Tithonia diversifolia
Tree marigold, mexican sunflower
Tithonia diversifolia, commonly known as Mexican sunflower, is a versatile perennial herb valued in traditional medicine. Renowned for its potent bioactive compounds, it is frequently utilized to treat inflammation, wounds, and digestive ailments. Beyond its medicinal properties, this vigorous plant serves as an excellent organic fertilizer in agroecology.
- Scientific name: Tithonia diversifolia
- Family: Asteraceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified in the order Asterales and the family Asteraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Tithonia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Asterales | WCVP |
| Family | Asteraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Tithonia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Tithonia diversifolia, is known by various common names depending on the language and region. In Chinese, it is referred to as 肿柄菊 (zh-hans), 腫柄菊 (zh-hant), and 腫柄菊 (zh-hk). In German, it is commonly called Mexikanische Sonnenblume, while in Japanese, it is known as ニトベギク.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 肿柄菊 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 腫柄菊 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 腫柄菊 | Wikidata |
| de | Mexikanische Sonnenblume | Wikidata |
| ja | ニトベギク | Wikidata |
| vi | Dã quỳ | Wikidata |
| rw | Icyicamahirwe | Wikidata |
| fr | Tournesol mexicain | Wikidata |
| th | บัวตอง | Wikidata |
| to | Siolaʻā siʻi | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several distinct regions. In Northern Africa, its presence is specifically noted in Tunisia. Its range extends into Macaronesia, where it can be found on both the Canary Islands and Madeira. Furthermore, the species inhabits parts of West Tropical Africa, including Benin. Finally, its distribution continues through the West Tropical African nation of Guinea.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Africa | Tunisia | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Canary Is. | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Madeira | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Togo | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Burundi | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Central African Republic | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Tithonia diversifolia, is widely recognized for the therapeutic potential found within its various anatomical structures. Most medicinal applications focus on the leaves, which are frequently harvested to prepare potent leaf extracts for topical or systemic use. Beyond just the individual leaf, the entire aerial parts of the plant—including the stems and foliage—are often utilized in traditional medicine to harness a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds. Consequently, the concentrated plant extract derived from these components serves as a vital resource in studying its pharmacological properties.- Total parts
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 18
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| aerial parts | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaf extracts | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaf | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| plant extract | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves and flowers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flower | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Leaf | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Tithonia diversifolia has 30 reported phytochemicals identified across 40 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, tagitinin C, Tagitinin A, Tagitinin C, (E)-nerolidol.
- Total chemicals
- 30
- Scientific sources
- 40
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| tagitinin C | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Tagitinin A | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Tagitinin C | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (E)-nerolidol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 1-acetyltagitinin A | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 1beta,2alpha-epoxytagitinin C | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2alpha-hydroxytirotundin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3alpha-acetoxydiversifolol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 8beta-isobutyryloxycumambranolide | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Tithonia diversifolia has 9 reported activities identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antimalarial, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic.
- Total activities
- 9
- Scientific sources
- 14
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimalarial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiplasmodial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antispasmodic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitubercular | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Spasmolytic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Tithonia diversifolia has 26 reported medicinal uses identified across 29 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include malaria, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Bacillus subtilis, Entamoeba histolytica.
- Total uses
- 26
- Scientific sources
- 29
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| malaria | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| type 2 diabetes | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bacillus subtilis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Entamoeba histolytica | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Escherichia coli | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| HIV-1 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| HSV-1 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| HSV-2 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plasmodium berghei | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |