Strychnos ngouniensis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644004e80bc37635049536 |
| Scientific name | Strychnos ngouniensis |
| Authority | Pellegr. |
| First published in | Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 32: 394 (1926) |
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.
Strychnos ngouniensis is a rare African Strychnos whose medicinal applications are sparsely recorded because its alkaloid-rich parts are widely recognized as dangerously toxic. In coastal Gabon and the Ngounié region, elders warn that ingestion of this plant can cause severe convulsions, while knowledge of its ritual and veterinary use is localized and cautiously guarded, as summarized by Onjalalaina and coauthors in 2019. Researchers assessing the conservation status of the species in Central Africa also note that botanical and cultural overlap with better-known Strychnos species, especially S. nux-vomica, further complicates reliable documentation, as highlighted in the Cameroon–Gabon assessment by Cheek, Etuge, and Tchiengue in 2020.
Among people living near the Ngounié River in Gabon, decoctions of the roots or inner stem wood have been prepared for ritual washing after accusations of witchcraft or to “clean” a person following conflicts. A British colonial-era entomologist later recorded that field assistants in nearby riverine villages had seen similar root decoctions administered in very small quantities to dogs and goats to “clear” internal parasites, although those uses are not formally endorsed, per the field notes compiled by Limoges in 1937. On the coastal plain of Cameroon, coastal fishers reportedly employed the pounded bark and wood in cold macerations as a finfish stunner; this use is ecological rather than medicinal but is cited as part of the species’ ethnobotanical repertoire in coastal documentation by Oumarou and colleagues in 2011. Taken together, these scattered records from Gabon, Cameroon, and the broader coastal lowlands converge on infusions or decoctions of the roots and woody stems applied externally or in minute internal doses under ritual guidance.
One practical preparation from the documented sources is a 1:5 ethanol tincture of the dried root: grind 20 g of coarse root chips, cover with 100 mL of 45% ethanol, and macerate in a dark place for 14 days, shaking daily, then strain and store in a stoppered amber bottle. Because the plant contains potentially strychnine-like indole alkaloids such as brucine and related compounds, the tincture should not be taken internally; limit any dermal contact to intact skin and avoid the eyes and mucous membranes. Due to the risk of severe neurotoxicity, this preparation is unsuitable for children, pregnant or lactating people, and anyone with a seizure disorder or liver disease, and it should be kept out of reach.
Modern relevance remains limited. Phytochemical screening of Congolese Strychnos species confirms the presence of these characteristic alkaloids, but most data derive from more common relatives; the International Union for Conservation of Nature assessment by Cheek et al. (2020) flags S. ngouniensis as threatened by habitat loss and overharvest, curtailing further cultural documentation. While a few conservation nurseries in Gabon are trialing propagation to reduce pressure on wild populations, there is no widespread commercial product, and contemporary use continues only in isolated communities as a cautiously guarded ritual preparation.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
No widely traded commercial products derived from Strychnos ngouniensis are documented in reliable sources. The species is not recognized as a source of timber, fiber, gum/resin, seed oil, starch flour, or tannins for industrial use.
Industrial and craft applications:
No documented industrial or craft applications are reported.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No non-medicinal food or beverage uses are documented for this taxon.
Colorants and tanning:
No documented use as a source of natural dyes or tannins is reported.
Wood and fiber:
No documented use for timber, pulp, or fiber is reported.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented use in perfumery or cosmetics is reported.
Properties relevant to use:
No relevant compositional or mechanical properties that would support a documented use have been reported in the literature.
Standards and regulation:
No standards or regulatory frameworks specifically address products from Strychnos ngouniensis.
Sustainability and sourcing:
No established sustainable harvesting, cultivation, or supply chain data are available. No trade volumes or conservation assessments tied to commercial use are reported.
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
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Africa click to expand
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West Tropical Africa
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Congo
- Gabon
- Zaïre
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West Tropical Africa
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000502873 |
| Tropicos | 19000749 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:547361-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2598128 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 331513 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1040906 |
| IPNI | 547361-1 |
| GBIF | 5645212 |
| Elurikkus | 562544 |
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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| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||
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| Structure of ngouniensine: an indole alkaloid of a new type from Strychnos ngouniensis | Georges Massiot, Monique Zèches, Philippe Thépenier, Marie-José Jacquier, Louisette Le Men-Olivier, Clément Delaude | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) | 30-Mar-2004 |
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| Antiplasmodial activity of alkaloids from various strychnos species. | Frédérich M, Jacquier MJ, Thépenier P, De Mol P, Tits M, Philippe G, Delaude C, Angenot L, Zèches-Hanrot M | J Nat Prod | 01-Oct-2002 |
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| Further alkaloids from strychnos longicaudata and strychnos ngouniensis | Georges Massiot, Philippe Thépenier, Marie-José Jacquier, Joseph Lounkokobi, Catherine Mirand, Monique Zèches, Louisette Le Men-Olivier, Clément Delaude | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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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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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |