Indian Coral Tree

Erythrina variegata · Accepted scientific name

Scientific literature: Moderate (108 studies) · ★★★☆☆

Indian Coral Tree, scientifically known as Erythrina variegata, is a striking ornamental legume renowned for its vibrant scarlet blossoms. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this versatile plant holds significant value in traditional medicine, where its various parts are utilized to treat ailments ranging from inflammation to skin disorders and digestive issues.

Family
Fabaceae
Native range
Africa
Parts used
Seed · Bark
Common names
Indian Coral Tree · Coraltree · 3 more
Scientific synonyms
Chirocalyx Divaricatus · Chirocalyx Pictus · 33 more

Names

Common Names

Regional and Traditional Names

Spanish:

  • Colorín amarillo
  • Poró rayo de luna

German:

  • Indischer Korallenbaum
  • Indischer Korallenbaum

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Erythrina variegata

Synonyms

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is a member of the Fabaceae family. Specifically, it is classified under the genus Erythrina.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Fabales WCVP
Family Fabaceae WCVP
Genus Erythrina WCVP

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several regions across the African continent. In Northern Africa, its presence can be noted in Egypt. Its range extends to the Macaronesian islands, specifically including Cape Verde. Within West Tropical Africa, the species is found in both Nigeria and Senegal. Finally, it reaches into West-Central Tropical Africa, specifically around the Gulf of Guinea Islands.

Region Area Source
Northern Africa Egypt WCVP
Macaronesia Cape Verde WCVP
West Tropical Africa Nigeria WCVP
West Tropical Africa Senegal WCVP
West-Central Tropical Africa Gulf of Guinea Is. WCVP
Northeast Tropical Africa Sudan-South Sudan WCVP
East Tropical Africa Tanzania WCVP
East Tropical Africa Uganda WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Aldabra WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Erythrina variegata, possesses various components that are utilized in traditional medicinal practices. The root bark is often sought for its specific therapeutic properties, while the bark found on the main trunk and the specialized stem bark are also harvested for their bioactive compounds. Additionally, the sturdy wood of the tree and its small, potent seeds contribute to the diverse range of botanical materials available from this species for various herbal applications.
Plant Part Sources Consensus
seed Journal of biochemistry (and other 5 sources) ★★★☆☆
bark Lloydia (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
root Phytochemistry (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
barks Journal of complementary & integrative medicine (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
leaf Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
stem bark Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
wood Planta medica (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Erythrina variegata has 57 reported phytochemicals identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Lectin, lactose, N-acetyllactosamine, EBI, galactose.

Chemicals reported in Erythrina variegata
Chemical Supporting sources Consensus
Lectin 6 supporting sources ★★★☆☆
lactose 6 supporting sources ★★★☆☆
N-acetyllactosamine 3 supporting sources ★★☆☆☆
EBI 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
galactose 2 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
1-(4-Hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)-2-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoyloxy)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-1-ol 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
2'-Fucosyllactose 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6-(3,3-dimethylallyloxiranylmethyl)isoflavone 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
8-Prenyldaidzein 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆
CAMPESTEROL 1 supporting sources ★☆☆☆☆

Lectin

  1. European journal of biochemistry
  2. Journal of molecular biology
  3. The Journal of biological chemistry
  4. Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie : international journal of medical microbiology
  5. Canadian journal of biochemistry
View 1 additional sources
  1. FEBS letters

lactose

  1. Journal of biochemistry
  2. Biochemistry
  3. Science (New York, N.Y.)
  4. The Journal of biological chemistry
  5. European journal of biochemistry
View 1 additional sources
  1. FEBS letters

N-acetyllactosamine

  1. Biochemistry
  2. The Journal of biological chemistry
  3. European journal of biochemistry

EBI

  1. Journal of biochemistry
  2. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

galactose

  1. Science (New York, N.Y.)
  2. European journal of biochemistry

1-(4-Hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)-2-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoyloxy)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-1-ol

  1. Journal of natural products

2'-Fucosyllactose

  1. The Journal of biological chemistry

5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6-(3,3-dimethylallyloxiranylmethyl)isoflavone

  1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

8-Prenyldaidzein

  1. Journal of natural products

CAMPESTEROL

  1. Lloydia

Activities

Erythrina variegata has 5 reported activities identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Antidiabetic, Antipyretic, Anxiolytic, Sedative.

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Consensus
Analgesic Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
Antidiabetic Omics : a journal of integrative biology (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
Antipyretic Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
Anxiolytic ACS omega (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
Sedative ACS omega (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Erythrina variegata has 6 reported medicinal uses identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include analgesic, antipyretic, anxiety, chymotrypsin, insomnia.

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Consensus
analgesic Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
antipyretic Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
anxiety ACS omega (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
chymotrypsin Journal of biochemistry (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
insomnia ACS omega (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
liver cancer Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆

Preparations

Preparations Sources Consensus
root bark Phytochemistry (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
EV extracts Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
MECS hard capsules ACS omega (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
benzene solvent extract Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
chloroform solvent extract Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
crude hexane solvent extract Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
ethanol extractive Lloydia (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
ethyl acetate solvent extract Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
extracts from seeds FEBS letters (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
methanol extracts Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