Gen info
• Wrightia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1810.
• Wrightia pubescens is a species of small tree in the family Apocynaceae.
• Etymology: The genus Wrightia was named by Robert Brown, which honors William Wright (1735-1819), a Scottish physician and botanist.

Botany
• Lanete is a tree growing to a height of 35 meters. Trunk is 60 centimeters in diameter. Bark is yellowish brown. Young branchlets are yellowish, pubescent, becoming glabrous with age, densely lenticellate. Petiole is about 1 centimeter. Leaf blade is narrowly oblong, ovate, or narrowly ovate, 5 to 10 by 3 to 6 centimeters, papery, puberulent to glabrous adaxially, with 8 to 15 pairs of veins. Cymes are about 5 centimeters, pubescent. Sepals are ovate, 2 to 5 millimeters. Corolla is white or pinkish white, funneiform; lobes are oblong, 1 to 2 centimeters; corona is fringed Stamens are pubescent, inserted at the mouth of the corolla; anthers are exserted. Follicles are connate, sublinear, 15 to 30 by 1 to 2 centimeters. Seeds are narrowly fusiform.

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- In deciduous lowland thickets and forests.
- Also native to Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, New Guinea, Northern Territory, Philippines, Queensland, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam. (8)
- Sometimes used for reforestation projects. (12)

Constituents
- Leaves yielded ursolic acid (1), oleanolic acid (2), squalene (3), ß-sitosterol (4) and chlorophyll a (5) from the leaves; and 1, 2, and amyrin acetate (6) from the twigs. (see studies below) (3)
- Study of dichlormethane extracts of leaves and twigs yielded mixtures of ursolic acid (1) and oleanolic acid (2) (1:1 and 1:2); oleanolic acid (2), squalene (3), chlorophyll a (4), wrightiadione (5), and α-amyrin acetate. (see study below) (9)
- Study of dichlormethane extracts isolated ursolic acid (1), oelanolic acid (2), squalene (3), ß-sitosterol (4), and chlorophyll a (5) from leaves, and 1,2 and α-amyrin acetate from twigs. (10)
- Study of dichlormethane extract of twigs isolated an isoflavone, wrightiadione. (11)
- Phytochemical screening yielded flavonoid, polyphenol, saponin and triterpenoid, with absence of tannin and alkaloid.

Properties
- Studies have suggested anti-inflammatory,
anti-nociceptive, anticancer, antiplasmodial properties.

Parts used
Roots, bark, latex.

Uses
Edibility
- In Indonesia, bark used as coagulant in the manufacture of 'litsusu', a traditional cheese-like product. (12)
Folkloric
- Extracts from roots and barks used to treat scrofula and rheumatic arthralgia. Latex used for severe dysentery. (3)
- An ingredient in Chinese medicines used for intractable hiccups, osteoarthritis, upper respiratory infections in children. (3)
- Used by Malay people for toothache. (4)
- In Malaka, West Timor, Indonesia, leaves, roots and bark used for treatment of malaria. (13)
Others
- Wood: Used for general construction, making furniture, poles, musical instruments, and carving.(2)
- Paper: Bark fibers used for making paper and artificial cotton. (2)
- Agroforestry: Tree used for reforestation.
- Food production: In Indonesia, used as coagulant for manufacture of litsusu, a traditional cheese-like product.

Studies
• Chemical Constituents: Dichlormethane extracts yielded ursolic acid (1), oleanolic acid (2), squalene (3), ß-sitosterol (4) and chlorophyll a (5) from the leaves; and 1, 2, and amyrin acetate (6) from the twigs. (3)
• Anti-Inflammatory / Prostaglandin E2 Inhibition / Latex: Study of substances derived from Wrightia pubescens latex showed inhibitory activity on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and cycloxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages which may play a role in the reduction of pain and inflammation. (5)
• Cytotoxicity against Cancer Cell Lines / Twigs and Leaves: Study of dichlormethane extracts of leaves and twigs yielded mixtures of ursolic acid (1) and oleanolic acid (2) (1:1 and 1:2); oleanolic acid (2), squalene (3), chlorophyll a (4), wrightiadione (5), and α-amyrin acetate. The compounds were evaluated for antiprofiferative activities against three human cancer cell lines viz., breast (MCF-7), colon (HT-29 and HCT-116). Compounds 4, the two mixtures of 1 and 2, and compound 5 exhibited most cytotoxic effects against HT-29. Compound 2 showed moderate activity against MCF-7, and compound 6 showed highest cytotoxicity against HCT-116. (9)
• In Vitro Cytotoxicity: Study of evaluated the cytotoxic activity of crude extracts of three Philippine indigenous plants, Wrightia pubescens, Aphanamixis polystachys, and Platymitra arbores against selected human cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Cytotoxic activities of the extracts were found in the EA fractions of W. pubescens and P. arborea. All active fractions were highly cytotoxic to HCT116 and A549. (14)
• Antiplasmodial / Twig: Wrightia pubescens is traditionally used for treatment of malaria. In a study of various plant extracts for antiplasmdial activity, W. pubescens twig exhibited significant antiplasmodial activity with IC50 of 1.79 µg/mL Tryptanthrin was identified in the extract, which showed good antiplasmodial activity. (17)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Sorting Wrightia names / /Maintained by: Michel H. Porcher / MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE / Copyright © 1995 - 2020 / A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The University of Melbourne. Australia.
(2)
Botanical description / Chinese Plant Names / Flora of China / www.eFloras
(3)
Chemical constituents of Wrightia pubescens / Consolacion Y. Ragasa, Vincent Antonio S. Ng, Mariquit M. De Los Reyes, Emelina H. Mandia and Chien-Chang Shen / Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2014, 6 (6):14-19
(4)
Herbal Remedies in Malay medicine / The Malay Medicine
(5)
Inhibition of prostaglandin E2 by substances derived from Wrightia pubescens latex in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages / Jutharat Jittimanee, Pawana Panomket, Surasak Wanrum / Journal of Medical Technology and Physical Therapy, January-April 2013; Vol 25, No 1
(6)
CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common names / By Umberto Quattrocchi / Google Books
(7)
Chinese names / Catalogue of Life: 2013 Annual Checklist
(8)
Wrightia pubescens / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(9)
Cytotoxic Compounds from Wrightia pubescens (R.Br.) / Mariquit M de los Reyes, Glenn G Oyong, Vincent Antonio S Ng, Chien-Chang Shen, and Consolacion Y Ragasa / Pharmacognosy Res., Jan-Mar 2018; 10(1): pp 9-15 / DOI: 10.4103/pr.pr_45_17 / PMID: 29568181
(10)
Chemical constituents of Wrightia pubescens (R.Br.) / Consolacion Ragasa, Vincent Antonio Santos Ng et al / Der Pharmacia Lettre, Dec 2014; 6(6): pp 14-19
(11)
An isoflavone from Wrightia pubescens / Consolacion Ragasa, Vincent Antonio Santos Ng et al / International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Research, April 2015;  7(2): pp 353-355 / ISSN: 0975-4873
(12)
Wrightia pubescens / Ken Fern, Tropical Plants Database / Useful Tropical Plants
(13)
Ethnomedicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Malaria in Malaka, West Timor / Maximus M Taek, Bambang Prajogo EW, Mangestuti Agil / J Young Phar, 2018; 10(2): pp 187-192
(14)
In-vitro Cytotoxicity of Wrightia pubescens (Blanco) Merr., Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) Parker, and Platymitra arborea (Blanco) against selected human cancer cell lines / Maria Lorraine Garcia Bugayong, Sonia Donaldo Jacinto / International Jour. Biosci., Nov 2017; 11(5): pp 204-213
(15)
Toxicity Of Selected Apocynaceae, Magnoliaceae And Simaroubaceae Of Indonesian Plants Using Brine Shrimp Lethality Bioassay. / Ade Zuhrotun, Asep Gana Suganda, Komar Ruslan Wirasutisna, and Marlia Singgih Wibowo / Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences, Jan-Feb 2017; 8(1S): pp 10-15
(16)
Wrightia pubescens / Nguyen Ba, Nguyen Nghia Thin / PROSEA
(17)
Phytochemical analysis and evaluation of antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activities of Wrightia dubiaand Wrightia pubescens traditionally used for malaria treatment in Southeast Asia / Hidayatul Atiqah Abd Karim, Rozaini Mohd Zohdi, Che Puteh Osman et al / Fitoterapia, 2025; Vol 186: 106794 /
DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2025.106794

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