 Gen info
- Acanthaceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are tropical herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes.
- Taxonomical journey: Since the first comprehensive classification of Acanthaceae in 1847 by Nees, the family has gone through a taxonomic journey of major revisions and reclassifications. As of December 2021, Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) accepts 217 genera. As of Julyu 2025, Plants of the World Online (POWO) accepts 208 genera.
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Thunbergia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It contains 150 species native to tropical and subtropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. Genus members
are known by various names, including thunbergias and clockvine.
- Etymology: Acanthus derives from the Ancient Greek word akanthos, meaning "thorn plant" or akantha, meaning "thorn" or "spine". The genus name Thunbergia honors the Swedish naturalist, explorer, and father of South African botany, Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1822), who was a student of Carl Linnaeus. (3) The specific epithet fragrans derives from Latin, meaning fragrant or sweet-smelling.
- Thunbergia fragrans, the white lady, is a perennial climbing twiner in the family Acanthaceae, native to South and Southeast Asia and China. (4)
Botany
• Growth form: Herbaceous vine. Foliage: Green leaves are triangular, ovate or lanceolate with pointed lobes (3-14 cm long, 1.8-7 cm wide). Stems: Stems are nearly 4-angled to flattened. Flowers: White, sweetly fragrant flowers are tubular (3 cm long, 5 cm wide) . The cylindrical, floral tube is 4-7 mm long and the lobes are egg-shaped with the wide end at the tip. Fruit: Dry, dehiscent fruits are known as capsules. They are hairless, approximately round and beaked near the apex (7 mm wide, 10-13 mm long). (Flora& Fauna Web) (5)
• Vines, herbaceous. Stems almost 4-angled to flattened, sulcate, hirsute. Petiole 0.5-4.5 cm, hirsute; leaf blade oblong-ovate to ovate to broadly ovate to oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3-14 × 1.8-7 cm, both surfaces puberulent to subglabrous except for trichomes along veins or rarely glabrous, palmately 3-5-veined, base rounded to sometimes cuneate or cordate, margin entire, irregularly sinuate, or shallowly coarsely dentate, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers axillary, solitary; peduncle 1.5-5.5 cm; bracteoles ovate, 1.5-2.5 × 0.8-1.5 cm, puberulent, apex acute. Calyx 3-5 mm, unequally 10-17-dentate, glabrous. Corolla white, 3-5 cm, sparsely puberulent; tube basally cylindric for 4-7 mm, throat 1.8-2.3 cm; lobes obovate, 1.3-2.5 × 1.5-2.3 cm. Stamens included; filaments 6-10 mm, glabrous; anther thecae ca. 3 mm, divergent, glabrous. Ovary glabrous; style 1.5-2 cm, exserted; stigma funnel-shaped, ca. 2 mm. Capsule glabrous, basal part ca. 7 × 10-13 mm, beak 1.5-1.9 cm. Seeds 4-5 mm in diam., smooth or with scales. (Flora of China)
• Note: Variation in shape, size, pubescence, and margin form of leaves is extensive in Thunbergia fragrans. Taxa have been recognized based on these characters.
Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1) (2)
- Throughout the Philippines in most islands and provinces. Low and medium elevated thickets. (2)
- Also native to Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicobar Is., Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)
- Considered a serious weed in Australia and Hawaii, threatening native species. (5)
 Constituents
- Phytochemical screening of methanol extracts of leaves and stems yielded quinones +++, terpenoids +++, phenols +, and tannins +. Stems also revealed alkaloids and flavonoids. (see study below) (6)
- Ethanol extract of leaves yielded alkaloids ++, flavonoids ++, terpenoids +. phenol ++. tannins +, saponins +, reducing sugar +, anthraquinone +, glycoside +, protein and amino acids ++, with absence of quinones and steroids. Quantifative analysis yielded alkaloids 6.25, flavonoid 22.5, saponins 3.0, tannins 2.5, and phenols 15.35. (see study below) (7)
-GC and GC-MS analysis of fresh samples of leaves and roots for essential oil
identified a total of 38 compounds; 27 from the leaf oil which accounted for 98.13% and 17 from the root oil (73.98%). Most abundant compounds in the leaf are α-3-octanol (45.96%), 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol (13.22%) and 2-methoxy-3-(2-propenyl) phenol (8.36%). Dominant compounds in the root oil are methyl salicylate (44.80%), 2,21,5,51-tetramethyl-1,11-biphenyl (5.05%) and i-propyl hexadecanoate (2.87%). Dominant compounds in the leaf oil are alcohols (68.58%), carboxylic acid, aldehydes, ketones, esters, aromatics and sulphurates. Compounds in the root oil are esters (47.67%), alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, sulphurates, aromatics, and alkane. (15)
Properties
- Fragrance conflict: As the name suggests, the flowers are fragrant: the holotype is. However the fragrance is not uniform in subpopulations. The overwhelming consensus among botanists, gardeners and horticulturists is that the bright white flowers are generally scentless or completely odorless flowers.
(•) Perhaps, the misnaming occurred way back 1790s, from a mix-up, variations in regional sub-populations, or scent emitted by crushed foliage rather than blossoms. And, alternatively, there is the occasional blog that reports the plant is fragrant only at dawn.
- Studies have suggested antibacterial, anticorrosive, antioxidant, antiproliferative, anticancer, antidiarrheal, antidiabetic properties.
Parts used
Leaves, stems, roots.
Uses
Edibility
- No reports found on edibility.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In traditional Indian Siddha medicine, the species known as Indrapushapa, paste made out of tender twigs use to combat fever, sometimes applied to cuts and wounds. Poultice of leaves used for skin disease. Roots juice applied on the head to relieve headaches.
- Fresh root juice used as eyedrops. Decoctions of leaves used for treatment of stomach maladies and fungal infections.
Studies
• Antibacterial / Leaves and Stem: Study evaluated various leaf extracts of Thunbergia fragrans for antibacterial activity. The methanol extract showed highest % of secondary metabolites. The ME also showed largest zone of inhibition, followed by ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hexane extract. The methanol leaf extract showed highest zone of inhibition in Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas fluroscens, and Bacillus subtilis (18mm) followed by Streptococcus mutans (17mm). The leaf extract showed highest zone of inhibition, compared to stems. In all four extracts, both leaf and stem more inhibition of Gram(-) than Gram(+) bacteria. (see constituents above) (6)
• Antioxidant / Antimicrobial / Leaves: Study evaluated ethanol leaf extract of T. fragrans for antibacterial activity by disc diffusion assay against E. coli and S. aureus with zones of inhibition of 15mm and 18 mm at 100 µg concentration, respectively. Antioxidant activity by DPPH assay showed scavenging activity of 190.15 and 275.50 µg/g at 20 and 100 µg/ml concentration. (see constituents above) (7)
• Antiproliferative / HeLa Cervical Cancer Cell Line / Antioxidant / Fucoidan and Extract: Study evaluated evaluated the antioxidant and anticancer effects of aqueous extract of T. fragrans, Fucoidan, and a mixture (TFM) of both. Results showed the extract concentration of antioxidants and phytochemicals was higher. TFM showed an IC50 of 0.38 g/mL, higher than TPE, FUC, and TFM. Compared to control, HeLa cells treated with TFM showed clear morphological alterations, suggesting potential as anti-cervical cancer treatment and its ability to eradicate malignant cells. (8)
• Antidiarrheal / Leaves: Study evaluated the effect of acetonic and ethanolic extract of Tf leaves on gastrointestinal motility in Swiss albino mice using charcoal meal model and castor oil-induced diarrhea model in albino mice. Dose of 500 mg/kbw was orally administered. Results showed significant antidiarrheal activity (p<0.001). Acute toxicity study showed no mortality up to dose of 2000 mg/kbw. (9)
• Silver Nanoparticles / Leaves: Study reports on the simple, ecofriendly and economic synthesis of silver nanoparticles by bioreduction of silver ions using leaf extracts of T. fragrans. (10)
• No Antimicrobial Effect: Study evaluated a hydroalcoholic extract of T. fragrans for phytochemical content and antimicrobial activity. Phytochemical screening yielded flavonoids, phenols, tannins, among others. A 70:30 ethanol:water solvent was used against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. The extract showed no significant antimicrobial effects. (11)
• Anti-Corrosive / Green Inhibitory for Mild Steel: Study reports on the formulation of a green inhibitor against corrosion of mild steel in 1 M H2SO4 using ethanol extract of T. fragrans and concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm. The green inhibition inhibited about 82% of corrosion of mild steel in acid medium. Results indicated adsorption of inhibitor on the metal surface. (12)
• Potential Anticancer Compounds Against Colorectal Cancer Mutant Genes: Thunbergia fragrans has been reported to contain chemical constituents of palmitic acid, Cis-9-hexadecenal and campesterol, which possess anticancer activity. TF chemical constituents were studied against colorectal cancer (CRC) mutant genes and Tumor Suppressor genes through insilico docking studies. Results showed TF chemical constituents showed excellent binding energy against CRC mutant genes such as palmitic acid against beta-catenin (-4,75) and APC )-4.01), Cis-9-hexadecenal against NRAS (-1.92), Beta-catenin (-3.96) and APC (-4.41), campesterol against Beta-Catenin (-8.55) and APC (-8.85) respectively. (13)
• Antihyperglycemic / Leaves: Study evaluated the anti-hyperglycemic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of T. fragrans in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Results showed maximum reduction of 33% and 35% in animals receiving 200 and 400 mg/;day for 4 weeks. The alteration in hepatic glycogen content and hepatic glucokinase, hexokinase, and glucose-6-phosphate levels in diabetic rats were partially restored by the T. fragrans extract. (14)
Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Seeds in the cybermarket. |
