Aleppo oak
Quercus infectoria · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (317 studies) · ★★★★★
Aleppo oak, scientifically known as Quercus infectoria, is a deciduous tree highly valued for its medicinal properties. Renowned for its exceptionally high tannin content, the plant's galls are widely used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, wounds, and digestive issues, serving as a potent natural astringent and antimicrobial agent.
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Native range
- Europe
- Parts used
- Fruit
- Common names
- Aleppo Oak · Cyprus Oak · 2 more
- Scientific synonyms
- Quercus Lusitanica Var. Infectoria · Quercus Lusitanica Subsp. Infectoria
Names
Common Names
- Aleppo Oak
- Cyprus Oak
- Asian holly oak
- Aleppine Oak
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Quercus infectoriaSynonyms
- Quercus lusitanica var. infectoria
- Quercus lusitanica subsp. infectoria
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 Fagales, it is a member of the Fagaceae family. Finally, it is identified by its genus name, Quercus.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fagales | WCVP |
| Family | Fagaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Quercus | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant, known as Quercus infectoria, exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several key regions. In Southeastern Europe, it can be found growing in Greece. Its range extends into the Caucasus, specifically within the Transcaucasus region. In Western Asia, the species is distributed across Cyprus and the East Aegean Islands. Furthermore, the plant is also documented to grow in Iran.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Europe | Greece | WCVP |
| Caucasus | Transcaucasus | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Cyprus | WCVP |
| Western Asia | East Aegean Is. | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Iran | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Iraq | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Lebanon-Syria | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Palestine | WCVP |
| Western Asia | Türkiye | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Quercus infectoria, is highly valued in traditional medicine primarily for its unique botanical formations. The most significant parts utilized are the galls, which are abnormal growths formed on the plant due to insect activity. These specific structures are often referred to as the nut gall, a term that highlights their dense, hard texture. In medicinal preparations, the dried gall is often processed to create a concentrated gall extract, which is rich in tannins and used for its potent astringent properties. While the plant produces various botanical elements, it is these specialized fruits—the insect-induced growths—that hold the greatest therapeutic value.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| fruit | Chemical biology & drug design (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Quercus infectoria has 27 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Gallic acid, Tannin, ellagic acid, Flavonoids, Steroids.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Gallic acid | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Tannin | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| ellagic acid | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Steroids | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Tannins | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| BETA-D-GLUCOGALLIN | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gallotannic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gallotannin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Glucogallic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Gallic acid
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of AOAC International
- Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Tannin
- Dr. Duke
- Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
- Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
ellagic acid
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of AOAC International
- Journal of chromatographic science
Flavonoids
- Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Steroids
- Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Tannins
- Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
BETA-D-GLUCOGALLIN
- Dr. Duke
Gallotannic acid
- Dr. Duke
Gallotannin
- Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
Glucogallic acid
- Dr. Duke
Activities
Quercus infectoria has 225 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antioxidant, Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Antibacterial.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anthelmintic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Astringent | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 11B-HSD-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Quercus infectoria has 28 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Staphylococcus aureus, diarrhea, Acinetobacter baumannii, Blastocystis hominis, Candida albicans.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Staphylococcus aureus | TheScientificWorldJournal (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diarrhea | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acinetobacter baumannii | Journal of applied microbiology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Blastocystis hominis | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida albicans | Journal of applied microbiology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Enterococcus faecalis | Journal of applied microbiology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Escherichia coli | Journal of applied microbiology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae | Journal of applied microbiology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Oral cancer | Food science & nutrition (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Journal of applied microbiology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| ethanolic extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol extracts | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Ethanolic extract | Journal of food protection (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Ethanolic extracts | Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Q. infectoria extract | Revista Argentina de microbiologia (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| QI extract | Food science & nutrition (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Quercus infectoria gall extract | Journal of applied microbiology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| acetone extract | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous and ethanolic extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous soxhlet extraction | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |