Strychnos mostueoides (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Medicinal

Strychnos mostueoides Leeuwenb.

Protologue: Meded. Landbouwhogeschool 69(1): 194 (1969).

Family: Loganiaceae

Origin and geographic distribution

Strychnos mostueoides is endemic to Madagascar, but a somewhat different, more hairy specimen that may belong to this species was found in DR Congo.

Uses

In Madagascar a decoction of the aerial parts is taken to treat malaria.

Properties

From the root bark 8 indole alkaloids have been identified: normacusine B, caracusine VII, strychnofendlerine, spermostrychnine, strychnobrasiline, deacetylstrychnobrasiline, malagashine and malagashanine. Chemically normacusine B belongs to the corynanthean class of alkaloids, the other compounds belong to the strychnine class. Normacusine B is also found in Rauvolfia, Tabernaemontana and Vinca spp. It is sympatholytic and its hypotensive activity is stronger than that of reserpine, which is commonly used against high blood pressure. Malagashanine was shown to have promising chemosensitizing activity against chloroquine-resistant strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

Description

Shrub up to 3 m tall, often dichotomously branched; branchlets sparsely hairy or glabrous. Leaves opposite, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole 0.5–2 mm long, hairy or glabrous; blade ovate, narrowly ovate or elliptical, 20–70 cm × 9–30 cm, base rounded or cuneate, apex long-acuminate, glabrous or sparingly hairy on the veins on both sides or only beneath, 3-veined from the base. Inflorescence a terminal, lax thyrse 1–2 cm long, few-flowered; peduncle 1–2 cm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous; sepals fused at base, nearly triangular, c. 1 mm long; corolla tube cylindrical, c. 2.5 mm long, lobes oblong, c. 2.5 mm long, acute, outside glabrous, inside hairy at base, white; stamens inserted at the middle of the corolla tube, included, anthers oblong, with a single hair at the deeply cordate base; ovary superior, ovoid, c. 1 mm × 0.5 mm, 2-celled, stigma sessile, head-shaped. Fruit a globose berry 6–8 mm in diameter, 1–2-seeded. Seeds elliptical, disk-like, 6–8 mm × 5–7 mm × 2 mm, rough, testa rather thick.

Other botanical information

Strychnos comprises about 200 species: about 60 species in Asia, 65 in America and 75 in Africa.

Ecology

Strychnos mostueoides occurs in forest near river banks, from sea-level up to 500(–1000) m altitude.

Genetic resources

Strychnos mostueoides is endemic to Madagascar and may easily become endangered by habitat destruction.

Prospects

Strychnos mostueoides will remain of minor importance in traditional medicine. More research into the chemical composition and pharmacological activities of the indole alkaloids is needed to evaluate the use in traditional medicine.

Major references

• Leeuwenberg, A.J.M., 1969. The Loganiaceae of Africa 8. Strychnos 3. Revision of the African species with notes on the extra-African. Mededelingen Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen 69–1. Wageningen, Netherlands. 316 pp.

• Neuwinger, H.D., 2000. African traditional medicine: a dictionary of plant use and applications. Medpharm Scientific, Stuttgart, Germany. 589 pp.

• Ramanitrahasimbola, D., Rasoanaivo, P., Ratsimamanga, S. & Vial, H., 2006. Malagashanine potentiates chloroquine antimalarial activity in drug resistant Plasmodium malaria by modifying both its efflux and influx. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 146(1): 58–67.

• Rasoanaivo, P., Palazzino, G., Nicoletti, M. & Galeffi, C., 2001. The co-occurrence of C(3) epimer Nb,C(21)-secocuran alkaloids in Strychnos diplotricha and Strychnos myrtoides. Phytochemistry 56: 863–867.

• Rasoanaivo, P., Petitjean, A., Ratsimamanga-Urverg, S. & Rakoto-Ratsimamanga, A., 1992. Medicinal plants used to treat malaria in Madagascar. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 37: 117–127.

• Saxton, J.E., 1993. Recent progress in the chemistry of indole alkaloids and mould metabolites. Natural Product Reports 10(6): 349–395.

Other references

• Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. (Editor), 1980. Angiospermae: Ordnung Gentiales. Fam. Loganiaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien. Second Edition. Band 28 b-1. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, Germany. 255 pp.

• Leeuwenberg, A.J.M., 1984. Loganiaceae. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores, famille 167. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. 107 pp.

• Rasoanaivo, P., Galeffi, C., De Vicente, Y. & Nicoletti, M., 1991. Malagashanine and malagashine, two alkaloids of Strychnos mostueoides. Revista Latinoamerica di Quimica 22(1): 32.

• Rasoanaivo, P., Ratsimamanga-Urverg, S. & Frappier, F., 1996. Récents résultats sur la pharmacodynamie d’alcaloïdes de Strychnos malgaches. Cahiers Santé 6(4): 249–253.

Author(s)

• A. de Ruijter, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

de Ruijter, A., 2007. Strychnos mostueoides Leeuwenb. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 17 September 2026.

• See the Prota4U database.