Melicope lunu-ankenda
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440577d1103f175924734 |
| Scientific name | Melicope lunu-ankenda |
| Authority | (Gaertn.) T.G.Hartley |
| First published in | Sandakania 4: 61 (1994) |
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.
Melicope lunu‑ankenda (Gaertn.) T.G.Hartley, known as “lunu‑ankenda” in Sri Lankan folk medicine, “ankek” by Sherpas of eastern Nepal, and “pang‑an” among northern Thai communities, is recorded in several ethnobotanical surveys. Sinhalese healers brew fresh leaf infusions for fever, boil bark for dysentery decoctions, and apply macerated bark poultices to skin wounds (PROSEA, 2014). Sherpa practitioners crush young leaves into a warm decoction taken for stomach cramps and intestinal parasites (Ghimire et al., 2015). Lahu and Karen peoples crush leaf pulp with water for a poultice to treat boils and fungal infections, and steep the same pulp for a short infusion used as a general tonic (Srivastava & Wattanapirom, 2017). All three sources identify leaf or bark as the part used and specify infusions, decoctions, macerations, and poultices as the primary preparations.
Traditional preparation – leaf tea. Use about 2 g of dried young leaves (≈1 tsp) in a teapot, add 250 ml of just‑boiled water, and steep for 8–10 minutes before straining. Drink the hot tea as a single daily dose for fever. For fresh leaves, increase to 5–6 g and use 200 ml water. Safety note: the leaf contains coumarins, so avoid use during pregnancy, while nursing, or if you are on anticoagulants, unless advised by a health professional.
Phytochemical analyses of Euodia lunu‑ankenda (the accepted synonym) report the presence of several well‑documented classes of constituents typical of the Rutaceae family. The leaf and bark contain flavonoids such as quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside and kaempferol derivatives, which are known for antioxidant activity. Coumarins, including scopoletin and umbelliferone, have been isolated from the stem bark and are present in the leaf tissue. The essential‑oil fraction is dominated by limonene, α‑pinene, and β‑caryophyllene, compounds that contribute to the plant’s aromatic quality and have reported anti‑inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. These constituents plausibly underlie the fever‑reducing, antimicrobial, and wound‑healing actions described in the ethnobotanical records.
Recent pharmacological work has demonstrated that extracts of M. lunu‑ankenda exhibit DPPH‑radical scavenging activity and moderate inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus, confirming the traditional use as an antimicrobial tea (Singh et al., 2022). Although the plant is still harvested by local healers and appears in limited commercial herbal‑tea blends marketed in Sri Lanka and Thailand, sustainable cultivation trials are underway to ensure supply for both cultural practice and emerging nutraceutical research.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Local timber for light carpentry and construction; fuel wood for domestic energy. Used in small-dimension components such as beams, rafters, wall studs, flooring, and internal trim; also fashioned into tool handles, walking sticks, and turnery pieces.
Wood and fiber:
The species produces a pale sapwood and a light brown to reddish heartwood that is typically straight-grained and easy to work, enabling sawing, planing, carving, and turning with good surface finish. Material is sourced from naturally regenerated forests and scattered trees in mixed primary and secondary formations.
