Etymology
The name agapanthus (flower of love) derives from the Greek work agape meaning love, and anthos meaning love. Africanus derives from Latin referring to its African origin.
Botany
Agapanthus africanus is an evergreen shrub with thick rhizomes.
Stems are stout, bearing a tuft of long, narrow leaves. Leaves are basal, 2-ranked, linear-lanceolate, up to 50 centimeters long and
2-4 centimeters wide. Flower stalks are stout, erect, up 30 to 50 centimeters high. Flowers are in umbels, 12- to 30-flowered, usually bright
blue-violet, crowded at the end of along stalk,
 Distribution
- Ornamental pot cultivation in the Philippines.
- Native to Southern Africa but naturalized in scattered places in the world.
Constituents
- Saponins and sapogenins of the furostane and spirostane type, including
agapanthegenin and steroid spirostan sapogenins.
- Anthyocyanin gives the colors to the flowers.
- Study has yielded a chalcone compound, Isoliquiritigenin. (8)
- Spectral and chemical analysis of rhizomes yielded two novel steroidal saponins, (25R)-5α-spirost-7-ene-2-α,3β,5α-triol 3-O-[-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranoside 1 and (25R)-5α-spirost-7-ene-2α,3β,5α, 9a-tetrol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2). (12)
Properties
- Considered cardiac, stomachic, uterotonic.
oxytoxic, pectoral, expectorant, aperient, purgative, nephritic.
Toxicology
- Leaf may cause mouth pain
and ulcerations. May be irritating to the eyes and skin. Suspected but
unproven hemolytic effects.
Parts utilized
Rhizomes, leaves and roots.
Uses
Folkloric
• No reported folkloric
medicinal use in the Philippines.
• A plant of fertility
and pregnancy – used by South African traditional healers as phytomedicine
to treat ailments related to pregnancy and to facilitate labor. Orally
or rectally, as a decoction, to ensure an easy delivery and a healthy
child. It may facilitate expulsion of the placenta and augment uterine
contractions. Roots worn as necklace for easy childbirth and fertility.
Decoction used in washing newborn babies; also, an infant tonic.
• Considered an aphrodisiac, used for impotency and barrenness.
• Leaves used around wrists to bring down fever.
Studies
• Oxytocic / Leaves: Studies have shown that the aqueous extract of Agapanthus africanus
leaves causes smooth muscle contractions in the uterine and ileal preparations.
This study evaluated the effect of an aqueous extract of leaves on receptor systems involved in contraction of uterine smooth muscle to study the mechanism of its effect in augmenting labor. On isolated rat uterus, the leaf extract exhibited agonist effects on
the uterine muscarinic receptors and promoted synthesis of prostaglandins
in the estrogenized rat uterus. The study provided a pharmacologic explanation
for the ethnic use of A. africanus as herbal oxytocic in prolonged labor. (1)
• Antifungal / Rhizomes: Ethanolic extract of A. Africanus rhizomes showed significant antifungal
activity against human pathogens–Trychophyton mentagrophytes
and Sporothrix schenekii. (3) Crude extracts of aerial parts of A. africanus were screened against eight economically important plant pathogenic fungi. Results showed sufficient in vivo antifungal activity to warrant further investigation. (7)
• Pesticide Alternative:Invention reported on extracts and isolated substances that showed antimicrobial, especially antifungal, and bio-stimulatory efficacy and the suitability of these products as potential alternative for chemical pesticides. Extracts from aerial parts show higher efficacy compared to the soil parts of the plant. (6)
• Isoliquiritigenin / Anticancer: Plant yields a chalcone, isoliquiritigenin, which has been used in the treatment of cancer. (8)
• Phytoremediation: Study suggests phytoremediation potential for petroleum. ( Analysis of Phytoscapes Species for BP Retail Sites. Kim Tsao. David Tsao, Ph.D. BP Group Environmental Management Company. 28 March 2003) (9)
• Saponin / Fungicidal / Induction of Apoplastic Activity in Wheat: Study of aerial parts isolated a spirostane saponin, trisaccharide, (25R)-5α-spirostane-2α,3β,5α-triol 3-O-(O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-O-(β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1 → 3))-β-d-glucopyranoside). Study showed significantly increase (60%) in wheat seedlings. The purified saponin inhibited the in vitro mycelial growth of F. oxysporum completely (100%) at concentration of 125 mg/ml. Results suggest a potential role as elicitor to activate defense reaction in wheat. (11)
Availability
- Ornamental cultivation.
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