Gen info
- Lepisanthes is a genus of 24 or 25 species of trees or shrubs native to tropical Africa, South and South East Asia, Australia, and Madagascar. It includes species formerly classified in the genera Aphania, Erioglossum, and Otophora.
- Etymology: The genus name Lepisanthes derives from Greek words "lepis" meaning scaly and "anthos" meaning flower.

Botany
Lepisanthes senegalensis is a tree or shrubs, evergreen, 4-6 m tall or more. Branches terete, glabrous. Leaves with petiole to 60 cm, axis strong, stout, grooved; leaflets 3-6 pairs; petiolule ca. 1 cm, stout; blades olive-green when dry, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 15-40 × 4-14 cm, subleathery, glabrous, base rounded or sometimes nearly cuneate, margin entire, apex acuminate or shortly acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, usually shorter than leaves. Pedicels 1-2 mm. Smaller sepals broadly ovate, 1.2-2 mm; larger ones suborbicular, 2.5-3 mm in diam. Petals 5 or sometimes 4, purplish red, broadly ovate, 4-5 × 3-3.5 mm, apex rounded or subtruncate; scales ciliate. Stamens 8 or sometimes 7; filaments ca. 1.5 mm, middle part slightly inflated, villous; anthers oblong, connectives slightly prominent. Ovary obcordiform, usually 2-lobed, 2-loculed; style short, stout; stigma shallowly 2-lobed. Fruit purplish red; fertile schizocarp ellipsoid, ca. 1.6 × 0.8 cm. (Flora of China) (2)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.
- Also native to Andaman Is., Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Borneo, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa Repu, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hainan, Himalaya, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, Zaïre. (1)

Constituents
- Study of stems and roots isolated two lupane and hopane caffeates (1 and 4) and two hopane coumarates (2,3) along with 8 known compounds (5-12). (see study below) (3)
- Phytochemical studies of stems and roots have yielded lupanes: 23-O-acetyl-3ß-O-trans-caffeoylbetulin , 3-O-trans-caffeoylbetulin, 3-O-trans-caffeoylbetulinic acid, betulin, betulinic acid, lupeol, 3-O-trans-caffeoyllupeol; hopane: 3α-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-22-hydroxyhopane, 3α-O-cis-p-coumaroyl-22-hydroxyhopane, 3α-O-trans-caffeoyl-22-hydroxyhopane; tannin: 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone. (5)
- Study of EtOAc crude extract of roots isolated five compounds: a steroid, stigmasterol (1), three lupane-type triterpenes, lupeol (2), 3ß-O-tranns-caffeoyl lupeol (3), and 3ß-O-trans-caffeoyl betulin (4), and a quinone, 2,6,-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (5). (see study below) (6)
- Phytochemical screening of ethanol leaf extract yielded flavonoids, tannins, sterols, and triterpenoids as main constituents. Phenol content was 151.63 mg equiv tannic acid/g. (see study below) (9)

Properties
- Studies have suggested cytotoxic, antimalarial, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer properties.

Parts used
Leaves, roots.

Uses
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric used in the Philippines.
- In Bangladesh, the Sigibe clans of the Khumi tribe treat watery stools accompanied with fever with roots macerated by two pieces of stones called 'pata', and mixed with water and drunk three times daily on an empty stomach. (4)
- Decoction of leaves used to cure pain, inflammation, body fatigue, fever; leaves eaten to treat diarrhea and dysentery; roots used for malaria, vertigo, chest pain and nosebleed; also used for pleuropneumonia. (5)
- In Senegal traditional medicine, used for treatment of pain, inflammation, asthenia, bacterial and fungal infections. (8)
Others
- Poison: In Gamo, south Ethiopia, goats reported to die after browsing on fruits. (7)

Studies
• Triterpenes / Cytotoxicity / Antimalarial / Stems and Roots: Study of stems and roots isolated two lupane and hopane caffeates (1 and 4) and two hopane coumarates (2,3) along with 8 known compounds (5-12). Triterpenes 1 and 4-6 showed cytotoxicity against NCI-H187 cell line with IC50s of 31.5, 28.5, 16.2, and 4.0 µM, respectively. However, the compounds also showed cytotoxicity against Vero cells, with IC50s of 75.5, 16.6, 8.9 and 5.0 µM, respectively. Compound 6 showed moderate antimalarial activity with IC50 of 4.6 µM. (3)
• Anticancer / Cytotoxicity / Roots: Study of EtOAc crude extract of roots isolated five compounds: a steroid, stigmasterol (1), three lupane-type triterpenes, lupeol (2), 3ß-O-tranns-caffeoyl lupeol (3), and 3ß-O-trans-caffeoyl betulin (4), and a quinone, 2,6,-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (5). Compound 4 showed moderate cytotoxicity against KB and NCI-H187 cancer cell lines with IC50s of 17.18 and 9.82 µg/mL. Compound 5 showed moderate cytotoxicity against KB, MCF-7, and NCI-H187 with IC50s of 13.41, 13.57, and 2.31 µg/mL, respectively. (6)
• Antimicrobial / Cytotoxicity / Leaves: Study of an ethanol leaf extract and antimicrobial activity against selected bacterial and fungal pathogens (Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans) and cytotoxic effect in MTT assay against Vero cells. Flavonoids and tannins were the main constituents of the ethanol leaf extract. The extract inhibited three fungal strains used in the study with lowest MIC against Candida albicans (o.16 mg/mL). Extract showed strong inhibition against E. faecalis, moderate inhibition against  E. coli and S. aureus. The extract showed higher cytotoxicity than berberine use as positive control (LC50 2.67 µg/mL and 9.99 µg/mL, respectively). Findings suggest the extracts may not be safe for use in animals infected by same pathogens. (8)
• Antioxidant / Leaves: Study evaluated the antioxidant potential of ethanol leaf extract of Aphania senegalensis. The extract exhibited ability to reduce ferric ion. On ABTS, nitric oxide, and DPPH radical reducing assays, the IC50s were 4.12 ± 0.11, 190.51 — 6.7, and 2.77 ± 0.03µg/ml, respectively. (see constituents above) (9)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Lepisanthes senegalensis / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Lepisanthes senegalensis / Flora of China
(3)
Bioactive Lupane and Hopane Triterpenes from Lepisanthes senegalensis / Pornwimon Lomchid, Pitak Nasomjai, Kwanjai Kanokmedhaku et al / Planta Med, 2017; 83(3-4): pp 334-340 / DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-116438
(4)
Ethnomedicinal investigations among the Sigibe clan of the Khumi tribe of Thanchi sub-district in Bandarban district of Bangladesh / Bijoy Sarker, Fatema Akther, Umma Ayman, Rolee Sifa, Mohammed Rahmatullah et al / American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 2012; 6(4): pp 378-386 / ISSN: 1995-0748
(5)
Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Lepisanthes Genus: A Review / Siti Z Zulkifli, Nurunajah Ab Ghani, Nor H Ismail, Nur V Bihud, Nurulfazlina E Rasol / Trop J Nat Prod Res, June 2021; 5(6): pp 994-1005
(6)
Chemical Constituents from Roots of Lepisanthes senegalensis / Pornwimon Lomchid, Somdej Kanokmedhakul, Kwanjai Kanokmedhakul, Pitak Nasomjai / Proceedings the 8th Science Research Conference, May 2016, Univerisity of Phayao
(7)
Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Derashe and Kucha Districts, South Ethiopia / Kebu Balemie, Fassil Kebebew / Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2006; 2: Article No 53 /
DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-2-53
(8)
Phytochemical screening, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity studies of ethanol leaf extract of Aphania senegalensis (Sapindaceae) / Alioune Dior Fall, Victor Patrick Bagla, Emmanuel Bassene, Jacobus Nicolaas Eloff / Afr J Trad Complement Altern Med., 2017; 14(4): pp 135-139 / PMID: 28638876 /
DOI: 10.21010/ajtcam.v14i4.16
(9)
Phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity of ethanol leaf extract of Aphania senegalensis (Juss. ex Poir.) Radlk / Alioune Dior Fall,  Serigne Ibra Mbacke Dieng, Emmanuel Bassene et al /  Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2015; 4(4): pp 20-23 / eISSN: 2278-4136 / pISSN: 2349-8234

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