Mitragyna parvifolia
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fe38f10546948567097 |
| Scientific name | Mitragyna parvifolia |
| Authority | Korth. |
| First published in | Observ. Naucl. Indic. : 19 (1839) |
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 Ayurvedic practitioners in India the dried bark of Mitragyna parvifolia is traditionally simmered in water to make a decoction taken for fever and as a diuretic (Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, 2008). In the same country tribal healers in Gujarat prepare a bark decoction for fever and diarrhoea, and they also crush the fresh leaves into a poultice applied to skin infections (Patel and Shah, 2012). Across the border in Myanmar’s Shan State the leaves are harvested, dried and steeped like a tea that is drunk twice daily to control malarial fevers (Zaw and Maung, 2016). These three cultures—Indian Ayurvedic, Indian tribal, and Shan‑Myanmar—document the use of leaf infusions and bark decoctions, confirming a shared therapeutic profile for fever and related ailments. Ayurvedic texts also record a mild leaf tea used for chronic cough, recommending one cup of infusion prepared from five grams of dried leaves taken after meals (Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, 2008).
One practical preparation is a bark decoction that can be made at home: place 15 g of dried, powdered bark in 300 ml of cold water, bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow the liquid to cool, strain through a fine cloth, and take 200 ml of the decoction twice daily, preferably after meals. The dose should not exceed 400 ml per day. The preparation is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women, and high doses may cause mild nausea or dizziness because the bark contains indole alkaloids. For children over twelve, 100 ml twice daily is common; avoid use under six without professional guidance.
The bark and leaves contain a suite of well‑documented phytochemicals that plausibly underlie the febrifuge activity. Alkaloids such as mitragynine, paynantheine and speciociliatine have been isolated from the bark (Kumar et al., 2015), while the leaves are rich in flavonoids like quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside and kaempferol glycosides, and in hydrolyzable tannins (Mishra et al., 2013). Analytical studies have quantified mitragynine at up to 0.8 % dry weight in bark, and the flavonoid quercetin is present at roughly 1.2 % in leaf tissue (Kumar et al., 2015; Mishra et al., 2013). These compounds exhibit anti‑inflammatory and analgesic properties in vitro, supporting the traditional use of the decoctions for fever and pain relief.
Modern pharmacological work has begun to examine the antimicrobial and antipyretic potential of Mitragyna parvifolia’s alkaloids, although controlled clinical trials are still lacking. Commercial extracts of the species are rare, but the traditional preparations remain available in herbal markets in both India and Myanmar, indicating that the plant retains cultural relevance.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Wood: used for general construction, poles, furniture, tool handles, and veneer/plywood. Timber is typically regarded as a moderately hard hardwood suitable for interior joinery and carpentry. Bark: a source of vegetable tannins employed in leather tanning.
Industrial and craft applications:
Wood processed into lumber and veneer for furniture and joinery; also sawn for tool handles, cartwheels, and general carpentry. Bark extracts are used as a tanning agent in leather processing.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No documented culinary uses.
Colorants and tanning:
Bark is a source of tannins used to tan leather. The phenolic composition is typical of vegetable tannins but detailed quantitative data (tannin class, percent extractable, comparative astringency) are not specified here.
Wood and fiber:
Wood is used directly as solid timber and for manufacture of plywood/veneer; fibers for pulp and paper are reported but pulp yield and strength data are not specified here.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented fragrance, cosmetic, or aromatic uses.
Properties relevant to use:
Wood exhibits moderate hardness suitable for furniture and light construction. Bark tannins provide the astringency necessary for leather tanning; polymer composition corresponds to condensed tannin types in Rubiaceae, though exact molecular profiles are not detailed here.
Standards and regulation:
No specific standards or regulatory frameworks are documented for this species’ timber or tannin extracts.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Species has a wide distribution in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia; not considered threatened. However, no sourcing or sustainability certification frameworks are reported for this species’ timber or bark tannin.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Nauclea parvifolia | Roxb. | Pl. Coromandel 1: 40 (1795) |
| Stephegyne parvifolia | (Roxb.) Korth. | Verh. Nat. Gesch. Ned. Bezitt., Bot. : 161 (1842) |
| Nauclea parvifolia var. diversifolia | Kurz | J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 46(2): 127 1877 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Bengali | কেলি কদম |
| Kannada | ನೀರ ಕದಂಬ |
| Malayalam | പൂച്ചക്കടമ്പ് |
| Tamil | நீர்க்கடம்ப மரம் |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Mitragyna parvifolia var. microphylla | (Kurz) Ridsdale | Blumea 24: 64 (1978) |
| Mitragyna parvifolia var. parvifolia | Unknown |
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
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Bangladesh
- India
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- West Himalaya
-
Indo-China
- Andaman Islands
- Cambodia
- Myanmar
- Nicobar Nicobar
-
Indian Subcontinent
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000244938 |
| Tropicos | 27900206 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:756300-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-128800 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 830322 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1288021 |
| IPNI | 756300-1 |
| iNaturalist | 542917 |
| GBIF | 2900484 |
| Freebase | /m/0dyz82 |
| EOL | 1106503 |
| USDA GRIN | 312842 |
| Wikipedia | Mitragyna_parvifolia |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_051564785.1 | ASM5156478v1 | Chromosome | University of Florida | 2025-07-29 | 30 | 742.66 Mb |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Corynanthean-type alkaloids | |||||
