University of Santo Tomas

Faculty of Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical Chemistry 2

GROUP 3
3CPH
13 Cruz, Jessica Alyssa A.
14 De Guzman, Jeanne Kate D.
15 Diaz, Jose Avelino C.
16 Diwas, Julie P.
17 Espina, Pia Xyra A.
18 Faderugao, Martina D.
August 20, 2016
Scientific name: Adenium obesum
Common name(s):

Sabi star
kudu
mock azalea
impala lily
desert rose

Taxonomical classification:
Kingdom Plantae Plantae
Division Tracheophyta
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons
Order Gentianales
Family Apocynaceae Dogbane family
Genus Adenium
Species Adenium obesum

Ethnomedicinal and pharmacological use:

Folkloric
- No recorded folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In Arabian traditional medicine, sap and bark are used to treat bone dislocations,
rheumatism, sprains, paralysis, swellings, wounds, skin infections.
- In Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the juice from the stem and crushed bark is applied on
wounds.
- In Sahel, Africa, a decoction of roots, alone or in combination with other plants, is used
for treatment of venereal diseases. Root or bark extract is used as bath or lotion for skin
diseases and lice. Latex is used for decaying teeth and septic wounds.
- In Somalia, root decoction used as nose drops for rhinitis.
- In Kenya, latex is rubbed on the head for lice. The bark is chewed as abortifacient.
Others
- In Senegal and Ethiopia, used as arrow poison.
- In Kenya, used for ethnoveterinary control of lice and fleas in livestock. Powdered
stems used for skin parasites of camels and cattle.
- Used in magic potions.
Constituents:
- Study has yielded some 30 cardiotoxic glycosides with actions similar to digitalis.
- Roots and stems contain the same glycosides.
- Ethanol extract yielded the cardenolides somalin, hongheloside A, 16acetylstrospeside, and honghelin and the flavonol 3,3'-bis(O-methyl)quercetin.
-Phytochemicals of stem-bark yielded alkaloids, steroids, saponins, glycosides,
anthraquinones, tannins, and flavonoids.
- Aqueous extract of leaves yielded active components such as saponins, tannins,
flavonoids, terpenoids, glycoside and alkaloid.
Image of plant (w/ brief description):

Due to its resemblance to plumeria (Plumeria obtusa, white calachuche) and

being introduced from Bangkok, Thailand, the plant is called Bangkok kalachuchi in the
Philippines.
Bangkok calachuche is a succulent shrub or small tree, with a thick or swollen
trunk, sometimes with fleshy tap roots, growing up to 3 meters high. Bark is smooth,
shiny green to pale brown, with green slashes in color. Stems exude a milky sap.
Leaves are spatulate, dark green, deciduous, fleshy, and arranged in alternate spiral,
and clustered at the tips of the shoots. Nerves are pinnate, hardly prominent, 6 to 15
pairs laterally. Flowers are showy, funnel-shaped, with five distinct pinkish or light red
lobes. Fruit is a follicle occurring in clusters to two or three, 15 to 25 centimeters long, 1
to 1.5 centimeters across, with elongated acuminate tips, finely pubescent. Seeds are
linear, with a pappus on both ends.
References:
1. Phytochemical investigation of Adenium obesum Forskal (Apocynaceae):
isolation and identification of cytotoxic agents / Joseph J Hoffman et al / J Pharm
Sci. 1977 Sep;66(9):1336-8. / DOI 10.1002/jps.2600660935
2. Screening of tropical medicinal plants for molluscicidal, larvicidal, fungicidal and
cytotoxic activities and brine shrimp toxicity / F Cepleanu et al / International
journal of pharmacognosy / 1994, vol. 32, no3, pp. 294-307 / DOI
10.3109/13880209409083007