Warburgia ugandensis
Warburgia ugandensis, commonly known as the East African Greenheart, is a vital medicinal shrub native to African montane forests. Renowned for its potent antimicrobial and antifungal properties, it is traditionally used to treat respiratory ailments, skin infections, and digestive issues, making it a cornerstone of indigenous herbal medicine.
- Scientific name: Warburgia ugandensis
- Family: Canellaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Canellales, it is classified under the family Canellaceae. Finally, it is identified by its specific genus, Warburgia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Canellales | WCVP |
| Family | Canellaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Warburgia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution across several regions of the African continent. In West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found growing within the borders of Rwanda and the DR Congo. Moving toward the Northeast, the species is also documented in Ethiopia. Its range extends into East Tropical Africa, where it is present in Kenya. Finally, the distribution continues southward to include Tanzania.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Rwanda | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Malawi | WCVP |
Chemicals
Warburgia ugandensis has 19 reported phytochemicals identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include polygodial, WUD, fatty acids, kaempferol, kaempferol 3-arabinoside.
- Total chemicals
- 19
- Scientific sources
- 20
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| polygodial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| WUD | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fatty acids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol 3-arabinoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol 3-glucoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol 3-rhamnoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol 3-rutinoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| muzigadial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| muzigadiolide | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Warburgia ugandensis has 15 reported medicinal uses identified across 19 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, colorectal cancer, malaria, Candida albicans, Candida utilis.
- Total uses
- 15
- Scientific sources
- 19
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cancer | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| colorectal cancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida albicans | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida utilis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plasmodium falciparum | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Saccharomyces cerevisiae | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Staphylococcus aureus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cervical cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fever | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |