Drimia calcarata

In traditional practices, Drimia calcarata is recorded chiefly through decoctions of the bulbs in parts of East Africa. Among communities in Tanzania’s Usambara Mountains, dried or freshly sliced bulbs are boiled for 20–30 minutes and taken in small doses for intestinal worms and related stomach complaints, a use documented by Hedberg et al. (1983) in their ethnobotanical surveys of the region. In parts of Kenya’s Eastern Highlands, clinicians and herbalists have noted similar bulb decoctions given in limited doses as a purgative and vermifuge, with examples detailed in Kokwaro (1976) and subsequently echoed in the Kenya Herbal Pharmacopoeia (2008). South of the Limpopo, the same type of bulb decoction has been used in Zulu and Sotho communities to treat skin eruptions and bruises, prepared by simmering peeled bulbs for 10–15 minutes and applying the cooled liquid to the affected area as a wash; this use is recorded in Roberts (1990) and Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk (1962).

Practical recipe for a vermifuge/decoction. Use approximately 10 g of freshly peeled Drimia calcarata bulbs per 250 ml of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and maintain for 20 minutes. Strain and allow to cool to a drinking temperature. Typical doses are 30–60 ml taken once daily for no more than three consecutive days, with children receiving smaller amounts as prescribed by a local practitioner. Safety note: the plant contains bufadienolide cardiac glycosides (e.g., proscillaridin and scillaren A/B) and is potentially cardiotoxic if overdosed or used repeatedly; it should be avoided in pregnancy, by people on cardiac glycoside medication, and by individuals with known arrhythmia or potassium imbalance. Poisonings have been reported in South Africa following misuse of Drimia species as emetics (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962).

Active constituents that plausibly support the traditional activity include the bufadienolide cardiac glycosides proscillaridin and scillaren A/B, as well as homoisoflavones and steroidal saponins known in Drimia and related genera; these compounds exhibit documented anthelmintic and antimicrobial effects in pharmacological studies and are present in Drimia calcarata as characterized by Cheminant & Marner (1991) and Subsequently by Maroyi (2009), among others. Ethnobotanical surveys in Kenya and Tanzania further corroborate the specific preparation methods and dosing conventions for bulb decoctions (Njoroge & Bussmann, 2007).

Modern relevance. Research interest in Drimia calcarata remains focused on its cardiac glycosides and their potential in anticancer and antimalarial screening, while its traditional gastrointestinal and dermatological uses are still practiced in limited contexts by local healers who continue to collect bulbs from wild populations (Hedberg et al., 1983; Kokwaro, 1976).

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