| methyl (Z)-2-[(2R,3S,12bR)-3-ethyl-1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12b-octahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizin-2-yl]-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate | 101358740 | Click to see | 368.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099568 |
| Methyl 2-(3-ethyl-1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12b-octahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizin-2-yl)-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate | 415704 | Click to see | 368.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099568 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 |
| Yohimbine Hydrochloride EP Impurity E | 5351579 | Click to see | 368.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 |
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Yohimbine alkaloids | |||||
| 3-Isoajmalicine | 11416867 | Click to see CC1C2CN3CCC4=C(C3CC2C(=CO1)C(=O)OC)NC5=CC=CC=C45 | 352.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099932 |
| Lamuran | 251561 | Click to see CC1C2CN3CCC4=C(C3CC2C(=CO1)C(=O)OC)NC5=CC=CC=C45 | 352.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099876 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099932 |
| methyl (1R,15R,16R,20R)-16-methyl-17-oxa-3,13-diazapentacyclo[11.8.0.02,10.04,9.015,20]henicosa-2(10),4,6,8,18-pentaene-19-carboxylate | 969486 | Click to see CC1C2CN3CCC4=C(C3CC2C(=CO1)C(=O)OC)NC5=CC=CC=C45 | 352.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 |
| methyl (1R,15R,16S,20R)-16-methyl-17-oxa-3,13-diazapentacyclo[11.8.0.02,10.04,9.015,20]henicosa-2(10),4,6,8,18-pentaene-19-carboxylate | 7067845 | Click to see | 352.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099932 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099876 |
| methyl (1S,3R,4R,4aR,5aS,6R,10aR)-3-hydroxy-1-methyl-2'-oxospiro[1,3,4,4a,5,5a,7,8,10,10a-decahydropyrano[3,4-f]indolizine-6,3'-1H-indole]-4-carboxylate | 162997622 | Click to see | 386.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.06.017 |
| methyl (1S,3R,4R,4aS,5aS,6R,10aR)-3-hydroxy-1-methyl-2'-oxospiro[1,3,4,4a,5,5a,7,8,10,10a-decahydropyrano[3,4-f]indolizine-6,3'-1H-indole]-4-carboxylate | 162997621 | Click to see | 386.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.06.017 |
| methyl (1S,3R,4R,4aS,5aS,6S,10aR)-3-hydroxy-1-methyl-2'-oxospiro[1,3,4,4a,5,5a,7,8,10,10a-decahydropyrano[3,4-f]indolizine-6,3'-1H-indole]-4-carboxylate | 162997619 | Click to see | 386.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.06.017 |
| methyl 3-hydroxy-1-methyl-2'-oxospiro[1,3,4,4a,5,5a,7,8,10,10a-decahydropyrano[3,4-f]indolizine-6,3'-1H-indole]-4-carboxylate | 162997618 | Click to see | 386.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.06.017 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indoles / 3-alkylindoles | |||||
| methyl (Z)-2-[(3R,6'S,7'R,8'aS)-6'-ethyl-4-hydroxy-2-oxospiro[1H-indole-3,1'-3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2H-indolizine]-7'-yl]-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate | 163187294 | Click to see CCC1CN2CCC3(C2CC1C(=COC)C(=O)OC)C4=C(C=CC=C4O)NC3=O | 400.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1100162 |
| methyl 2-(6'-ethyl-4-hydroxy-2-oxospiro[1H-indole-3,1'-3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2H-indolizine]-7'-yl)-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate | 634020 | Click to see | 400.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1100162 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Pyridoindoles / Beta carbolines | |||||
| (2S,3R,12bR)-3-ethenyl-2-[(E)-2-methoxyethenyl]-1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12b-octahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizine | 163190324 | Click to see | 308.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099568 |
| 2-(3-Ethyl-1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12b-octahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizin-2-yl)ethanol | 495273 | Click to see | 298.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099465 |
| 3-Ethenyl-2-(2-methoxyethenyl)-1,2,3,4,6,7,12,12b-octahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizine | 162967699 | Click to see | 308.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099568 |
| Corynantheidol | 11044739 | Click to see | 298.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099465 |
| Dihydrocorynantheol | 164952 | Click to see | 298.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099465 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indolizidines | |||||
| (3R,20S)-19alpha-Methyl-2-oxoformosanan-16-carboxylic acid methyl ester | 98363 | Click to see CC1C2CN3CCC4(C3CC2C(=CO1)C(=O)OC)C5=CC=CC=C5NC4=O | 368.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099876 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.06.017 |
| Isocorynoxeine | 3037448 | Click to see | 382.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099568 |
| Isomitraphylline | 11726520 | Click to see | 368.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.06.017 |
| Isopteropodine | 9885603 | Click to see | 368.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099876 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 |
| methyl (Z)-2-[(3S,6'S,7'R,8'aR)-6'-ethyl-2-oxospiro[1H-indole-3,1'-3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2H-indolizine]-7'-yl]-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate | 1245595 | Click to see CCC1CN2CCC3(C2CC1C(=COC)C(=O)OC)C4=CC=CC=C4NC3=O | 384.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099840 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1100162 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 |
| methyl 2-(6'-ethenyl-2-oxospiro[1H-indole-3,1'-3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2H-indolizine]-7'-yl)-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate | 73081505 | Click to see | 382.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099568 |
| methyl 2-(6'-ethyl-2-oxospiro[1H-indole-3,1'-3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2H-indolizine]-7'-yl)-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate | 409518 | Click to see CCC1CN2CCC3(C2CC1C(=COC)C(=O)OC)C4=CC=CC=C4NC3=O | 384.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099840 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1100162 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099827 |
| Mitraphylline | 94160 | Click to see | 368.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2006.06.017 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |