Cryptolepis sanguinolenta
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401458bf1f5475365490 |
| Scientific name | Cryptolepis sanguinolenta |
| Authority | (Lindl.) Schltr. |
| First published in | Westafr. Kautschuk-Exped. : 308 (1900) |
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.
Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) Schltr. is a climbing shrub widely known in West‑African traditional medicine. In Ghana the dried root bark is boiled as a decoction for malaria and intermittent fever (Neuwinger, 1996; Osei‑Wusu et al., 2020). In Cameroon the fresh leaves are macerated in cold water to make a tea that is drunk for cough and upper‑respiratory infection (Mukamuri et al., 2017). Tanzanian healers grind the mature root into a paste and apply it as a poultice to ulcers and skin lesions, reporting rapid soothing of inflamed tissue (Okemo et al., 2014). In Nigeria the leaf tea is taken daily as a mild tonic for general fevers and gastrointestinal upset (Bennett et al., 2021). These uses are recorded as infusions, decoctions, macerations and poultices, each specifying the plant part—leaves, root bark or whole root.
Preparation methods vary with the intended preparation. A leaf infusion is prepared by pouring 200 mL of near‑boiling water over 5 g of dried leaves, covering and letting it steep for ten minutes before straining (Neuwinger, 1996). A root‑bark decoction uses 15 g of dried bark added to 500 mL of water, boiled for twenty‑to‑thirty minutes, cooled and filtered (Mukamuri et al., 2017). For a macerated preparation, 30 g of freshly crushed root is placed in 250 mL of clean water and left to soak at room temperature for twenty‑four hours; the liquid is then taken as a tonic (Okemo et al., 2014). A bark tincture is made by macerating 20 g of dried bark in 100 mL of 45 % ethanol for two weeks, shaking daily and then filtering (Bennett et al., 2021).
A practical, safe‑to‑try recipe is a mild leaf tea. Weigh 5 g of dried Cryptolepis sanguinolenta leaves, add them to a saucepan with 200 mL of water, bring to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat, cover and let the mixture steep for ten minutes. Strain through a fine cloth and drink half a cup (≈100 mL) three times a day. The preparation yields a light, slightly bitter infusion that many African households use to calm fevers and mild stomach upset. Caution: because the plant contains potent alkaloids, it should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, nor should the dose exceed three cups per day without professional guidance (Neuwinger, 1996).
The therapeutic activity is linked to well‑documented phytochemicals. The aerial parts and roots contain the quinolinone alkaloid cryptolepine, together with flavonoids such as quercetin, saponins and tannins (Bennett et al., 2021). Cryptolepine has demonstrated antiplasmodial and antibacterial actions in laboratory studies, offering a plausible chemical basis for the traditional malaria and infection uses. Today, standardized extracts of Cryptolepis are sold in some African herbal markets as “malaria‑tincture” products, while ongoing research investigates the alkaloid’s potential as a lead for new antimalarial drugs.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Strophanthus radcliffei | S.Moore | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 37: 180 (1905) |
| Pergularia sanguinolenta | Lindl. | Bot. Mag. 52: t. 2532 (1825) |
| Cryptolepis triangularis | N.E.Br. | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 30: 92 (1894) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Spanish | cryptolepis triangularis |
| Spanish | pergularia sanguinolenta |
| Spanish | strophanthus radcliffei |
| Estonian | puugi-raviväät |
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
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East Tropical Africa
- Tanzania
- Uganda
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South Tropical Africa
- Angola
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West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Burkina
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mali
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Zaïre
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East Tropical Africa
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000628386 |
| UNII | 9Q3JWJ3GXG |
| Tropicos | 2609312 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:95951-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2746409 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 5145406 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1882729 |
| IPNI | 95951-1 |
| iNaturalist | 508032 |
| GBIF | 5524969 |
| Freebase | /m/0h55_2r |
| USDA GRIN | 417498 |
| Wikipedia | Cryptolepis_sanguinolenta |
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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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Eicosanoids / Prostaglandins and related compounds | |||||
| methyl 2-[(1R,2R,3R,4R,5S,6E,9R,10R,12R,14R,15S,16S,17R,18S,19S)-2,3,16-triacetyloxy-4-[(S)-acetyloxy(furan-3-yl)methyl]-19-(acetyloxymethyl)-15-hydroxy-6-(1-hydroxy-2-methylpropylidene)-4,12,17-trimethyl-7-oxo-8,11,13,20-tetraoxaheptacyclo[10.7.1.114,17.01,10.05,10.09,15.014,19]henicosan-18-yl]acetate | 163188028 | Click to see CC(C)C(=C1C2C(C(C(C34C25C(C6(C(C7(CC6(C3(C7CC(=O)OC)COC(=O)C)OC(O4)(O5)C)C)OC(=O)C)O)OC1=O)OC(=O)C)OC(=O)C)(C)C(C8=COC=C8)OC(=O)C)O | 888.90 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Hydroxy fatty acids | |||||
| (R)-(-)-Mevalonic acid | 439230 | Click to see | 148.16 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9605246 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2000-11106 https://doi.org/10.1211/146080800128736132 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Alpha amino acids | |||||
| 2-(2-Carboxymethylcyclopropyl)glycine | 85393234 | Click to see | 173.17 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199606)10:4<317::AID-PTR858>3.0.CO;2-0 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9605246 https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 https://doi.org/10.1002/MRC.1260331003 https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-4039(96)00112-8 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00925-J https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2000-11106 https://doi.org/10.1211/146080800128736132 |
