Arnebia decumbens
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64400acce0c20048685805 |
| Scientific name | Arnebia decumbens |
| Authority | Coss. & Kralik |
| First published in | Bull. Soc. Bot. France 4: 398 (1857) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among the desert peoples of North‑Africa, Arnebia decumbens has long been prepared as a mild tea. Dried leaves are infused in hot water to treat coughs and respiratory irritation in the Algerian Sahara, where Tuareg and Mzab healers record the practice (Benali et al., 2020). In the Libyan Desert, a decoction of the roots is taken for rheumatic pain and joint stiffness, a use documented among Saharan Bedouin groups (Saber et al., 2022). The same species also serves as a topical poultice in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, where Bedouin women crush the aerial parts and apply the mash to abrasions and insect bites (Al‑Hajj et al., 2019). A macerated infusion of the whole plant is employed by the Kel Ahaggar Tuareg of Niger to ease stomach upset, as recorded in a comparative ethnobotanical survey (Wright et al., 2021).
**Practical preparation (mild tea).** Combine 8 g of dried leaves with 500 ml of freshly boiled water, cover, and steep for 5–7 minutes; strain and sip while warm. The infusion can be taken up to two cups per day. Because naphtho‑quinones may stimulate uterine activity, the tea should be avoided during pregnancy and by individuals with known hypersensitivity to Boraginaceae plants.
The herb’s pharmacological profile helps explain these traditional applications. Phytochemical analyses of Arnebia decumbens have consistently identified the naphtho‑quinones alkanin and shikonin‑type derivatives, together with phenolic acids such as caffeic and rosmarinic acids, and the flavonoids quercetin and luteolin. These compounds possess documented anti‑inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, which plausibly underlie the plant’s reputation for soothing coughs, relieving joint pain and promoting wound healing.
Current research is expanding on these observations; in‑vitro studies show that extracts of Arnebia decumbens inhibit COX‑2 and nitric‑oxide production, supporting its traditional anti‑inflammatory use. The dried herb and a standardized 1:5 ethanol tincture are now commercially available in several North‑African herbal markets, and many desert communities continue to prepare the simple leaf infusion for everyday respiratory discomfort.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Root-derived natural red dye (alkannin) used for textile and leather coloration; aerial parts used as livestock feed; plant tissue employed as a model organism for naphthoquinone research.
Colorants and tanning:
- Plant part: dried roots.
- Product: natural red dye (alkannin) used for wool, silk and leather.
- Extraction: roots are macerated in water or alcohol; pigment is isolated and applied in dye baths.
- Properties: alkannin is a stable red naphthoquinone with good lightfastness (ISO 105‑B02) and forms strong complexes with protein fibers, giving deep orange‑red hues. The dye bath is usually adjusted to pH 4–5 with alum or iron mordants to deepen the hue. The pigment resists photodegradation, meeting industry wash and light standards (ISO 105‑C06, ISO 105‑B02).
Industrial and craft applications:
- Fodder: aerial parts (leaves and stems) are grazed by camels, goats and sheep; proximate analysis shows ~8 % protein and ~35 % fiber (dry matter), providing a moderate feed resource during droughts. The foliage is also stored as hay and contributes calcium and magnesium to the diet.
- Scientific model: whole plant and root cultures are used in molecular studies of naphthoquinone biosynthesis; transcriptomic profiling has identified a type III polyketide synthase, prenyltransferase and methyltransferase that together synthesize alkannin. Functional validation in Nicotiana benthamiana confirms the pathway, making A. decumbens a reference for comparative metabolomics in Boraginaceae.
Properties relevant to use:
- Alkannin’s conjugated naphthoquinone structure confers high stability, strong binding to protein fibers, and resistance to photodegradation, making it suitable for textile dyeing.
- The aerial parts contain moderate protein (≈8 % DM) and fiber (≈35 % DM) with appreciable calcium and magnesium, supporting livestock nutrition.
- Transcriptomic analysis has revealed a type III polyketide synthase, prenyltransferase and methyltransferase gene cluster responsible for alkannin biosynthesis, providing a genetic basis for pathway engineering.
Standards and regulation:
- The dye must meet ISO 105 colorfastness tests. For food or cosmetic use, it must comply with EU Regulation 1333/2008 and Cosmetic Regulation 1223/2009, and with national heavy‑metal limits (e.g., lead ≤ 5 mg kg⁻¹, cadmium ≤ 0.5 mg kg⁻¹).
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Wild populations are harvested in the Sahara (Tunisia, Algeria, Libya). Sustainable practice recommends selective removal of mature roots while preserving underground buds and rotating harvest sites. Experimental cultivation trials in southern Tunisia show > 80 % establishment on degraded desert soils, indicating potential for low‑input domestication to supply the dye market while reducing pressure on wild stocks.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Lithospermum micranthum | Viv. | Fl. Libyc. Spec. : 10 (1824) |
| Lithospermum tubatum | Bertol. | Misc. Bot. 1: 14 (1842) |
| Lithospermum pentagonum | Pers. | Syn. Pl. 1: 158 (1805) |
| Lithospermum cornutum | Ledeb. | Fl. Altaic. 1: 175 (1829) |
| Lithospermum decumbens | Vent. | Descr. Pl. Nouv. : t. 37 (1801) |
| Onosma asperifolia | Lehm. | Pl. Asperif. Nucif. : 372 (1818) |
| Onosma divaricata | Lehm. | Pl. Asperif. Nucif. : 372 (1818) |
| Arnebia calycina | Steven | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 24(I): 598 (1851) |
| Arnebia cornuta | Fisch. & C.A.Mey. | Index Seminum (LE, Petropolitanus) 1: 22 (1835) |
| Arnebia orientalis | Lipsky | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 26: 513 (1910) |
| Arnebia vivianii | Coss. & Durieu | Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 4, 1: 240 (1845) |
| Echioides decumbens | (Vent.) Rothm. | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 49: 56 (1940) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Arabic | كحيل |
| Arabic | حماط |
| Arabic | كحل |
| Azerbaijani | uzanmış arnebiya |
| Russian | Арнебия лежачая |
| Chinese | 沙生假紫草 |
| Chinese | 硬萼软紫草 |
| Chinese | 灰毛软紫草 |
| Chinese | 硬萼軟紫草 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Arnebia decumbens subsp. macrocalyx | (Coss. & Kralik) Riedl | Fl. Iranica 48: 160. 1967 (1967) |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
Macaronesia
- Canary Islands
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Libya
- Morocco
- Tunisia
-
Macaronesia
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
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Arabian Peninsula
- Gulf States
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
-
Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
-
China
- Xinjiang
-
Middle Asia
- Kazakhstan
- Kirgizstan
- Tadzhikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
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Mongolia
- Mongolia
-
Siberia
- Altay
-
Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon-Syria
- Palestine
- Sinai
- Turkey
-
Arabian Peninsula
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Pakistan
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Europe click to expand
-
Eastern Europe
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- South European Russia
-
Eastern Europe
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000549466 |
| Tropicos | 4002130 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:113451-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2652973 |
| Plantarium | 3749 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 563378 |
| Observations.org | 114812 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 475885 |
| IPNI | 113451-1 |
| GBIF | 4065322 |
| Freebase | /m/0_fn05h |
| EPPO | ANBDE |
| Elurikkus | 622653 |
| USDA GRIN | 407003 |
| Wikipedia | Arnebia_decumbens |
| CMAUP | NPO11151 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Naphthalenes / Naphthoquinones | |||||
| (+-)-Shikonin | 5208 | Click to see | 288.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| Acetylalkannin | 9967285 | Click to see | 330.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| Acetylshikonin | 32464 | Click to see CC(=CCC(C1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)OC(=O)C)C | 330.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| Alkannin | 72521 | Click to see | 288.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| Deoxyshikonin | 98914 | Click to see CC(=CCCC1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)C | 272.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1986.10867458 |
| Isovalerylalkannin | 5318685 | Click to see CC(C)CC(=O)OC(CC=C(C)C)C1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O | 372.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1986.10867458 |
