Common Names: Panicle Flabellaria, Flabellaria Vine, West African Vine
Local Names:  Iagbo-Iagbo, Ajidere, Tinupogbe (Yoruba, Nigeria), Nyankyerene(Ghana), Bagio (Kru-Guere, Cute dIvoire)
Species ID: NMP-072 | wfo-0000691269 | NCBI_Taxonomy ID: 151819

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Rosids

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Malpighiaceae

Genus: Flabellaria

Species: F. paniculata

Binomial Name: Flabellaria paniculata Cav.

Synonyms: Triaspis flabellaria A.Juss., Triopterys pinnata Poir., Hiraea paniculata Cav.

Flabellaria paniculata is a woody, climbing shrub or vine, reaching 3–15 m in length with grey-silky branches. Key features include:

·       Stems: Lenticellate, up to 10 cm in diameter, younger stems with dense grey or yellowish silky indumentum

·       Leaves: Opposite, broadly elliptic to ovate, 5–15 cm long, 4–10 cm wide, subcoriaceous, silky-tomentose beneath

·       Inflorescences: Paniculate, lateral/terminal, up to 20 cm long

·       Flowers: Small, white to light pink, radially symmetrical, petals spatulate, 1 cm across

·       Fruits: Samaras, winged, 2–3 cm long, aiding wind dispersal

Its climbing habit suits riverine habitats (Burkill, 1997).

Flabellaria paniculata thrives in:

·       Native Range: Tropical Africa (Senegal to Cameroon, Congo Basin to Uganda/Tanzania)

·       Habitat: Thickets, woodlands, secondary forests, riverbanks; 0–1,650 m altitude

·       Soil/Climate: Moist, well-drained soils; tropical, 1,000–2,500 mm rainfall

It flourishes along rivers, aiding its ecological spread (Hutchinson & Dalziel, 1958).

Flabellaria paniculata is traditionally utilized for its medicinal properties. Phytochemical analyses have identified bioactive compounds within the plant, including saponins, tannins, and alkaloids, which contribute to its therapeutic potential. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that F. paniculata possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiulcer, antifungal, anthelmintic, and wound-healing properties. These findings support its traditional use in treating various ailments, including skin infections, wounds, and rheumatic pain.

Traditional uses, supported by studies, include:

·       Wound Healing: Leaf extracts in Nigeria/Ghana; chloroform fraction achieved 100% wound closure by day 14 in rats (Olugbuyiro et al., 2010).

·       Anti-inflammatory: Stem/leaf for rheumatism in Nigeria; volatile oils reduce inflammation (Oladosu et al., 2012).

·       Antimicrobial: Leaves vs. S. aureus (MIC 50 µg/mL) in Nigeria (Abo & Olugbuyiro, 2004).

·       Antiulcer: Leaf extract in Nigeria; 82.22% lesion reduction in rats at 100 mg/kg (Sofidiya et al., 2012).

·       Anticancer: Root extract in Nigeria; inhibits MCF-7 breast cancer cells (IC₅₀ 45 µg/mL) (Johnson et al., 2021).

These validate its folkloric use, though further clinical trials are needed (PROTA, 2019).

⚠  Toxicity Profile: Sub-chronic use (>500 mg/kg) impairs renal function in rats; symptoms include tremors, refusal of feed (LD₅₀ i.p. 2,951.2 mg/kg) (Akindele et al., 2014).

·       Ecological Role: Supports pollinators; seeds dispersed by wind (Burkill, 1997).

·       Cultural Use: Stems for baskets/mats in Nigeria; ornamental vine (PROTA, 2019).

·       Other Uses: Root as snakebite antidote in Ghana (Burkill, 1997).

• Abo, K. A., & Olugbuyiro, J. A. O. (2004). Phytochemical and antibacterial studies of extracts of Flabellaria paniculata. African Journal of Biomedical Research, 7(1), 35–36.

• Abo, K. A., Olugbuyiro, J. A. O., & Famakinde, S. A. (2004). Anti-infective and wound healing properties of Flabellaria paniculata. African Journal of Biomedical Research, 7(2), 85–87.

• Akindele, A. J., Adeneye, A. A., Salau, O. S., Sofidiya, M. O., & Benebo, A. S. (2014). Dose and time-dependent sub-chronic toxicity study of hydroethanolic leaf extract of Flabellaria paniculata Cav. (Malpighiaceae) in rodents. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 5, 78.

• Burkill, H. M. (1997). The useful plants of West Tropical Africa (Vol. 4). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Hutchinson, J., & Dalziel, J. M. (1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa (Vol. 1). Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations.

• Johnson, O. O., Bhat, S. G., Ayoola, G. A., Madayath, H., Puthusseri, S. P., & Coker, H. (2020). Isolated Compounds from the Roots of Flabellaria paniculata Cav. (Malpighiaceae) and their Effects on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells: doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v4i12.2. Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research (TJNPR), 4(12), 1033-1038. https://www.tjnpr.org/index.php/home/article/view/832

• Oladosua I. A., Moronkola D. O., Osho A., Ali S. M. 2012. Volatile oil constituents and anti-inflammatory potential of the essential oil of the leaves and roots of flabellaria paniculata car (malpighiaceae) Elixir Pharmacy 50: 10272-10274

• Olugbuyiro, J. A. O., Abo, K. A., & Leigh, O. O. (2010). Wound healing effect of Flabellaria paniculata leaf extracts. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 127(3), 786–788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.10.008

• PROTA. (2019). Flabellaria paniculata. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Retrieved from https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Flabellaria_paniculata_(PROTA)

• Sofidiya, M. O., Agufobi, L., Akindele, A. J., Olowe, J. A., & Familoni, O. B. (2012). Effect of Flabellaria paniculata Cav. extracts on gastric ulcer in rats. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 12, 168. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-12-168

• Wikipedia - Flabellaria

• Green Institute - Flabellaria paniculata

• JSTOR Plants - Flabellaria paniculata

• West African Plants - Flabellaria paniculata

• sitosterol-β-D-glucoside
• Gamma-sitosterol
• Campesterol glucoside

Sofidiya, M. O., Taiwo, E., Awolola, V., Habila, J., & Koorbanally, N. A. (2019). Gastroprotective effect and chemical constituents of flabellaria paniculata (malpighiaceae). Natural Product Communications, 14(7), 1934578X19860342.