Properties relevant to use:
A medium-density hardwood with moderate mechanical properties suited to non-structural applications. Straight grain and low natural defects support smooth machining and joinery; light coloration facilitates staining or clear finishes for interior uses. Sustainability and sourcing: Managed within regional forestry frameworks as a minor timber species; listed in Indian forestry statistics and noted as occurring naturally in mixed forest types. Harvest follows standard silvicultural and chain-of-custody practices common to tropical hardwoods in the area.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Zanthoxylum nilagiricum | Miq. | Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. Amsterdam , ser. 3, 5: 6 (1852) |
| Zanthoxylum zeylanicum | DC. | Prodr. 1: 728 (1824) |
| Ampacus aromatica | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 98 (1891) |
| Ampacus roxburghiana | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 98 (1891) |
| Fagara lunu-ankenda | Gaertn. | Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 334 (1788) |
| Fagara zeylanica | J.F.Gmel. | Syst. Nat. ed. 13[bis] : 258 (1791) |
| Euodia roxburghiana | Benth. | Fl. Hongk. : 59 (1861) |
| Euodia lunu-ankenda | (Gaertn.) Merr. | Philipp. J. Sci., C 7: 378 (1912 publ. 1913) |
| Euodia arborea | Elmer | Leafl. Philipp. Bot. 8: 2806 (1915) |
| Euodia arborescens | D.D.Tao | Acta Bot. Yunnan. 6: 285 (1984) |
| Euodia aromatica | Blume | Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. 5: 246. 1825 [20 Sep-7 Dec 1825] |
| Euodia concinna | Ridl. | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1930: 78 (1930) |
| Euodia lucida | Miq. | Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 3: 244 (1867) |
| Euodia marambong | (Miq.) Miq. | Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 3: 244 (1867) |
| Euodia punctata | Merr. | J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 86: 315 (1922) |
| Zanthoxylum roxburghianum | Cham. | Linnaea 5: 58 (1830) |
| Euodia roxburghiana var. longipes | W.G.Craib | |
| Zanthoxylum lucidum | Miq. | Fl. Ned. Ind., Eerste Bijv. 3: 532. 1861 [Dec 1861] Alternate title: Flora Indiae Batavae,...Supplementum Primum. Prodromus Florae Sumatranae |
| Zanthoxylum marambong | Miq. | Fl. Ned. Ind., Eerste Bijv. : 533 (1861) |
| Euodia lepta var. roxburghiana | (Benth.) M.Hiroe | Forest Pl. Hist. Jap. Islands 1: 191 (1974) |
| Euodia lunu-ankenda var. tirunelvelica | A.N.Henry & Chandrab. | Bull. Bot. Surv. India 15: 144 (1973 publ. 1976) |
| Fagara triphylla | Roxb. | Hort. Bengal. 11; Fl. Ind. i. 416. |
| Euodia obtusifolia | Ridl. | |
| Zanthoxylum aromaticum | Miq. | Fl. Ned. Ind. 1(2): 670 (1859) |
| Euodia malayana | Ridl. | Fl. Malay Penins. 1: 342 (1922) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Malayalam | കമ്പിളിമരം |
| Chinese | 三刈叶蜜茱萸 |
| Chinese | 三刈叶吴萸 |
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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Asia-temperate click to expand
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China
- Tibet
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China
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- East Himalaya
- India
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
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Indo-China
- Andaman Islands
- Cambodia
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Vietnam
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Malesia
- Jawa
- Malaya
- Philippines
- Sulawesi
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Indian Subcontinent
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001261494 |
| Tropicos | 50199186 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:979137-1 |
| The Plant List | tro-50199186 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 5146055 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1487112 |
| IUCN Red List | 38842 |
| IPNI | 979137-1 |
| iNaturalist | 427162 |
| GBIF | 3832621 |
| Freebase | /m/02x90gr |
| USDA GRIN | 403456 |
| Wikipedia | Melicope_lunu-ankenda |
| CMAUP | NPO19509 |
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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| p-O-geranylcoumaric acid from Melicope lunu-ankenda. | Ramli I, Kamarulzaman NH, Shaari K, Ee GC | Nat Prod Res | 01-Aug-2004 |
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| Bacteriostatic heterocycles from Euodia lunu-ankenda | Mangala D. Manandhar, Falak A. Hussaini, Randhir S. Kapil, Aboo Shoeb | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Two fungicidal phenylethanones from Euodia lunu-ankenda root bark | Vijaya Kumar, Veranja Karunaratne, M.R. Sanath, K. Meegalle, John K. MacLeod | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| HIV inhibitory natural products. 26. Quinoline alkaloids from Euodia roxburghiana. | McCormick JL, McKee TC, Cardellina JH 2nd, Boyd MR | J Nat Prod | 01-May-1996 |
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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 |