Myrianthus arboreus

Myrianthus arboreus

Myrianthus arboreus

Common Names: Giant yellow mulberry, Monkey-fruit, Corkwood
Local Names: Cameroons: bokeku (Duala), bokukulende (Koosi), bokere (Kpe); Ghana: nfohwe (Adangme), nyankom (Akan), kokua-adua ba (Akan-Asante); Nigeria: ujuju (Igbo), ibisere (Yoruba), apulu (Igala), ihieghe (Edo); Sierra Leone: fofo (Loko), wagale (Maninka); Togo: avogalo (Gbe-Vhe)
Species ID: NMP-231

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Rosids

Order: Rosales

Family: Urticaceae

Genus: Myrianthus

Species: M. arboreus

Authority: P. Beauv.

Synonyms: 

Morphological Description

·       Height: 3–12 m (occasionally up to 20 m); dioecious shrub or small tree.

·       Bark: Grey-green, smooth to slightly rough; exudes sticky white latex.

·       Leaves: Palmately compound with 3–7 lanceolate leaflets (20–65 cm long); serrate margins and hairy stipules (3–5 cm).

·       Flowers: Male flowers in dense panicles (5–15 cm); female flowers in compact heads (2–5 cm).

·       Fruits: Yellow to orange-red drupes (1–2 cm), sweet pulp with hard endocarp (~1.7 cm long).

Distribution and Habitat

·       Range: Native to tropical Africa (Guinea → South Sudan → Angola → Tanzania).

·       Elevation: 0–1,800 m above sea level.

·       Climate: 1,400–3,000 mm rainfall annually; temperature 22–28°C.

·       Soil: Prefers clayey to loamy soils (pH 4.5–6.5).

·       Ecology: Thrives in secondary forests, riverbanks, and disturbed areas; pioneer species aiding forest regeneration.

Ethnopharmacology

·       Antidiabetic: Ethanol root bark extracts (50–100 mg/kg) reduce blood glucose by 30–40% in diabetic rats through α-amylase inhibition and improved glucose uptake (Harley et al., 2020).

·       Anti-inflammatory: Methanol leaf extract reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels in obese mice, enhancing insulin sensitivity (Tijani RO et al., 2021).

·       Reproductive Health: Leaf aqueous extract improved fertility and reduced polycystic ovarian symptoms in letrozole-induced rats (Mvondo et al., 2020).

·       Wound Healing: Leaf and bark extracts promoted 30% faster wound closure and inhibited S. aureus and E. coli (Agyare et al., 2014).

·       Antimicrobial: Demonstrated MIC values of 50–100 μg/mL against pathogenic bacteria (Agyare et al., 2014).

·       Phytochemistry: Contains alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, triterpenoids, quercetin, and oleanolic acid (García-Pérez et al., 2023).

⚠ Toxicity Profile: Generally safe (LD₅₀ > 5,000 mg/kg in rats). Prolonged high-dose use may cause mild leukocyte changes; caution advised in pregnancy due to emeto-purgative fruit properties (Awounfack et al., 2016).

Additional Uses

·       Culinary: Leaves used in soups; fruits eaten fresh or fermented (Bobuya, P et al., 2022).

·       Economic: Fruits and leaves sold in markets; wood used for timber and fuel (World Agroforestry Centre, n.d.).

·       Industrial: Wood ash for soap; leaf extracts repel termites (García-Pérez et al., 2023).

·       Ecological: Improves soil organic matter; supports pollinators and wildlife (Tchoundjeu & Atangana, 2006).

·       Cultural: Used in fertility rituals and traditional ceremonies in West Africa (Kew Science, n.d.).

References

  •  Agyare, C., Owusu-Ansah, A., Ossei, P. P. S., Apenteng, J. A., & Boakye, Y. D. (2014). Wound healing and anti-infective properties of Myrianthus arboreus and Alchornea cordifolia. Medicinal Chemistry, 4(7), 533–539.
  • Awounfack, C. F., Ateba, S. B., Zingue, S., Mouchili, O. R., & Njamen, D. (2016). Safety evaluation (acute and sub-acute studies) of the aqueous extract of the leaves of Myrianthus arboreus P. Beauv. (Cecropiaceae) in Wistar rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 194, 169–178.
  • García-Pérez, M.-E., Kasangana, P.-B., & Stevanovic, T. (2023). Bioactive molecules from Myrianthus arboreus, Acer rubrum, and Picea mariana forest resources. Molecules, 28(5), 2222.
  • Harley, B. K., Dickson, R. A., Amponsah, I. K., Ben, I. O., & Adongo, D. W. (2020). Flavanols and triterpenoids from Myrianthus arboreus ameliorate hyperglycaemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 132, 110874.
  • Kew Science. (n.d.). Myrianthus arboreus. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:854739-1
  • Tijani RO, Molina-Tijeras JA, Vezza T, Ruiz-Malagón AJ, Cádiz-Gurrea ML, Segura-Carretero A, Abiodun OO, Galvez J. Myrianthus arboreus P. Beauv improves insulin sensitivity in high fat diet-induced obese mice by reducing inflammatory pathways activation. J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Jan 10;282:114651. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114651. Epub 2021 Sep 16. PMID: 34537282.
  • Mvondo MA, Mzemdem Tsoplfack FI, Awounfack CF, Njamen D. The leaf aqueous extract of Myrianthus arboreus P. Beauv. (Cecropiaceae) improved letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome associated conditions and infertility in female Wistar rats. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2020 Sep 11;20(1):275. doi: 10.1186/s12906-020-03070-8. PMID: 32917200; PMCID: PMC7488433.
  • Bobuya, P., Ngbolondo, J., Pierre, J., Zwave, K., Ashande, C., Ridwan, M., & Ngbolua, K. T. N. (2022). Ethnobotanical value of Myrianthus arboreus used in traditional medicine by the Ngbaka Tribe (South-Ubangi), Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bp. Int. Res. Exact Sci.(BirEx) J, 4, 341-350.
  • Tchoundjeu, Z., & Atangana, A. R. (2006). Myrianthus arboreus P. Beauv. In H. A. M. van der Vossen & G. S. Mkamilo (Eds.), Plant resources of tropical Africa 14: Vegetable oils (pp. 108–110). PROTA Foundation.

External Links

More Pictures
Compounds of Myrianthus arboreus
References

Ojinnaka, C. M., & Kenne, L. (1985). Studies on Nigerian medicinal plants: components of the stems of Myrianthus arboreus. Journal of Natural Products, 48(6), 1002-1003.