Lotus
Nelumbo nucifera · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (1256 studies) · ★★★★★
Lotus, scientifically known as Nelumbo nucifera, is a revered aquatic perennial celebrated for its profound medicinal and spiritual significance. Rich in bioactive compounds, this sacred plant offers potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine, it supports cardiovascular health, skin vitality, and overall holistic well-being.
Names
Common Names
- sacred lotus
- East Indian lotus
- lotus
- lotusroot
- Bean of India
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- loto indio
- rosa del Nilo
- loto sagrado
- loto sagrado
- rosa del Nilo
- loto
German:
- Indische Lotosblume
- Nelumbium speciosum
- Indischer Lotos
- Nymphaea nelumbo
- indische Lotosblume
- indischer Lotus
- Indische Lotusblume
French:
- lotus sacré
- Lotus de l'Inde
- Lotus des Indes
- Lotus Magnolia
- Racine de lotus
- Lotus d'Orient
- Fève d'Égypte
- fève d'Egypte
- lotus indien
- lotus sacré
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Nelumbo nuciferaSynonyms
- Nelumbo caspica
- Nelumbium indicum
- Nelumbium caspium
- Nelumbium turbinatum
- Nelumbo speciosa var. alba
- Nymphaea nelumbo
- Nelumbium speciosum var. tamara
- Nelumbium speciosum var. caspicum
- Nelumbium javanicum
- Tamara hemisphaerica
- Nelumbium speciosum f. caspicum
- Nelumbium asiaticum
- Nelumbo speciosa var. tamara
- Nelumbium album
- Nelumbo speciosa var. caspica
- Nelumbium speciosum roseum-plenum
- Nelumbium speciosum album-plenum
- Nelumbium nelumbo
- Nelumbium tamara
- Nelumbium speciosum
- Nelumbium rheedii
- Nelumbo komarovii
- Nelumbo indica
- Nelumbium transversum
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Proteales, it is classified under the family Nelumbonaceae. Finally, Nelumbo nucifera is identified by its genus, Nelumbo.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Proteales | WCVP |
| Family | Nelumbonaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Nelumbo | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range that spans across multiple continents and distinct climate zones. In Southeastern Europe, its presence can be documented in both Italy and Romania. Moving toward Eastern Europe, the species is found within the territories of Ukraine and South European Russia. Additionally, the distribution extends to West Tropical Africa, specifically within the borders of Benin. This wide-reaching spread highlights the plant's ability to adapt to various environmental conditions.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Europe | Italy | WCVP |
| Southeastern Europe | Romania | WCVP |
| Eastern Europe | South European Russia | WCVP |
| Eastern Europe | Ukraine | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gabon | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Amur | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Khabarovsk | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Primorye | WCVP |
| Caucasus | North Caucasus | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Nelumbo nucifera, commonly known as the sacred lotus, is a remarkable medicinal species where almost every component offers therapeutic value. The large, floating leaves are often used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments due to their cooling properties. Beneath the water, the thick, nutrient-dense rhizomes serve as a vital source of nutrition and are frequently utilized to treat digestive issues and inflammation. While the rhizome is a primary medicinal focus, the entire aquatic structure supports a beautiful flowering process involving delicate petals that protect the reproductive center. Within the heart of the blossom, the stamens play a crucial role in the plant's life cycle, and even these fine structures can be harvested for specific herbal preparations.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Foods (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 10 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| rhizome | Natural product research (and other 8 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| seed | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| flower | Reproductive biology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | Journal of biomedical science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Nelumbo nucifera has 214 reported phytochemicals identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Neferine, Nuciferine, AFLATOXIN B1, quercetin.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | 14 supporting sources | ★★★★★ |
| Neferine | 11 supporting sources | ★★★★★ |
| Nuciferine | 10 supporting sources | ★★★★★ |
| AFLATOXIN B1 | 7 supporting sources | ★★★★☆ |
| quercetin | 7 supporting sources | ★★★★☆ |
| Isoliensinine | 6 supporting sources | ★★★☆☆ |
| Liensinine | 6 supporting sources | ★★★☆☆ |
| kaempferol | 6 supporting sources | ★★★☆☆ |
| N-Nornuciferine | 5 supporting sources | ★★★☆☆ |
| Terpenoids | 5 supporting sources | ★★★☆☆ |
Flavonoids
- Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
- Frontiers in nutrition
- Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
- Reproductive biology
- Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
View 9 additional sources
- Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)
- Cells
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
- Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
- Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
- Pharmaceutical biology
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
Neferine
- Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
- The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- Environmental toxicology
View 6 additional sources
- International journal of molecular sciences
- Electrophoresis
- Thrombosis research
- BioFactors (Oxford, England)
- Food chemistry
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
Nuciferine
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
- Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry
- Frontiers in pharmacology
View 5 additional sources
- Drug development and industrial pharmacy
- Biomedical chromatography : BMC
- Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)
- Food chemistry
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
AFLATOXIN B1
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- Journal of hazardous materials
- Food chemistry: X
- Analytical chemistry
- Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)
View 2 additional sources
- The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
- Food chemistry
quercetin
- Dr. Duke
- Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters
- Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
- Planta medica
- Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
View 2 additional sources
- BioFactors (Oxford, England)
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
Isoliensinine
- Dr. Duke
- The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- Electrophoresis
- Journal of chemical information and modeling
View 1 additional sources
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
Liensinine
- Dr. Duke
- Metabolic engineering
- The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- Electrophoresis
View 1 additional sources
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
kaempferol
- Dr. Duke
- Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- Nutrients
- Archives of pharmacal research
View 1 additional sources
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
N-Nornuciferine
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Frontiers in pharmacology
- Chemistry & biodiversity
- Food chemistry
Terpenoids
- Chemistry & biodiversity
- Frontiers in nutrition
- Cancers
- Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
Activities
Nelumbo nucifera has 565 reported activities identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Hepatoprotective, Hypolipidemic, Anticancer, Antiviral.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 14 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| Hepatoprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 6 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Hypolipidemic | Dr. Duke (and other 6 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Antiviral | Dr. Duke (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Astringent | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Diuretic | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Hypoglycemic | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Nelumbo nucifera has 107 reported medicinal uses identified across 26 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include obesity, inflammation, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, depression.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| obesity | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 8 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| inflammation | ACS biomaterials science & engineering (and other 7 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| cancer | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| depression | Food & function (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| fever | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| hyperlipidemia | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| HIV | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| cardiovascular diseases | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| diarrhea | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| rhizomes | Natural product research (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 'Amrita Oil' | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 'Amrita-Prâsa clarified butter' | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 50% ethanol (EtOH) extract | Planta medica (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Ethanol extracts | Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| He-Ye | Frontiers in pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hydroalcohol extracts | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Kleeb Bua Daeng | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Kleeb Bua Daeng (KBD) | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| NNEE | In silico pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |