Gen info
- Thunbergia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It contains 150 species native to tropical and subtropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, New Guinea, and Australia.
- Genus members are known by various names, including thunbergias and clockvine.
- Etymology: The genus name Thunbergia honors the Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828). (3)
- Thunbergia fragrans, the white lady, is a perennial climbing twiner in the family Acanthaceae, native to South and Southeast Asia and China. (4)

Botany
• Growth form: Herbaceous vine. Foliage: Green leaves are triangular, ovate or lanceolate with pointed lobes (3-14 cm long, 1.8-7 cm wide). Stems: Stems are nearly 4-angled to flattened. Flowers: White, sweetly fragrant flowers are tubular (3 cm long, 5 cm wide) . The cylindrical, floral tube is 4-7 mm long and the lobes are egg-shaped with the wide end at the tip. Fruit: Dry, dehiscent fruits are  known as capsules. They are hairless, approximately round and beaked near the apex (7 mm wide, 10-13 mm long). (Flora& Fauna Web) (5)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1) (2)
- Throughout the Philippines in most islands and provinces. Low and medium elevated thickets. (2)
- Also native to Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicobar Is., Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)
- Considered a serious weed in Australia and Hawaii, threatening native species. (5)

Constituents
- Phytochemical screening of methanol extracts of leaves and stems yielded quinones +++, terpenoids +++, phenols +, and tannins +. Stems also revealed alkaloids and flavonoids. (see study below) (6)
- Ethanol extract of leaves yielded alkaloids ++, flavonoids ++, terpenoids +. phenol ++. tannins +, saponins +, reducing sugar +, anthraquinone +, glycoside +, protein and amino acids ++, with absence of quinones and steroids. Quantifative analysis yielded alkaloids 6.25, flavonoid 22.5, saponins 3.0, tannins 2.5, and phenols 15.35. (see study below) (7)

Properties
- As the name suggests, the flowers are fragrant: the holotype is. However the fragrance is not uniform in subpopulations.
- Studies have suggested antibacterial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, anticancer, antidiarrheal, antidiabetic properties.

Parts used
Leaves, stems.

Uses
Edibility
- No reports found on edibility.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In Indian Siddha medicine, the species known as Indrapushapa, paste made out of tender twigs use to combat fever, sometimes applied to cuts and wounds. Poultice of leaves used for skin disease; its juice applied on the head to relieve headaches.

Studies
• Antibacterial / Leaves and Stem: Study evaluated various leaf extracts of Thunbergia fragrans for antibacterial activity. The methanol extract showed highest % of secondary metabolites. The ME also showed largest zone of inhibition, followed by ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hexane extract. The methanol leaf extract showed highest zone of inhibition in Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas fluroscens, and Bacillus subtilis (18mm) followed by Streptococcus mutans (17mm). The leaf extract showed highest zone of inhibition, compared to stems. In all four extracts, both leaf and stem more inhibition of Gram(-) than Gram(+) bacteria. (see constituents above) (6)
• Antioxidant / Antimicrobial / Leaves: Study evaluated ethanol leaf extract of T. fragrans for antibacterial activity by disc diffusion assay against E. coli and S. aureus with zones of inhibition of 15mm and 18 mm at 100 µg concentration, respectively. Antioxidant activity by DPPH assay showed scavenging activity of 190.15 and 275.50 µg/g at 20 and 100 µg/ml concentration. (see constituents above) (7)
• Antiproliferative / HeLa Cervical Cancer Cell Line / Antioxidant / Fucoidan and Extract: Study evaluated evaluated the antioxidant and anticancer effects of aqueous extract of T. fragrans, Fucoidan, and a mixture (TFM) of both. Results showed the extract concentration of antioxidants and phytochemicals was higher. TFM showed an IC50 of 0.38 g/mL, higher than TPE, FUC, and TFM. Compared to control, HeLa cells treated with TFM showed clear morphological alterations, suggesting potential as anti-cervical cancer treatment and its ability to eradicate malignant cells. (8)
• Antidiarrheal / Leaves: Study evaluated the effect of acetonic and ethanolic extract of Tf leaves on gastrointestinal motility in Swiss albino mice using charcoal meal model and castor oil-induced diarrhea model in albino mice. Dose of 500 mg/kbw was orally administered. Results showed significant antidiarrheal activity (p<0.001). Acute toxicity study showed no mortality up to dose of 2000 mg/kbw. (9)
• Silver Nanoparticles / Leaves: Study reports on the simple, ecofriendly and economic synthesis of silver nanoparticles by bioreduction of silver ions using leaf extracts of T. fragrans. (10)
• No Antimicrobial Effect: Study evaluated a hydroalcoholic extract of T. fragrans for phytochemical content and antimicrobial activity. Phytochemical screening yielded flavonoids, phenols, tannins, among others. A 70:30 ethanol:water solvent was used against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. The extract showed no significant antimicrobial effects. (11)
• Anti-Corrosive / Green Inhibitory for Mild Steel: Study reports on the formulation of a green inhibitor against corrosion of mild steel in 1 M H2SO4 using ethanol extract of T. fragrans and concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm. The green inhibition inhibited about 82% of corrosion of mild steel in acid medium. Results indicated adsorption of inhibitor on the metal surface. (12)
• Potential Anticancer Compounds Against Colorectal Cancer Mutant Genes: Thunbergia fragrans has been reported to contain chemical constituents of palmitic acid, Cis-9-hexadecenal and campesterol, which possess anticancer activity. TF chemical constituents were studied against colorectal cancer (CRC) mutant genes and Tumor Suppressor genes through insilico docking studies. Results showed TF chemical constituents showed excellent binding energy against CRC mutant genes such as palmitic acid against beta-catenin (-4,75) and APC )-4.01), Cis-9-hexadecenal against NRAS (-1.92), Beta-catenin (-3.96) and APC (-4.41), campesterol against Beta-Catenin (-8.55) and APC (-8.85) respectively. (13)
• Antihyperglycemic / Leaves: Study evaluated the anti-hyperglycemic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of T. fragrans in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Results showed maximum reduction of 33% and 35% in animals receiving 200 and 400 mg/;day for 4 weeks. The alteration in hepatic glycogen content and hepatic glucokinase, hexokinase, and glucose-6-phosphate levels in diabetic rats were partially restored by the T. fragrans extract. (14)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Seeds in the cybermarket.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Thunbergia fragrans / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Acanthaceae: Thunbergia fragrans / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(3)
Thunbergia / Wikipedia
(4)
Thunbergia fragrans / Wikipedia
(5)
Thunbergia fragrans / National Parks: FLORA & FAUNA WEB
(6)
Evaluation of Phytochemical and Antibacterial Activity of Thunbergia Fragrans / Kasinath Baratam, Veeraswami Boddu / Asian Journal of Green Chemistry, 2025; Vol 9: pp 476-493 /
DOI: 10.48309/AJGC.2025.508571.1695
(7)
Evaluation of the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Thunbergia fragrans Roxb Leaves Extract / Charankumar Chandrasekaran, Ramar Karuppiah / Journal of Natural Remedies, 2022; 22(1): 33 /
DOI: 10.18311/jnr/2022/27275
(8)
Antioxidant And Antiproliferative Activity of Thunbergia Fragrans Plant Extracts, Fucoidan and Both Mixture Against Hela Cervical Cancer Cell Lines / Palukiri Yashwanth Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Mythily S, Vijay Mohan / African Journal of Biomedical Research, 2024; 27(45) / DOI: 10.53555/AJBR.v27i4S.3177
(9)
Evaluation of Antidiarrhoeal Activity of Thunbergia fragrans Roxb. / D Sheshadri Shekhar, BS Ashok Kumar, N Suresh, S Dhanasekaran / Asian Journal of Chemistry, 2007; 19(4): pp 2792-2796
(10)
Phytosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Thunbergia fragrans Roxb. and Their Characterization / BR Hedaginal, TC Taranath / Int J Pharm Sci Res., 2016; 39(1): pp 54-58 / ISSN: 0976-044X
(11)
Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of hydro-alcoholic extract of thunbergia fragrans / Rupesh Kumar M, Aishwarya BM / UPI Journal of Pharmaceuticall, Medical and Health Sciences, 2022; 5(3): pp 56-62 /
DOI: 10.37022/jpmhs.v5i3.79
(12)
Thunbergia Fragrans extract as green inhibitor for mild steel in acidic medium / K Muthukumarasamy, S Pitchai, K Devarayan, L Nallathambi / Int J Corros Scale Inhib, 2022; 11(2): pp 686-694 /
DOI: 10.17675/2305-6894-2022-11-2-16
(13)
Molecular docking studies of potential anticancer agents from Thunbergia Fragrans against Colorectal cancer mutant genes through In silico study / Charankumar Chandrasekaran, K Ramar / International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine, 2021; 12(4): pp 792-795 / DOI: 10.47552/ijam.v12i4.2263
(14)
The Effect of Thunbergia Fragrans Roxb in Experimental Diabetes and Their Effects on Key Metablic Enzymes Involved in Carbohydrate Metabolism / Mr Peter Thanislas, Ajithadas Aruna, Parameswari Rathnakumar / Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res., 2015; 33(1): pp 68-73 / ISSN: 0976-044X

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