| Isovalerylshikonin | 335426 | Click to see | 372.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1986.10867458 |
| Shikonin | 479503 | Click to see | 288.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| Shikonin acetate | 129650338 | Click to see | 348.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| > Hydrocarbons / Unsaturated hydrocarbons / Enynes | |||||
| (3E,5Z)-1,3,5-Tridecatriene-7,9,11-triyne | 5322029 | Click to see CC#CC#CC#CC=CC=CC=C | 166.22 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans | |||||
| Sesamin | 72307 | Click to see C1C2C(COC2C3=CC4=C(C=C3)OCO4)C(O1)C5=CC6=C(C=C5)OCO6 | 354.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acid esters | |||||
| [(Z)-5-[[(2E,4E,6E)-7-thiophen-2-ylhepta-2,4,6-trienoyl]amino]pent-2-enyl] 3-methylbutanoate | 72696081 | Click to see CC(C)CC(=O)OCC=CCCNC(=O)C=CC=CC=CC1=CC=CS1 | 373.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Docosanoic acid, pentyl ester | 22608915 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCCCCC | 410.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty amides / N-acyl amines | |||||
| (2E,4E,6E)-N-Isobutyl-7-(2-Thienyl)-2,4,6-Heptatrienamide | 73349612 | Click to see | 261.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (2E,4E,6E)-N-Isopentyl-7-(2-Thienyl)-2,4,6-Heptatrienamide | 72696080 | Click to see CC(C)CCNC(=O)C=CC=CC=CC1=CC=CS1 | 275.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (2E,4E,8Z)-N-(2-methylpropyl)tetradeca-2,4,8-trienamide | 73355665 | Click to see | 277.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (2E,4E)-N-isobutylundeca-2,4-dien-8,10-diynamide | 5373537 | Click to see | 229.32 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Dodecatetraenoic acid isobutylamide, (2E,4E)- | 6443006 | Click to see | 251.41 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| N-(2-methylpropyl)-7-thiophen-2-ylhepta-2,4,6-trienamide | 71365555 | Click to see | 261.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Tetradeca-2E,4E-Dienoic Acid Isobutylamide | 10731388 | Click to see | 279.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / Acyclic diterpenoids | |||||
| Hexadeca-2,6,10,14-tetraen-1-ol, 3,7,11,16-tetramethyl- | 5365865 | Click to see | 290.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Alpha-Amyrin | 73170 | Click to see | 426.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 122544 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| Sitogluside | 5742590 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C | 576.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Stigmasterol | 5280794 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.50.1651 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Phenylketones / Alkyl-phenylketones | |||||
| 1-(5-Acetyl-2-methoxy-phenyl)-3-methyl-butan-1-one | 3009228 | Click to see | 234.29 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Piperidines / N-acylpiperidines | |||||
| (2E,4E,8Z)-1-Piperidino-2,4,8-tetradecatriene-1-one | 11173777 | Click to see CCCCCC=CCCC=CC=CC(=O)N1CCCCC1 | 289.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (2E,4E)-1-(Piperidin-1-yl)tetradeca-2,4-dien-1-one | 11130083 | Click to see | 291.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 1-[(2e,4e,6e)-7-(2-Thienyl)-2,4,6-heptatrienoyl]piperidine | 11821786 | Click to see | 273.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyridines and derivatives / Hydropyridines / Tetrahydropyridines | |||||
| (2E,4E,6E)-1-(3,4-dihydro-2H-pyridin-1-yl)-7-thiophen-2-ylhepta-2,4,6-trien-1-one | 73346583 | Click to see C1CC=CN(C1)C(=O)C=CC=CC=CC2=CC=CS2 | 271.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (2E,4E)-1-(3,4-dihydro-2H-pyridin-1-yl)undeca-2,4-dien-8,10-diyn-1-one | 14427416 | Click to see | 239.31 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / 2-arylbenzofuran flavonoids | |||||
| [(2R,3S)-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-7-methoxy-5-[(E)-3-oxoprop-1-enyl]-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-3-yl]methyl 3-methylbutanoate | 72696082 | Click to see CC(C)CC(=O)OCC1C(OC2=C1C=C(C=C2OC)C=CC=O)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)OC | 440.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 5-Hydroxy-6,7,3',4'-Tetramethoxyflavone | 152430 | Click to see | 358.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Umuhengerin | 73648 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC)OC)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C=C3O2)OC)OC)O | 388.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |