umbrella thorn
Vachellia tortilis · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Extensive (183 studies) · ★★★★☆
Umbrella thorn, scientifically known as Vachellia tortilis, is a resilient, deciduous tree native to the arid landscapes of Africa. Renowned for its medicinal properties, various parts of this plant are utilized in traditional healing to treat ailments ranging from skin infections to digestive issues, offering significant ethnobotanical value.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native range
- Africa
- Parts used
- Leaf · Stem
- Common names
- Umbrella Thorn Acacia · Umbrella-Thorn · 1 more
- Scientific synonyms
- Mimosa Tortilis · Acacia Tortilis
Names
Common Names
- Umbrella Thorn Acacia
- umbrella-thorn
- umbrella thorn
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- espino de parasol
- Acacia de copa plana
French:
- Acacia faux-gommier
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Vachellia tortilisSynonyms
- Mimosa tortilis
- Acacia tortilis
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further categorized under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales, falling into the family Fabaceae. Finally, its taxonomic placement is completed within the genus Vachellia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Vachellia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant is primarily distributed across the northern regions of the African continent. Specifically, it can be found growing within the borders of Algeria and Egypt. Its range also extends through the territories of Libya and Morocco. Furthermore, the species is present in the country of Tunisia. Collectively, these locations highlight its presence across several North African nations.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Africa | Algeria | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Egypt | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Libya | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Morocco | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Tunisia | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Western Sahara | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mauritania | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Vachellia tortilis, utilizes various anatomical structures for its medicinal properties, primarily focusing on the leaves and the stem bark. The leaves are often harvested for their specific bioactive compounds, while the stem bark serves as a critical source of traditional remedies. Depending on the preparation method, both the stem bark and the leaves are processed to extract the healing elements necessary for therapeutic use.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| stem | Planta medica (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Vachellia tortilis has 23 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Gallic acid, (+)-Catechol, (+)-gallocatechol, AAQ.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gallic acid | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (+)-Catechol | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (+)-gallocatechol | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AAQ | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aldobiouronic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Ash | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Betulin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CALCIUM | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Djenkolic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Flavonoids
- Dr. Duke
- Fitoterapia
Gallic acid
- Dr. Duke
- Nigerian journal of natural products and medicine
(+)-Catechol
- Dr. Duke
(+)-gallocatechol
- Dr. Duke
AAQ
- Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
Aldobiouronic acid
- Dr. Duke
Ash
- Dr. Duke
Betulin
- Dr. Duke
CALCIUM
- Dr. Duke
Djenkolic acid
- Dr. Duke
Activities
Vachellia tortilis has 131 reported activities identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, ACE-Inhibitor, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Foods (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ACE-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Angiotensin-Receptor-Blocker | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anthelmintic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AntiHIV | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AntiMRSA | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Vachellia tortilis has 7 reported medicinal uses identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, asthma, burns, cancer.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Plasmodium falciparum | BMC complementary medicine and therapies (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Toxoplasma gondii | The Journal of veterinary medical science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| burns | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | Foods (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hepatitis | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | BMC complementary medicine and therapies (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| 80 % MeOH extracts of Acacia tortilis (stem bark) | Planta medica (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 80% Methanolic Extract | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AAq | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Essential Oil | Journal of oleo science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Solvent Fractions | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| crude extract | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dichloromethane fraction | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| essential oil | Journal of oleo science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |