Zanthoxylum lemairei (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Vegetable oil
Spice / condiment
Medicinal
Timber
Fibre
Food security

Zanthoxylum lemairei (De Wild.) P.G.Waterman

File:Map Zanthoxylum lemairei.gif

distribution in Africa (wild)

Protologue: Taxon 24: 364 (1975).

Family: Rutaceae

Synonyms

• Fagara lemairei De Wild. (1914).

Origin and geographic distribution

Zanthoxylum lemairei occurs in Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, DR Congo and Uganda.

Uses

In Nigeria and Cameroon an alcoholic root bark extract is taken to treat colic, diarrhoea and dysentery. In Cameroon a stem bark decoction is taken orally to treat rheumatism and chest problems. In DR Congo powdered stem bark is rubbed into scarifications of the chest and back to treat deformations of the spine.

Zanthoxylum lemairei is a source of timber for house and boat building, decorative paneling and construction of talking drums. It is also used in the paper and pulp industry. The thorns are used by the Yoruba in Nigeria in carving small figures. In DR Congo the fruits are added to food as a condiment. The seed oil is considered edible. Pieces of the pungent root are used as chew sticks.

Properties

From the roots and stem bark several compounds were isolated, including the alkaloid amide piperlonguminine, the benzophenanthridine alkaloids fagaronine, nitidine, dihydronitidine, dihydroavicine and dihydrochelerythine, the furoquinoline alkaloid skimmianine and the carabazole alkaloid glycozoline. From the roots and stem bark several aliphatic amides have been isolated, including the pungent N-isobutyldeca-2,4-dienamide and N-isobutyleicosa-deca-2,4-dienamide, which are related to pellitorine. The roots and stem bark contain several aromatic amides of the cinnamoylamide type, including dioxamide, dihydrofagaramide, piperlonguminine, zanthosinamide and zanthosin. The stem bark also contains arnottianamide, herclavine and lemairamin. The roots, fruits and stem bark furthermore contain the lignans sesamin, savinin, hinokinin and arctigenin-methylether and from the roots and stem bark the coumarins scoparone, xanthotoxin, pimpinellin and xanthyletin were isolated. The fruiting branches contain citronellal and the aldehyde citral, which are used in food flavouring and the perfumery industry. The fruit contains 2.3% of an essential oil.

An aqueous root extract showed moderate reversion of sickle cells into normal shape in vitro.

Different extracts from the trunk bark showed moderate or significant antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. Preliminary tests of the effects of the stem bark extract on isolated rabbit intestines and guinea pig uteri showed either an increase or a decrease in contractions. Pellitorine-related aliphatic amides have shown significant insecticidal properties.

Description

Tree up to 30 m tall, up to 70 cm in diameter at base; trunk clear of branches up to 25 m high, base of the trunk slightly bell shaped; bark greyish green at base and grey above, longitudinally fissured; woody, prickle-bearing protuberances start at c. 5 m from soil level; prickles laterally compressed, c. 5 cm × c. 4 cm, often in vertical rows; branches with a few spines. Leaves alternate, (im)paripinnately compound with (3–)6–8 pairs of leaflets, 15–50 cm long; stipules absent; rachis furrowed or winged; leaflets with winged petiolule 1.5–4 mm long, leaflets opposite, oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate or narrowly oblong-elliptical, 3–11 cm × 1.5–3.5 cm, apex acuminate with narrow acumen 1–2 cm long, base asymmetrical, rounded, margin entire or slightly toothed towards apex, with glandular dots; blade dark green and glossy above, midvein whitish. Inflorescence an axillary, many-flowered panicle, 5–15 cm long, at the tips of branches; peduncle short-hairy. Flowers unisexual, 5-merous, regular; pedicel 1–1.5 mm long; sepals with rounded apex, margin ciliate, short-hairy outside; petals oblong-elliptical; male flower with 5 stamens, disk 1 mm long, pistil rudimentary; female flower with small staminodes, ovary superior, pistil with almost globose carpel 1 mm in diameter, brownish red, style curved, 0.5 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruit an almost globose follicle 4–5 mm in diameter, brownish red, glandular pitted, 1-seeded. Seed almost globose, 3–3.5 mm in diameter, dark-blue and shiny.

Other botanical information

Zanthoxylum is pantropical and comprises about 200 species, with tropical America being richest in species. Mainland Africa harbours about 35 species, whereas about 5 species are endemic to Madagascar. Several other Zanthoxylum species are medicinally used in the region.

Zanthoxylum parvifoliolum

Zanthoxylum lemairei has often been confused with the similar Zanthoxylum parvifoliolum A.Chev. ex Keay in West Africa. Zanthoxylum parvifoliolum occurs in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and differs mainly from Zanthoxylum lemairei in that it does not have slender drip tips (acumen) and it does have a tiny pouch at base of the leaflets. In Côte d’Ivoire a stem bark decoction is taken to treat bleeding wounds, and ground stem bark or leaves in palm wine are taken as an aphrodisiac. In Ghana a stem bark decoction is taken to treat chest complaints. The stem bark contains the benzophenanthridine alkaloids chelerythrine and nitidine and the triterpene lupeol.

Zanthoxylum dinklagei

Zanthoxylum dinklagei (Engl.) P.G.Waterman occurs from south-eastern Nigeria to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. In Nigeria a mixture of the stem bark, together with seeds of Piper guineense Schumach. & Thonn. and ripe fruits of Aframomum melegueta K.Schum., is taken by women to treat barrenness. Stem bark powder in food is taken to treat male impotence. From the stem bark and root bark the benzophenanthridine alkaloids nitidine and chelerythrine, the furoquinoline alkaloid skimmianine and the aporphine alkaloids berberine and magnoflorine have been isolated.

Zanthoxylum pilosiusculum

Zanthoxylum pilosiusculum (Engl.) P.G.Waterman occurs in Congo, DR Congo and northern Angola. In DR Congo a leaf infusion is used as an enema, without specific reason. The roots are chewed as an aphrodisiac.

Ecology

Zanthoxylum lemairei occurs in semi-deciduous rainforest with Celtis and Sterculiaceae, at 100–1150 m altitude.

Genetic resources

As the habitat in which Zanthoxylum lemairei grows is under pressure, it is likely to become less common in its distribution area. Its exact status is unknown, however.

Prospects

Zanthoxylum lemairei contains interesting biochemical compounds, and a preliminary pharmacological analysis confirms some of the traditional uses. More chemical and pharmacological research needs to be done however, to evaluate its potential. It is necessary to establish a safety profile as well, as many of the active compounds are alkaloids.

Major references

• Adesina, S.K., 2005. The Nigerian Zanthoxylum; chemical and biological values. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines 2(3): 282–301.

• Burkill, H.M., 1997. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 4, Families M–R. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 969 pp.

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

• Focho, D.A., Ndam, W.T. & Fonge, B.A., 2009. Medicinal plants of Aguambu - Bamumbu in the Lebialem highlands, southwest province of Cameroon. African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 3(1): 1–13.

• Jouda, J.B., 2007. Etude phytochimique des écorces du tronc d’une plante médicinale du Cameroun: Fagara lemairei (Rutaceae). Mémoire de DEA de chimie organique, Département de Chimie Organique, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroun. 53 pp.

Other references

• Adesanya, S.A. & Sofowora, A., 1983. Biological standardisation of Zanthoxylum roots for anti-sickling activity. Planta Medica 48(1): 27–33.

• Adesina, S.K., Olugbade, T.A., Akinwusi, D.D. & Bergenthal, D., 1997. Extractives from Zanthoxylum lemairie root and stem. Pharmazie 52(9): 720–724.

• Adesina, S.K., Olugbade, T.A., Akinwusi, D.D. & von Willert, D.J., 1997. New amides from Zanthoxylum lemairie pericarps. Planta medica 63(3): 286–287.

• Akubue, P.I., Mittal, G.C. & Aguwa, C.N., 1983. Preliminary pharmacological study of some Nigerian medicinal plants. 1. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 8: 53–63.

• Fish, F., Meshal, I.A. & Waterman, P.G., 1975. Alkaloids, triterpenes and lignans from the bark of Zanthoxylum dinklagei. Phytochemistry 14(9): 2094.

• Gilbert, G., 1958. Rutaceae. In: Robyns, W., Staner, P., Demaret, F., Germain, R., Gilbert, G., Hauman, L., Homès, M., Jurion, F., Lebrun, J., Vanden Abeele, M. & Boutique, R. (Editors). Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. Spermatophytes. Volume 7. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge, Brussels, Belgium. pp. 69–108.

• Hawthorne, W. & Jongkind, C., 2006. Woody plants of western African forests: a guide to the forest trees, shrubs and lianes from Senegal to Ghana. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. 1023 pp.

• Kokwaro, J.O., 1982. Rutaceae. In: Polhill, R.M. (Editor). Flora of Tropical East Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 52 pp.

• Ku Mbuta, K., Mwima, K., Bitengeli, M., Y’okolo, I., Kavuna, M., Mandanga, M., Kalambayi, M., Izamajole, N., Kazembe, K., Booto, K., Vasaki, N., Mwabonsika, B. & Lody, D., 2008. Recueil des plantes utilisées en médecine traditionnelle Congolaise. Vol.1. Province de l’Equateur. Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé. 404 pp.

• Meujo Foting, D.A., 2003. Activités antibactériennes d’extraits et de constituants de Zanthoxylum lemairei. Mémoire de DEA, Département de Biochimie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroun. 62 pp.

• Waterman, P.G., Gray, A.I. & Crichton, E.G., 1976. A comparative study on the alkaloids of Zanthoxylum leprieurii, Zanthoxylum lemairei and Zanthoxylum rubescens from Ghana. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 4(4): 259–262.

Author(s)

• E.N. Matu, CTMDR/KEMRI, P.O. Box 54840–00200, Nairobi, Kenya

Correct citation of this article

Matu, E.N., 2011. Zanthoxylum lemairei (De Wild.) P.G.Waterman. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 24 April 2026.

• See the Prota4U database.