Common Names: West African Indigo, Yoruba Indigo, Gara
Local Names: Elu (Yoruba, Nigeria), Talaki, Talagi (Hausa, Nigeria), Nji (Nigeria), Anunu (Igbo, Nigeria), Ebelu (Edo, Nigeria)
Species ID: NMP-099 | wfo-0000199336 | NMPC_Taxonomy ID: 143052

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Lonchocarpus

Species: L. cyanescens

Synonyms: Lonchocarpus cyaneus (Schumach. & Thonn.) Benth., Macrolobium cyanescens Schumach. & Thonn., Philenoptera cyanescens (Schumach. & Thonn.) Roberty

Lonchocarpus cyanescens is a deciduous shrub or small tree, typically growing 6–15 m tall, native to tropical Africa. Its key features include:

·       Habit: Shrub or small tree with a straight trunk and a spreading, rounded canopy.

·       Stem: Bark greyish-brown, smooth when young, becoming fissured with age; branches drooping.

·       Leaves: Alternate, pinnate, 15–25 cm long, with 5–9 ovate leaflets, 4–10 cm long, dark green, glabrous above, slightly pubescent below.

·       Flowers: Small, white to pale purple, 8–12 mm long, in dense axillary or terminal racemes; fragrant during the rainy season (Burkill, 1995).

·       Fruit: Flat, oblong pods, 5–10 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, brown when mature, containing 1–5 seeds.

Lonchocarpus cyanescens is widespread across tropical West Africa, including:

·       Countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo.

It thrives in coastal forests, riverine thickets, and wooded savannahs at elevations up to 400 m. It prefers well-drained, sandy-loam soils (pH 5.5–7.0) and tolerates seasonal flooding (Burkill, 1995).

Lonchocarpus cyanescens, also known as Philenoptera cyanescens, is a medicinal plant native to West Africa, traditionally utilized for various therapeutic purposes. Its leaves and roots are employed in treating conditions such as bone pain, yaws, diabetes mellitus, venereal diseases, and stomach aches. The bark is used to manage body pains, arthritis, rheumatism, and parasitic infections. Phytochemical analyses have identified compounds like alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and tannins in the plant. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, antimicrobial, and antipsychotic properties, supporting its traditional medicinal applications.

·       Antipsychotic: Leaf decoctions in Nigeria treat psychosis. Sonibare et al. (2012) found aqueous and ethanolic extracts (25–400 mg/kg) suppressed amphetamine-induced stereotypy in rats by 50%, linked to flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol.

·       Anti-inflammatory/Analgesic: Roots in Ghana treat arthritis.

·       Anthelmintic: Leaf sap in Benin combats intestinal worms. Baumgärtel et al. (2023) note its use for dysentery and parasitic infections.

·       Antimicrobial: Leaf poultices in Sierra Leone treat ulcers. Sonibare et al. (2014) confirmed alkaloids and flavonoids inhibit Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 50 μg/ml).

·       Postpartum Care: Root decoctions in Nigeria aid post-childbirth recovery. Moronkola et al. (2013) suggest saponins and tannins support uterine health.

·       Laxative: Leaves in Guinea relieve constipation, supported by saponin content (Sonibare et al., 2014).

Phytochemicals include flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol), triterpenoids (lupeol), alkaloids, saponins, and indican, contributing to its medicinal versatility (Moronkola et al., 2013).

⚠ Toxicity Profile: No significant hepatotoxicity was observed in rats at aqueous leaf extract doses up to 5,000 mg/kg over 28 days (Iyoha & Aisuhuehien, 2023). However, high doses may cause mild gastrointestinal upset due to saponins, and leaf sap may irritate skin in sensitive individuals (Baumgärtel et al., 2023).

·       Dye Production: Leaves yield indican, processed into indigo dye for textiles (e.g., Yoruba adire cloth) since the 11th century (Cardon & Jansen, 2005).

·       Timber: Hard, durable wood used for carpentry and construction in rural communities (Burkill, 1995).

·       Ecological: Enhances soil fertility via nitrogen fixation, aiding agroforestry (Achigan-Dako, 2009).

• Achigan-Dako, E. G. (2009). Traditional vegetables in Benin. Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science.

• Baumgärtel, R., Merker, S., & Waibel, R. (2023). The genus Lonchocarpus (Fabaceae): A comprehensive review on its ethnobotanical utilizations, pharmacology and nutritional potential. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 315, 116514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115946

• Burkill, H. M. (1995). The useful plants of West Tropical Africa (Vol. 3). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Iyoha, A. I., & Aisuhuehien, I. (2023). Hepatotoxicity effects of aqueous leaf extract of Lonchocarpus cyanescens in normal rats. Wellspring University Journal of Science and Computing, 2(1), 45–52.

• Moronkola, D. O., Oladosu, I. A., & Olubomehin, O. O. (2013). Chemical compositions of Lonchocarpus cyanescens Benth. (Fabaceae)—Case study of its volatile oils, and two triterpenoids. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 4(6), 1240–1242. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2013.46153

• Sonibare, M. A., Oke, T. A., & Soladoye, M. O. (2014). A pharmacobotanical study of two medicinal species of Fabaceae. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 4(2), 131–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(14)60221-5

• Sonibare, M. A., Umukoro, S., & Shonibare, E. T. (2012). Antipsychotic property of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Lonchocarpus cyanescens (Schumach and Thonn.) Benth. (Fabaceae) in rodents. Journal of Natural Medicines, 66(1), 127–132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-011-0562-6

• Wikipedia - Philenoptera cyanescens

• World Flora Online - Lonchocarpus cyanescens

• GBIF - Lonchocarpus cyanescens

• JSTOR - Lonchocarpus cyanescens

• tocotrienol
• Tocopherols
• Sterol
• Phospholipids

Abdullahi, S. M., Musa, A. M., Abdullahi, M. I., Sule, M. I., & Sani, Y. M. (2013). Isolation of Lupeol from the Stem-bark of Lonchocarpus sericeus (Papilionaceae). Scholars Acad J Biosci, 1(1), 18-9.