Gardenia jasminoides
Gardenia jasminoides, commonly known as Cape Jasmine, is a fragrant evergreen shrub prized for its intoxicatingly sweet, white blossoms. Beyond its ornamental beauty, this medicinal plant is traditionally used in herbal medicine to soothe skin irritations, reduce inflammation, and calm the nervous system, offering both aesthetic and therapeutic benefits.
- Scientific name: Gardenia jasminoides
- Family: Rubiaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Gentianales, it is a member of the Rubiaceae family. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Gardenia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Rubiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Gardenia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Gardenia jasminoides, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Portuguese, it is referred to as Gardênia, while in Polish, the name used is gardenia jaśminoowata. In Chinese, the plant is identified by the simplified characters 栀子花 (zh-hans), the traditional characters 梔子花 (zh-hant), and is also known as 栀子花 (zh-hk) in Hong Kong.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| pt | Gardênia | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 栀子花 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 梔子花 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 梔子花 | Wikidata |
| pl | gardenia jaśminowata | Wikidata |
| ru | гардения жасминовидная | Wikidata |
| ko | 치자나무 | Wikidata |
| th | พุดซ้อน | Wikidata |
| to | Siale matalateau | Wikidata |
| de | Gardenie | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several distinct regions. In the Western Indian Ocean, it can be found specifically within the Comoros islands. Its presence in China is extensive, covering the South-Central areas of the country. Additionally, the species is distributed throughout the Hainan province. Finally, its range extends into both the North-Central and Southeast regions of China.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China North-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Korea | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Cambodia | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Gardenia jasminoides, possesses several distinct morphological features that are utilized in various medicinal applications. The woody stem provides the structural support for the shrub, branching out to carry a dense arrangement of glossy, dark green leaves which are often studied for their bioactive compounds. As the plant matures, it produces a fleshy fruit, which develops into dark, berry-like fruits that contain the reproductive elements of the species. Within these fleshy structures, the seeds are housed, playing a crucial role in the plant's life cycle and contributing to the overall chemical profile of the specimen.- Total parts
- 17
- Scientific sources
- 30
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| fruits | 9 | ★★★★☆ |
| fruit | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| stem | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seeds | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| roots | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| red fruits | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| green fruits | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gardenic acid and gardenodic acid A | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Gardenia jasminoides has 90 reported phytochemicals identified across 139 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include geniposide, genipin, crocetin, Crocin, Geniposide.
- Total chemicals
- 90
- Scientific sources
- 139
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| geniposide | 20 | ★★★★★ |
| genipin | 8 | ★★★★☆ |
| crocetin | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Crocin | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Geniposide | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| crocin | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| gardenoside | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| geniposidic acid | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| iridoids | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
Activities
Gardenia jasminoides has 11 reported activities identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antidepressant, Neuroprotective, Antimicrobial.
- Total activities
- 11
- Scientific sources
- 20
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidepressant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antipyretic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bradycardiac | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypoglycemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Gardenia jasminoides has 40 reported medicinal uses identified across 54 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Alzheimer's disease, cancer, depression, inflammation, arthritis.
- Total uses
- 40
- Scientific sources
- 54
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's disease | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| depression | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| arthritis | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiovascular disease | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| neurodegenerative diseases | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| rheumatoid arthritis | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| HIV | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| adjuvant arthritis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |