2398

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Anredera Juss.

Gen. pl.: 84 (1789).

BASELLACEAE

x = unknown; Anredera cordifolia: 2n = 24

Anredera consists of approximately 10 species, and originates from the warmer parts of America. Anredera scandens was introduced as an ornamental in the Philippines already at the beginning of the 19th Century.

In the Philippines, the tuberous roots of Anredera scandens are used topically to hasten the ripening of boils. They are applied traditionally in Mexico for the treatment of broken bones and flesh wounds. Chopped leaves of Anredera cordifolia in boiling water are used in folk medicine in Colombia and Taiwan to treat diabetes and as an analgesic. In Laos, the entire plant is applied in cases of arthritis, diarrhoea and to wounds.

Triterpenoid saponins such as boussingoside A1 are responsible for the hypoglycaemic activity of Anredera cordifolia extracts, as has been demonstrated in experiments with rats and mice with induced diabetes. In addition to several boussingosides, other triterpenes including larreagenin A, oleanolic derivatives and ursolic acid have been isolated.
Significant wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties have been found in Anredera species used as a medicinal plant in tropical America; extracts had no effect on cell proliferation and did not exhibit mutagenic activity. Ethanolic extracts of Anredera cordifolia showed inhibitory effects on spasmogen-induced contractions of isolated gastric fundus preparations of rats. An aqueous extract of dried Anredera cordifolia buds showed antihepatotoxic activity in rats at a dose of 30 mg/kg. A retrochalcone was isolated from Anredera scandens roots.

Branched perennial climbing herbs with annual or short-lived shoots arising from a fleshy rhizome or tuberous roots; shoots up to 6 m long. Leaves alternate, simple and entire, slightly fleshy, sessile or shortly petiolate; stipules absent. Inflorescence an axillary raceme or spike, simple or branched. Flowers bisexual, sometimes functionally unisexual, regular, sweet-scented; pedicel articulate, with 2 pairs of bracteoles at the apex, lower pair small, connate, forming a cuplet, or free and caducous, upper pair tepaloid, convex or boat-shaped, often keeled or even winged on the back; perianth consisting of 5 segments connate at base, patent and thin in anthesis, later thickening and enclosing the fruit; stamens 5, inserted on the tepals; ovary superior, 1-celled, style splitting to various degrees into 3 arms, each with an oblong to club-shaped papillose stigma. Fruit a globose utricle enclosed by the perianth, indehiscent, 1-seeded. Seed lens-shaped, with semi-circular to horseshoe-shaped embryo.
Anredera does not produce seeds in Malesia. It can be confused with Basella, the only other genus of Basellaceae occurring in Malesia, which differs in its very fleshy perianth enclosing the fruit. Basella alba L., which is primarily a popular vegetable, is also used in traditional medicine.

Anredera scandens apparently needs a dry season for its development and grows badly in perhumid climates.

Anredera can be propagated vegetatively by small tubercles found in the axils of the leaves. Leaf spots caused by Alternaria alternata have been observed on cultivated Anredera cordifolia.

Both Anredera species treated here are widely cultivated throughout the world, but they are only locally present in Malesia as a result of a few introductions. The genetic diversity is therefore likely to be limited, the more so since they do not produce seeds in this region and are only vegetatively propagated.

The hypoglycaemic and anti-inflammatory activities of Anredera extracts deserve more attention.

[233]Espada, A., Rodriguez, J., Villaverde, M.C. & Riguera, R., 1990. Hypoglucaemic triterpenoid saponins from Boussingaultia baselloides. Canadian Journal of Chemistry 68(11): 2039—2044.
[247]Flora Malesiana (various editors), 1950—. Foundation Flora Malesiana. Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, the Netherlands.
[567]Lin, W.-C. et al., 1997. Inhibitory effects of ethanolic extracts of Boussingaultia gracilis on the spasmogen-induced contractions of the rat isolated gastric fundus. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 56(1): 89—93.

R.H.M.J. Lemmens

Anredera cordifolia
Anredera scandens

Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2003. Anredera Juss.. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J. and Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea

The following species in this genus are important in this commodity group and are treated separatedly in this database:
Anredera cordifolia
Anredera scandens