2791

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Mussaenda L.

Sp. pl. 1: 177 (1753); Gen. pl. ed. 5: 82 (1754).

RUBIACEAE

x = 11; Mussaenda glabra, Mussaenda philippica: n = 11

Mussaenda comprises about 200 species and occurs in the Old World tropics. At least some dozens of species occur in the Malesian region.

Different parts of Mussaenda plants are used in traditional medicine in South-East Asia: leaves to treat asthma, cough, fever, headache, jaundice, eye infections and as an emollient; roots to treat cough, jaundice and after childbirth; sap to treat headache and eye infections; and flowers to treat headache and jaundice. In addition to the species treated here, boiled leaves of Mussaenda elmeri Merr. are taken orally in Sarawak to treat toothache, headache and diabetes.
Mussaenda pubescens W.T. Aiton is used in traditional medicine in Vietnam and China, e.g. a flower decoction to treat cough, asthma and intermittent fever, and a decoction of leaves and roots as an analgesic to treat rheumatism. Mussaenda frondosa L. is used in traditional medicine in India and Sri Lanka: roots to treat leprosy, flowers to treat asthma, fever and dropsy, and leaves to treat externally ulcers and inflammations.
Several Mussaenda species are used in folk medicine in Africa, e.g. leaf and bark sap to treat eye infections, and leaves and roots as a poultice on wounds and sores, and to treat elephantiasis.
Mussaenda is highly valued as an ornamental, Mussaenda frondosa and the African Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. & Thonn. (with spectacular blood-red enlarged calyx lobes) being the most commonly planted species, together with numerous hybrids.

A leaf and stem extract of Mussaenda glabra (of Sumatran origin) showed slight in-vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.
The Mussaenda species that has been best investigated phytochemically and pharmacologically is Mussaenda pubescens from Indo-China and China. Several triterpenoid saponins (mussaendosides) and monoterpenes (mussaenins) have been isolated from whole plants. One of these compounds, mussaendoside O, which is the most abundant saponin, significantly inhibited the secretions of the lachrymal and salivary glands induced by galanthamine, and also inhibited the contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileum evoked by carbachol (a muscarin receptor agonist). It also showed immunopromotive and haemolytic activities.
Some triterpenoid glycosides were isolated from root bark of Mussaenda macrophylla Wallich (occurring in Nepal, India, Burma (Myanmar), southern China and the Philippines). These showed inhibitory activity against the periodontopathic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, but were inactive against the cariogenic organism Streptococcus mutans.

Scandent, sometimes erect shrubs or lianas. Leaves opposite, rarely ternate, simple and entire, pinnately veined; stipules interpetiolar, entire to 2-fid. Inflorescence a terminal cyme, often corymbose. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, 5-merous, heterostylous; calyx with campanulate to turbinate tube, 1 lobe enlarged into a petaloid, often white, leaf-like appendage in some flowers of inflorescence; corolla salver-shaped, cylindrical or funnel-shaped, with valvate lobes; stamens inserted at the upper part of the corolla tube, alternating with corolla lobes, anthers linear, subsessile; ovary inferior, 2-celled, style short or long, stigma 2-lobed. Fruit a many-seeded berry. Seeds reticulate-ribbed.
Mussaenda belongs to the tribe Isertieae. Some species with capsular fruits are separated from Mussaenda and placed in the genera Pseudomussaenda (5 African species, one of which (Pseudomussaenda flava Verdc.) is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental in South-East Asia) and Schizomussaenda (1 species, Schizomussaenda dehiscens (Craib) Li, from northern Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, China and northern Thailand). Many of the plants cultivated as an ornamental under the name Mussaenda philippica are probably of hybrid origin.

Mussaenda is most commonly a scandent shrub in forest margins and secondary forest in the lowland, but may ascend up to 2000 m altitude, whereas some species prefer shaded habitats in the undergrowth of closed forest.

Mussaenda is propagated for ornamental purposes in India by semi-hardwood cuttings about 15 cm long and 1—1.5 cm in diameter. Mussaenda erythrophylla has also been propagated successfully by in-vitro callus culture.

Many Mussaenda species appear to be narrow endemics. In the Philippines, for example, 18 of the 20 indigenous species are considered endemic, many of them restricted to a single island. This makes them very liable to genetic erosion.
Numerous ornamental cultivars exist, mainly selected for striking colours of flowers and enlarged calyx lobes.

Mussaenda is an interesting medicinal plant, which deserves more attention for research in South-East Asia. It is considered of medicinal value in different parts of the world, and the few pharmacological studies available show promising results. Taxonomical studies covering whole South-East Asia are needed because the status of many names commonly used in literature is unclear.

[120]Burkill, H.M., 1985—2000. The useful plants of West tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. 5 volumes. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Vol. 1 (1985), Families A—D, 960 pp.; Vol. 2 (1994), Families E—I, 636 pp.; Vol. 3 (1995), Families J—L, 857 pp.; Vol. 4 (1997), Families M—R, 969 pp; Vol. 5 (2000), Families S—Z, 686 pp.
[241]Fasihuddin, B.A., Ipor, I.B. & Laily, B.D., 1995. Medicinal plants used by the Kelabit Community in Bario, Sarawak. In: Ghazally, I. et al. (Editors): Chemical prospecting in the Malaysian forest. Pelanduk Publications, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. pp. 43—46.
[480]Kim, N.C., Desjardins, A.E., Wu, C.D. & Kinghorn, A.D., 1999. Activity of triterpenoid glycosides from the root bark of Mussaenda macrophylla against two oral pathogens. Journal of Natural Products 62(10): 1379—1384.
[671]Nguyen Van Duong, 1993. Medicinal plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mekong Printing, Santa Ana, California, United States. 528 pp.
[1021]Xu, R., Zhao, W., Xu, J., Shao, B. & Qin, G., 1996. Studies on bioactive saponins from Chinese medicinal plants. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 404: 371—382.
[1056]Zhao, W., Yang, G., Xu, R. & Qin, G., 1996. Three monoterpenes from Mussaenda pubescens. Phytochemistry 41(6): 1553—1555.
[1057]Zhao, W. et al., 1994. New triterpenoid saponins from Mussaenda pubescens. Journal of Natural Products 57(12): 1613—1618.

R.H.M.J. Lemmens

Mussaenda anisophylla
Mussaenda ferruginea
Mussaenda glabra
Mussaenda philippica
Mussaenda vidalii

Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2003. Mussaenda L.. 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:
Mussaenda anisophylla
Mussaenda ferruginea
Mussaenda glabra
Mussaenda philippica
Mussaenda vidalii