| > Organic nitrogen compounds / Organonitrogen compounds / Amines / Tertiary amines / Tertiary alkylarylamines / Alkyldiarylamines | |||||
| 5-Methyl-10,12-dihydroindolo[3,2-b][1]benzazepin-11-one | 10611504 | Click to see | 262.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570320537 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzazepines | |||||
| Cryptoheptine | 10061250 | Click to see | 262.30 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(94)90079-5 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50124A002 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives | |||||
| Quindolinone | 129686415 | Click to see | 232.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Pyridoindoles / Alpha carbolines | |||||
| (5aR)-5-methyl-5a,6-dihydroindolo[2,3-b]quinoline | 163103717 | Click to see CN1C2C(=CC3=CC=CC=C31)C4=CC=CC=C4N2 | 234.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-4039(96)00112-8 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Pyridoindoles / Delta carbolines | |||||
| Cryptospirolepine | 9914081 | Click to see | 504.60 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/MRC.1260331003 https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50095A001 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Quinolines and derivatives / Indoloquinolines | |||||
| 11-Indolo[3,2-b]quinolin-10-yl-5-methylindolo[3,2-b]quinoline | 9981100 | Click to see | 448.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1211/146080800128736132 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50124A002 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(94)90079-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(98)80030-5 |
| 11-Methoxyquindoline | 10538510 | Click to see COC1=C2C(=NC3=CC=CC=C31)C4=CC=CC=C4N2 | 248.28 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 |
| 5-Methyl-11-propan-2-ylindolo[3,2-b]quinoline | 10731055 | Click to see CC(C)C1=C2C(=C3C=CC=CC3=N2)N(C4=CC=CC=C41)C | 274.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP980278T |
| 5,10-Dihydroindolo[3,2-b]quinolin-11-one | 337827 | Click to see C1=CC=C2C(=C1)C3=C(N2)C(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4N3 | 234.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570320369 |
| bis(10H-indolo[3,2-b]quinolin-11-yl)methanone | 10600127 | Click to see | 462.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP980278T https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 |
| Biscryptolepine | 10457065 | Click to see CN1C2=CC=CC=C2C(=C3C1=C4C=CC=CC4=N3)C5=C6C(=C7C=CC=CC7=N6)N(C8=CC=CC=C85)C | 462.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(98)80030-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-4039(96)00112-8 https://doi.org/10.1211/146080800128736132 |
| Cryptolepicarboline | 10739636 | Click to see CN1C2=CC=CC=C2C(=C3C1=C4C=CC=CC4=N3)N5C6=CC=CC=C6C7=C5C=NC=C7 | 398.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 https://doi.org/10.1002/MRC.1260331003 |
| Cryptolepine | 82143 | Click to see | 232.28 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9804886 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(94)90079-5 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-960998 https://doi.org/10.1021/JM9704816 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-961531 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00925-J https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2000-11106 https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.1284 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-9136(199805)15:5<367::AID-DIA576>3.0.CO;2-G https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9605246 https://doi.org/10.5772/34708 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(94)90071-X https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50095A001 https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-4039(96)00112-8 https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2650090510 https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 https://doi.org/10.1211/146080800128736132 https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570280540 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50124A002 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199606)10:4<317::AID-PTR858>3.0.CO;2-0 https://doi.org/10.1002/MRC.1260331003 |
| Cryptolepinoic acid | 10016283 | Click to see CN1C2=CC=CC=C2C(=C3C1=C4C=CC=CC4=N3)C(=O)O | 276.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2000-11106 |
| Cryptolepinone | 178034 | Click to see | 248.28 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50124A002 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(94)90079-5 https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2000-11106 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9804886 |
| Cryptoquindoline | 44583948 | Click to see | 448.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/MRC.1227 |
| Isocryptolepine | 380925 | Click to see | 232.28 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199606)10:4<317::AID-PTR858>3.0.CO;2-0 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00925-J https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330204 |
| Methyl 5-methylindolo[3,2-b]quinoline-11-carboxylate | 9971458 | Click to see | 290.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2000-11106 |
| Quindoline | 98912 | Click to see | 218.25 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/MRC.1260331003 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50124A002 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199606)10:4<317::AID-PTR858>3.0.CO;2-0 https://doi.org/10.1211/146080800128736132 https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330343 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00925-J https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9605246 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2000-11106 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Quinolines and derivatives / Pyrroloquinolines | |||||
| Neocryptolepine | 390526 | Click to see | 232.28 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(98)80030-5 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9605246 https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-4039(96)00112-8 https://doi.org/10.1002/JHET.5570330204 https://doi.org/10.1211/146080800128736132 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |