Croton cajucara
Croton cajucara, commonly known as Cajucara, is a medicinal plant native to Brazil, highly valued in traditional medicine. Renowned for its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it is frequently used to treat digestive issues, skin conditions, and metabolic disorders, offering significant therapeutic potential for modern pharmacological research and development.
- Scientific name: Croton cajucara
- Family: Euphorbiaceae
- Native range: Southern America
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Malpighiales, it is further categorized under the family Euphorbiaceae. Ultimately, its scientific designation is placed within the genus Croton.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malpighiales | WCVP |
| Family | Euphorbiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Croton | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Croton cajucara, is recognized by various regional identifiers depending on the linguistic context. In French, it is commonly referred to as Oxydectes cajucara.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| fr | Oxydectes cajucara | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad distribution across several distinct regions of the South American continent. In Northern South America, its presence is documented in both Suriname and Venezuela. The species also extends into Western South America, specifically inhabiting parts of Bolivia and Peru. Furthermore, its range includes the West-Central region of Brazil. Together, these locations highlight the diverse environmental settings where Croton cajucara can be found.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern South America | Suriname | WCVP |
| Northern South America | Venezuela | WCVP |
| Western South America | Bolivia | WCVP |
| Western South America | Peru | WCVP |
| Brazil | Brazil West-Central | WCVP |
| Brazil | Brazil Northeast | WCVP |
| Brazil | Brazil North | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Croton cajucaru, is recognized for its therapeutic properties, which are primarily derived from its woody components. The medicinal efficacy is often concentrated in the bark and the stem bark, where various bioactive compounds are stored. When harvesting for pharmacological use, these specific parts are carefully extracted to utilize their natural chemical constituents.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| bark | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Croton cajucara has 23 reported phytochemicals identified across 30 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include trans-dehydrocrotonin, dehydrocrotonin, diterpene, DHC, Dehydrocrotonin.
- Total chemicals
- 23
- Scientific sources
- 30
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| trans-dehydrocrotonin | 6 | ★★★☆☆ |
| dehydrocrotonin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diterpene | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| DHC | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Dehydrocrotonin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| arabinan | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| arabinogalactan | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| arabinose | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| beta-sitosterol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cajucarin A | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Croton cajucara has 9 reported activities identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antinociceptive, Antiulcerogenic, Apoptotic, Clastogenic, Cytotoxic.
- Total activities
- 9
- Scientific sources
- 10
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antinociceptive | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiulcerogenic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Apoptotic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Clastogenic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gastroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Genotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypoglycemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypolipidemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Croton cajucara has 9 reported medicinal uses identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include DNA damage, Sarcoma 180, apoptosis, gastric ulcer, gastric ulcers.
- Total uses
- 9
- Scientific sources
- 9
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| DNA damage | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Sarcoma 180 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| apoptosis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gastric ulcer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gastric ulcers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gastrointestinal disorders | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hypoglycemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| liver diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |