Common Names: Senegal Coral Tree, Parrot Tree, Coral Tree, Red Bean Tree
Local Names:  Nté (Bambara, Mali), Minjirya, Idon zakara (Hausa, Nigeria), Osun (Yoruba, Nigeria), Koroballi (Fulfulde, Cameroon), N’dial (Wolof, Senegal)
Species ID: NMP-058 | wfo-0000181131 | NCBI_Taxonomy ID: 157649

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Rosids

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Subfamily: Faboideae

Genus: Erythrina

Species: E. senegalensis

Binomial Name: Erythrina senegalensis DC.

Synonyms: Chirocalyx latifolius (Schumach. & Thonn.) Walp., Corallodendron senegalense (DC.) Kuntze, Erythrina guineensis G.Don, Erythrina latifolia Schumach. & Thonn., Macrocymbium vogelii Walp.

Erythrina senegalensis is a deciduous tree, typically 6–20 m tall, with a spreading crown. Key features include:

·       Stems: Spiny, greyish-brown bark, thorny branches

·       Leaves: Trifoliate, leaflets ovate, 5–15 cm long, green

·       Flowers: Bright red, 3–5 cm long, in dense racemes, pollinated by birds

·       Seeds: Bright red, 1–1.5 cm, in curved pods (5–15 cm)

Erythrina senegalensis thrives in:

·       Native Range: West Africa (Senegal to Cameroon, Sudan)

·       Habitat: Wooded savannas, gallery forests, termite mounds; 0–1,200 m altitude

·       Soil: Well-drained, sandy-loam, pH 5.5–7

·       Climate: Tropical, semi-arid, rainfall 600–1,500 mm

It tolerates drought and is common in disturbed areas (PROTA, 2019).

Erythrina senegalensis plays a pivotal role in West African traditional medicine, being utilized for treating a variety of ailments, including malaria, jaundice, infections, gastrointestinal disorders (such as gastric ulcers, diarrhea, and constipation), amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, sterility, onchocerciasis, and various types of pain (chest, back, abdominal, headaches, and general body weakness). The plant is also reputed for its wound-healing and contraceptive properties:

·       Anti-inflammatory/Analgesic: Bark decoction in Mali; reduces pain in rats (50% at 200 mg/kg) (Saidu et al., 2000).

·       Antimicrobial: Leaf extract in Nigeria; active against S. aureus (MIC 50 µg/mL) (Doughari, 2010).

·       Antimalarial: Stem bark in Cameroon; antiplasmodial in mice (40% at 300 mg/kg) (Saidu et al., 2000).

·       Wound Healing: Leaf paste in Senegal; promotes healing (Togola et al., 2008).

·       Antioxidant: Leaf extract in Burkina Faso; scavenges DPPH (IC₅₀ 30 µg/mL) (Fofana et al., 2022).

·       Respiratory Conditions: Root decoction in Mali; treats coughs traditionally (Togola et al., 2005).

·       Gastrointestinal: Bark tea in Nigeria; reduces diarrhea (50% at 400 mg/kg) (Atsamo et al., 2011).

·       Sedative/Epilepsy: Bark infusion in Ghana; anticonvulsant in rats (60% at 200 mg/kg) (Musa et al., 2018).

⚠  Toxicity Profile: Alkaloids toxic at >500 mg/kg (LD₅₀ 774 mg/kg in mice); seeds cause vomiting if ingested raw (Udem et al., 2010).

·       Cultural Significance: Red seeds used in jewelry, rituals in Senegal.

·       Ecological Role: Nitrogen-fixer, enhances soil fertility in savannas (PROTA, 2019).

·       Other Uses: Wood for fuel, bark chewed as aphrodisiac in Nigeria (Togola et al., 2008).

• Atsamo, A. D., Nguelefack, T. B., Datté, J. Y., & Kamanyi, A. (2011). Acute and subchronic oral toxicity assessment of the aqueous extract from the stem bark of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae) in rodents. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 134(3), 697–702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.01.023

• Doughari, J. H. (2010). Evaluation of antimicrobial potentials of stem bark extracts of Erythrina senegalensis DC. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 4(19), 2092–2096. https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJMR/article-full-text-pdf/2FF682F14258

• Fofana, S., Delporte, C., Calvo Esposito, R., Ouédraogo, M., Van Antwerpen, P., Guissou, I. P., Semdé, R., & Mathieu, V. (2022). In vitro antioxidant and anticancer properties of various E. senegalensis extracts. Molecules, 27(8), 2583. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27082583

• Fofana, S., Ouédraogo, M., Esposito, R. C., Ouedraogo, W. P., Delporte, C., Van Antwerpen, P., Mathieu, V., & Guissou, I. P. (2021). Systematic review of potential anticancerous activities of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae). Plants, 11(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010019

• Musa, A. M., Suleiman, M. M., & Abdullahi, M. I. (2018). Evaluation of analgesic and behavioural effects of ethanol root bark extract of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae). African Journal of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 7(1), 1–7.

• PROTA. (2019). Erythrina senegalensis. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Retrieved from https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Erythrina_senegalensis

• Saidu, K., Onah, J., Orisadipe, A., Olusola, A., Wambebe, C., & Gamaniel, K. (2000). Antiplasmodial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities of the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Erythrina senegalensis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 71(1-2), 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(00)00188-4

• Togola, A., Austarheim, I., Theïs, A., Diallo, D., & Paulsen, B. S. (2008). Ethnopharmacological uses of Erythrina senegalensis: A comparison of three areas in Mali, and a link between traditional knowledge and modern biological science. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 4, 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-4-6

• Togola, A., Diallo, D., Dembélé, S., Barsett, H., & Paulsen, B. S. (2005). Ethnopharmacological survey of different uses of seven medicinal plants from Mali, (West Africa) in the regions Doila, Kolokani and Siby. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 1, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-1-7

• Udem, S. C., Obidoa, O., & Asuzu, I. U. (2010). Acute and chronic toxicity studies of Erythrina senegalensis DC stem bark extract in mice. Comparative Clinical Pathology, 19(3), 275–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-009-0852-5
• Wandji, J., Fomum, Z. T., Tillequin, F., Skaltsounis, A. L., & Koch, M. (1994). Erysenegalenseins H and I: Two new isoflavones from Erythrina senegalensis. Planta Medica, 60(2), 178–180. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-959446

• Wikipedia - Erythrina senegalensis

• Green Institute - Erythrina senegalensis

• Tropical Plants Database - Erythrina senegalensis

• University of Oslo - Erythrina senegalensis

• Plants of the World Online - Erythrina senegalensis

• JSTOR Plants - Erythrina senegalensis

• Octadecanoic acid
• Palmitic Acid
• Decane, 1-fluoro-
• 9-Octadecanoic acid, methyl ester
• 6-octadecenoic acid
• 4-Methyl-4-hepten-3-one
• 4H-Pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-
• 2-Hexanone, 3-methyl-4-methylene-
• 9-Octadecenoic acid

1. Ali, F. U., Ominyi, M. C., Ogbanshi, M. E., Nwankwo, O. V. U., Ebenyi, L. N., Ogah, O., & Ezenwali, M. (2016). Comparative Evaluation of Phytoconstituents By GC-MS Of Four Selected Herbal Drugs Used In Abakaliki Ebonyi State, Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, 11(3), 35-42.

2. Murtala Muhammad,  Etal. (2023). Phytochemical analysis of Nigerian medicinal plants. NMPP-DB Project, Department of Biochemistry, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil