Justicia schimperiana
Justicia schimperiana, commonly known as the wild jasmine or mountain justicia, is a resilient medicinal shrub native to East African highlands. Renowned for its diverse therapeutic properties, this plant is traditionally utilized in folk medicine to treat various ailments, including inflammation, digestive issues, and skin infections through its bioactive compounds.
- Scientific name: Justicia schimperiana
- Family: Acanthaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Lamiales and the family Acanthaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement in the genus Justicia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Lamiales | WCVP |
| Family | Acanthaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Justicia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant is primarily distributed throughout the northeastern and eastern regions of tropical Africa. Within Northeast Tropical Africa, its range extends across Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. It is also commonly found in the East Tropical Africa region. Specifically, its presence is documented in both Kenya and Tanzania. These locations collectively define the natural habitat where the species can be found.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Eritrea | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Somalia | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
Chemicals
Justicia schimperiana has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include debrisoquine, flavonoids, hexanedioic acid, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, phenols.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| debrisoquine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hexanedioic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| phenols | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| trans-resveratrol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Justicia schimperiana has 4 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant.
- Total activities
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Justicia schimperiana has 7 reported medicinal uses identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include malaria, Candida albicans, asthma, diarrhea, fever.
- Total uses
- 7
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| malaria | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida albicans | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diarrhea | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fever | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| liver diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| scabies | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |