Trianthema portulacastrum
Desert horse purslane
Trianthema portulacastrum, commonly known as purslane spines, is a versatile medicinal herb used extensively in traditional practices. Renowned for its potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, it plays a vital role in treating skin ailments, digestive issues, and inflammation, offering significant therapeutic potential in various natural healing systems.
- Scientific name: Trianthema portulacastrum
- Family: Aizoaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Caryophyllales. Finally, it falls into the family Aizoaceae and is categorized under the genus Trianthema.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Caryophyllales | WCVP |
| Family | Aizoaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Trianthema | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Triademphan portulacastrum, is recognized by various common names depending on the linguistic and regional context. In Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), Cantonese (zh-hk), and Standard Chinese (zh), it is referred to as 假海馬齒 (or 假海馬齒), while in the Pamir language (pam), it is known as Pitsunpitsunan.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 假海马齿 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 假海馬齒 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 假海馬齒 | Wikidata |
| pam | Pitsunpitsunan | Wikidata |
| zh | 假海馬齒 | Wikidata |
| pnb | اٹ سٹ | Wikidata |
| ja | スベリヒユモドキ | Wikidata |
| ml | വെള്ളത്തഴുതാമ | Wikidata |
| fa | خرفهسا | Wikidata |
| ha | Harshen rago | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several nations within the West Tropical Africa region. Its presence is documented in the country of Benin, where it grows within local ecosystems. Additionally, it can be found spanning through Burkina and the Gambia. The species also extends its range into Ghana, contributing to the regional biodiversity. Finally, its distribution reaches as far as Guinea-Bissau, completing its presence in this part of Africa.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mauritania | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Trianthema portulacastrum, is a medicinal herb where the leaves serve as the primary focus of pharmacological study. In various traditional and scientific applications, the leaves are collected and processed to derive a methanolic leaf extract, which is utilized to isolate bioactive compounds. This specific methanolic leaf extract is often investigated for its potential therapeutic properties, demonstrating that the chemical constituents concentrated within the leaves hold significant medicinal value.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| methanolic leaf extract | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Trianthema portulacastrum has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include chlorogenic acid, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids.
- Total chemicals
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| chlorogenic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| terpenoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Trianthema portulacastrum has 13 reported activities identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticarcinogenic, Antihepatotoxic, Analgesic, Antiamnesic.
- Total activities
- 13
- Scientific sources
- 18
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticarcinogenic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antihepatotoxic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiamnesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antihepatocarcinogenic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiproliferative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Trianthema portulacastrum has 10 reported medicinal uses identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Alzheimer's disease, bacterial infections, breast cancer, cancer, cognitive impairment.
- Total uses
- 10
- Scientific sources
- 10
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bacterial infections | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cognitive impairment | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fungal infections | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hyperglycemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hyperlipidemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| infectious diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| neurological disorders | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |