Thunbergia laurifolia
Purple allamanda
Thunbergia laurifolia, commonly known as the Laurel-leaved Thunbergia, is a versatile climbing shrub valued in traditional medicine. Native to tropical regions, this plant is celebrated for its diverse therapeutic properties, frequently utilized to treat inflammation, skin ailments, and various systemic conditions, making it a significant botanical resource in herbalism.
- Scientific name: Thunbergia laurifolia
- Family: Acanthaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified within the order Lamiales and the family Acanthaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Thunbergia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Lamiales | WCVP |
| Family | Acanthaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Thunbergia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Thunbergia lauifoliia, is referred to by various names across different languages and regions. In Thailand, it is commonly called รางจืด, while in Chinese, it is known as 桂叶山牵牛 (zh) or 樟葉鄧伯花 (zh-tw). In Malaysia, it is referred to as Pokok Trumpet, and in Arabic, it is identified as تونبرغية غارية الأوراق.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| th | รางจืด | Wikidata |
| zh | 桂叶山牵牛 | Wikidata |
| ms | Pokok Trumpet | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 樟葉鄧伯花 | Wikidata |
| ar | تونبرغية غارية الأوراق | Wikidata |
| ml | ബ്ലൂ ട്രംപറ്റ് വൈൻ | Wikidata |
| arz | تونبرغيه غارية الاوراق | Wikidata |
| ta | துன்பேர்சியா இலாரிபோலியா | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 桂叶山牵牛 | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 桂叶山牵牛 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several key regions across the globe. In East Tropical Africa, it can be found growing within the territories of Tanzania and Uganda. Its range extends into Eastern Asia, specifically documented in the Ogasawara-shoto islands. Within the Indian Subcontinent, the species is present in the Assam region. Finally, it is also widely distributed throughout the East Himalaya mountain range.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Ogasawara-shoto | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Sri Lanka | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Andaman Is. | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Myanmar | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Nicobar Is. | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Vietnam | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Thunbergia laurifolia, is highly valued in traditional medicine primarily for its therapeutic properties found within its foliage. The large, green leaves are the most significant component used for healing purposes. Whether studied as an individual leaf or processed in bulk, these structures contain essential bioactive compounds. In many medicinal preparations, an aqueous leave extract is created by boiling the foliage in water, a method used to harness its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits for various health applications.- Total parts
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 4
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous leave extract | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Thunbergia laurifolia has 14 reported phytochemicals identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, carotenoids, caspase-3, chlorophylls.
- Total chemicals
- 14
- Scientific sources
- 17
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| rosmarinic acid | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| caffeic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| carotenoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| caspase-3 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chlorophylls | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dopamine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gallic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lead | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lutein | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Thunbergia laurifolia has 5 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antidote, Antihyperglycemic, Antihyperlipidemic, Neuroprotective.
- Total activities
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidote | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antihyperglycemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antihyperlipidemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Thunbergia laurifolia has 17 reported medicinal uses identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Alzheimer's disease, Opisthorchis viverrini infection, antidote, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic.
- Total uses
- 17
- Scientific sources
- 17
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Opisthorchis viverrini infection | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antidote | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antihyperglycemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antihyperlipidemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bacterial infections | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cholangiocarcinoma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cognitive dysfunction | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cognitive impairment | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diabetes mellitus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |