Stephania longa
Stephanania longa, commonly known as Akarkara, is a perennial climbing herb prized in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Renowned for its potent bioactive compounds, it is extensively used to treat neurological disorders, enhance libido, and reduce inflammation. This versatile plant serves as a vital natural remedy for various restorative health purposes.
- Scientific name: Stephania longa
- Family: Menispermaceae
- Native range: Asia-Temperate
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Ranunculales and the family Menispermaceae. Its specific taxonomic identification is placed within the genus Stephania, specifically as the species Stephania longa.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Ranunculales | WCVP |
| Family | Menispermaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Stephania | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Stephanania longa, is known by several different common names depending on the linguistic and regional context. In Chinese, it is referred to as 粪箕笃 (zh), 蛇头藤 (zh), and specifically as 粪箕笃 in mainland China (zh-cn) and 糞箕篤 in Taiwan (zh-tw). Additionally, it is identified by the name Faenqgeiguj in the Zhuang language (za).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh | 粪箕笃 | Wikidata |
| za | Faenqgeiguj | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 粪箕笃 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 糞箕篤 | Wikidata |
| zh | 蛇头藤 | Wikidata |
| zh | 粪箕篤 | Wikidata |
| zh | 粪箕笃 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is primarily distributed across various regions within East Asia. In China, its presence is noted in the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan areas. Its range extends further to the island of Taiwan within the same general region. Additionally, the species can be found throughout the Nansei-shoto islands of Eastern Asia. These diverse locations highlight the specific geographical footprint of Stephanania longa.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Nansei-shoto | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Laos | WCVP |
| Indo-China | South China Sea | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Vietnam | WCVP |
Chemicals
Stephania longa has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include cepharanthine, isolonganone, isoprostephabyssine, isostephaboline, norprostephabyssine.
- Total chemicals
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 5
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cepharanthine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| isolonganone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| isoprostephabyssine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| isostephaboline | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| norprostephabyssine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Stephania longa has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include SARS-CoV-2.
- Total uses
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| SARS-CoV-2 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |