 Gen info
- Cajanus is a member of the plant family Fabaceae, with species mainly distributed across Africa, Asia, and Australasia.
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Cajanus scarabaeoides is a flowering plant in the genus Cajanus. Of the 32 different species within the genus Cajanus, only one, C. cajan (pigeopea) is cultivated. Cajanus scarabaeiodes is a very close wild relative species of Cajanus cajan. (2)
- The species has high drought tolerance, greater protein content, and higher levels of resistance to insect pests than cultivated types. Genetic traits can be crossed with C. cajan to improve the crop's productivity, which can reduce economic losses and dramatically improve over all crop yield. (2)
Botany
• Vines, woody, twining or trailing, to 2 m. Stems slender, ± pubescent. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; stipules small, ovate, hairy, usually deciduous; petiole 1-2 cm; stipels absent; petiolules extremely short; leaflets papery or nearly leathery, with glandular spots, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces, denser abaxially, basal veins 3, obviously convex below; terminal leaflet elliptic or obovate-elliptic to obovate, 1.2-4 × 0.8-1.5(-3) cm, apex obtuse or rounded; lateral leaflets smaller, obliquely elliptic to obliquely obovate. Raceme axillary, usually less than 2 cm, 1-5-flowered; peduncle 2-5 mm, densely brown to dull brown villous. Calyx campanulate, 5-lobed, or 4-lobed with upper 2 incompletely connate; lobes linear-lanceolate. Corolla yellow, ca. 1 cm, usually deciduous; standard obovate, with emarginate auricle and claw at base; wings narrowly elliptic, slightly curved, base auriculate; keels curved at apex, densely very pale brown villous. Ovules several. Legume oblong, 1.5-2.5 × 0.4-0.6 cm, leathery, densely villous, transversely constricted between seeds. Seeds 2-7, dark brown, ellipsoidal, ca. 4 mm; strophiole convex. (Flora of China)
 Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1)
- From north Luzon to Mindanao: Abra, Batangas, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Laguna, Mountain Province, NCR, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Tarlac, Masbate, Bukidnon, Davao, Lanao del Sur, Zamboanga, Olango, Siquijor. At low and medium elevation grasslands and thickets. (4)
- Also native to Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Comoros, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malaya, Marianas, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Northern Territory, Pakistan, Queensland, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Western Australia. (1)
Constituents
- Chemoprofiling of ethanol extract revealed an abundance of polyphenolic compounds such as gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and flavonoids such as catechin, rutin, quercetin, etc.
- Preliminary phytochemical screening yielded alkaloids, reducing sugars, flavonoids, saponin, proteins, tannins, and volatile oils or essential oil, with absence of carbohydrates, steroids, glycosides, triterpenes, proteins, and amino acids.
- Phytochemical screening of ethanol leaf extract yielded alkaloids+++, reducing sugars+, steroids+, anthraquinones +, proteins+, lignins++,tannins+. flavonoids++, with absence of saponins. (3)
- Phytochemical analysis of various seed extracts (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) yielded coumarins, cardiac glycosides, tannins, phenols, and flavonoids.. Terpenoids and triterpenoids were present in EA, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts, quinones were present in all except hexane, with absence of alkaloids and saponins in all extracts. (see study below) (10)
- Biochemical parameters of C. scarabaeoides includes: Total free amino acid 7.18 mg/g fresh weight, soluble sugar 8.34 mg/g fw, soluble phenol 0.97 mg/g fw, soluble protein 28.26 mg/g fw, antioxidant activity 45.54% inhibition, nitrate reductase activity 1.59 (µ moles NO2 produced /g fw). (13)
Properties
- Studies have suggested hypoglycemic, antidiabetic, antifilarial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, wound healing, hepatoprotective, antidiarrheal, anthelmintic properties.
Parts used
Whole plant, leaves, seeds, roots.
 Uses
Edibility
- Young seed pods are cooked and eaten as vegetable. Seeds are edible, raw or cooked; usually boiled or roasted. (5)
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
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In Ayurveda: Whole plant decoction mixed with honey is drunk as tonic by mother after delivery. Decoction of whole plant mixed with black pepper for diarrhea and dysentery. Paste of leaves taken orally to cure swelling of the bodfy. Fresh leaf paste applied topically to relieve rheumatism. Paste of fresh stem and leaves applied on sores and to areas affected by venereal disease. Root powder taken orally to improve digestion, relieve stomachache and abdominal gas. Crush roots extract used as ear drops for deafness. (3)
- In Mundas tribal medicine, crushed seeds taken orally as cure for tapeworm. (3)
- Crushed seeds used as anthelmintic against tapeworm.
- Used for treatment of sterility in women.
Others
- Ethnoveterinary: Whole plant preparations used for curing diarrhea and dysentery in cattle. Plant decoction used in cows for treatment of tonge and mouth sores. Leaf paste applied topically to cure throat swelling in cattle. (3)
- Feed: Crushed seeds can be fed to livestock.
I China, used as fodder.
- Agroforestry: Cajanus scarabaeiudes can enrich the soil with nitrogen and suppress weed growth.
Used as green manure. Also, as cover plant in teak plantations. (5)
Studies
• Improved Insect Resistance in Cultivated Pigeon Pea: C. scarabaeoides is the closest wild crop related of cultivated pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan. Study evaluated the insect-resistance components in IBS 3471, a C. scarabaeoides accession, for possibility of transferring resistance mechanism/s to cultivated pigeonpea. Proteomic analysis revealed higher levels of potential insecticidal proteins, namely lectin and cysteine proteinase inhibitor, in wild pigeopea compared to the cultivated variety. Nutritional analysis and hybridisation experiments indicated IBS 3471 has potential for improvement of insect-resistance in pigeonpea. IBS 3471 has multiple resistance mechanisms against H. armigera, and are transferable to cultivated pigeonpea. (6)
• Hypoglycemic / Whole Plant: Study evaluated the antidiabetic activity of different extracts of C. scarabaeoides on normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. A methanolic extract at 500 mg/kg orally significantly reduced blood glucose level. Histopathology study on pancreas of STZ-induced diabetic rats showed inflammatory changes in the pancreatic islets from selective destruction of insulin-producing ß-cells. The changes were inhibited by the ME and gliclazide. The antidiabetic activity may be due to the presence of flavonoiods. (7)
• Antifilarial / Stem: Study evaluated the antifilarial activity of C. scarabaeoides polyphenol-rich ethanolic extract (EECs) from stem part. The EECs was found efficient in killing the filarial nematode Setaria cervi in all three developmental stages viz. oocytes, microfilariae (Mf) and adults with LD50s of 2.5, 10, and 35 µg/ml, respectively. Molecular mechanism of action suggests induction of oxidative stress may play a key role in inducing mortality in S. cervi. Redox imbalance results in activation of the nematode CED pathway that results in the death of the parasite. The EECs was found selectively active against the worm but absolutely nontoxic to mammalian cells and tissues. Results suggest a potential afforadable natural therapeutic alternative for treating filarial infection with high efficacy and less toxicity. (9)
• Antioxidant / Anti-Inflammatory / Anticancer / Seeds: Study evaluated seed extracts of Cajanus scarabaeoides for invitro antioxidant activity, and in-silico anti-inflammatory and anticancer potential. All extracts showed higher TFC (total flavonoid content), followed by TTC (tannin contents) and TPC (total phenolic content). The methanol extract showed significant antioxidant concentration-dependent potential in TAC, DPPH and FRAP assays compared to other extracts with low IC50s: TAC (68.83 µg/ml) and FRAP (53.32 µg/ml). By molecular docking results, the arachidonic acid pathway inhibitory potential of allo-aromadendrene, and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(20methylpropyl) exter was apparent. It was the first computationaly analysis that provided insight into the potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of methanolic extract of C. scarabaeoides. (10)
• Wound Healing / Herbal Ointment Formulations: Study evaluated emulsifying ointment formulations from plant extracts on experimentally induced open wounds in albino rats. Extract doses of 0.5 and 1.0 g were incorporated into 10 g of simple ointment bse. Blank ointment base and Gentamycin ointment (1% w/w) were used as control and standard treatments. Topical application on excision wounds in rats showed significantly (p<0.05) higher rate of wound healing and epithelization period in a dose-dependent manner. Results showed the formulated ointments were effective in wound care and showed potential for treatment of topical diseases. (11)
• Hepatoprotective Flavonoids / Paracetamol Toxicity: Study evaluated the hepatoprotective activity of crude flavonoids extract of C. scarabaeoides in paracetamol intoxicated albino rats. Paracetamol (640mg/kg) enhanced ALT, AST, ALP, total protein, and total bilirubin in the liver. Treatment with crude flavonoid extracts (50 mg/kg) returned altered levels of biochemical markers to near normal levels in a dose dependent manner and was compared with standard silymarin (100 mg/kg). Histopathological studies supported the biochemical analysis. Results suggested the crude flavonoids extract possessed hepatoprotective activity. (12)
• Antidiarrheal: Study evaluated different solvent extracts of C. scarabaeoide for antidiarrheal activity in experimental diarrhea induced by castor oil and magnesium sulphate in rat. At dose of 500 mg/kg orally, a methanol extract showed significant antidiarrheal activity in castor oil model and MgSO3-induced diarrhea. Petroleum ether and chloroform extracts showed not activity. The ME significantly reduced intestinal transit in charcoal meal test compared to atropine sulphate (5 mg/kg i.m.) (14)
• Anthelmintic: Study evaluated dried, powdered whole plant for anthelmintic against Indian adult earthworms, Pheretima posthuma. Results showed the petroleum ether extract took less time to cause paralysis and death of the earthworms. The anthelmintic activity of whole plant was attributed to the alkaloids resent in the pet ether extract. (15)
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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