, is highly valued in traditional medicine. Native to arid regions, this plant is renowned for its potential to enhance vitality, support reproductive health, and combat fatigue. Modern research continues to explore its bioactive compounds for their neuroprotective and anti-aging properties.
- Scientific name: Cistanche tubulosa
- Family: Orobanchaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Lamiales and the family Orobanchaceae. Specifically, it is identified by the genus Cistanche, with its species designation being tubulosa.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Lamiales | WCVP |
| Family | Orobanchaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Cistanche | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Cistanche tubulosa, is known by various regional names across different languages and cultures. In Chinese, it is referred to as 管花肉苁蓉 (guǎnhuā ròucóngróng), while in Arabic, its name is ذؤنون أنبوبي. It is identified as Сары цистанхе in Kazakh and known as カンカニクジュヨウ (kankanikujuyō) in Japanese. Additionally, in Persian, it is called سنبل بیابان.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh | 管花肉苁蓉 | Wikidata |
| ar | ذؤنون أنبوبي | Wikidata |
| kk | Сары цистанхе | Wikidata |
| ja | カンカニクジュヨウ | Wikidata |
| fa | سنبل بیابان | Wikidata |
| gu | બુબલો | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 管花肉苁蓉 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 管花肉蓯 | Wikidata |
| he | יחנוק המדבר | Wikidata |
| en | Desert hyacinth | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several distinct regions of the African continent and its surrounding islands. In Northern Africa, its presence is documented in both Egypt and Libya. The species also extends into the Macaronesian archipelago, specifically found in Cape Verde. Moving toward the mainland, it can be located within West Tropical Africa in Mali. Finally, its range reaches the island of Socotra in Northeast Tropical Africa.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Africa | Egypt | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Libya | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Cape Verde | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Socotra | WCVP |
| Central Asia | Kazakhstan | WCVP |
| Central Asia | Turkmenistan | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Afghanistan | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Iran | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Iraq | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Cistanche tubulosa, is a parasitic species characterized primarily by its fleshy, succulent stem, which lacks chlorophyll and serves as the main reservoir for its bioactive compounds. Because of its unique physiological structure, the medicinal properties of the plant are often accessed through the preparation of an aqueous extract, a method used to effectively draw out the beneficial solutes held within the stem's tissues for therapeutic use.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| succulent stem | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous extract | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Cistanche tubulosa has 37 reported phytochemicals identified across 51 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include echinacoside, acteoside, verbascoside, Echinacoside, mannitol.
- Total chemicals
- 37
- Scientific sources
- 51
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| echinacoside | 7 | ★★★★☆ |
| acteoside | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| verbascoside | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Echinacoside | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| mannitol | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| sucrose | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 6-deoxycatalpol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 8-epi-loganic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acteoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Betaine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Cistanche tubulosa has 8 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antiaging, Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifatigue, Antiinflammatory.
- Total activities
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antiaging | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifatigue | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiinflammatory | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aphrodisiac | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Cistanche tubulosa has 18 reported medicinal uses identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Candida albicans, E. coli, anti-allergic, antidiabetic, antineoplastic.
- Total uses
- 18
- Scientific sources
- 18
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Candida albicans | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| E. coli | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anti-allergic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antineoplastic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antiparasitic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aphrodisiac | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cognitive function | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| impotence | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |