Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Can you help me find information on these plants?
QUESTION:
I am doing a class research project on medicinal plants and I am having
difficulties finding some information. Would you happen to know about or
know where I might find information on the following plants: stemmadenia
litoralis, spp, Ixora Coccinea (nora grant), houttaynia cordata. Thank you
for any information you might have.
ANSWER:
I don't know much of those plants, so I would try a trip to the library. If these
Latin names are not current, you won't find them on line...
I think Ixora coccinea is used as an ornamental down South, so check with a
Florida source
Stemmadenia litoralis is in the Apocynaceae, so it might have some toxic cardiac
glycosides, many of them do...and it may have the ibogaine type material in it
that other members of that genus have..these compounds have been suggested for
both treating drug abuse and as possible drugs of recreation...Make your window
wide for this one...
14. Obovamine, a New Indole Alkaloid from Stemmadenia Obovata. Madinaveitia, A.,
Reina, M., Delafuente, G., Gonzalez, A.G. and Valencia, E. J NAT.
PROD. 59:185-189, 1996.
Abstract: The stem bark of the Panamanian plant Stemmademia
obovata has afforded a new ibogaine-type alkaloid, obovamine (1), whose structure
was determined by a combination of spectral interpretation and chemical
correlations. Ten known alkaloids, coronaridine, coronaridine hydroxyindolenine,
voacangine, voacangine hydroxyindolenine, (19S)-heyneanine, (19S)-heyneanine
hydroxyindolenine, (19S)-voacristine, (19S)-voacristine hydroxyindolenine,
ajmalicine, and ajmalicinine, were also isolated. Voacangine was the main
alkaloid constituent
Houttaynia cordata? Don't know anthing about this one.