Pericopsis laxiflora is a woody deciduous shrub or tree within the Fabaceae family. Sold commercially as satin wood,[1] it is known in some regions as Kulu Kulu,[2] among the Hausa speaking people, it is called Makarfo, the Yorubas call it Ayan and the Igbos call it Abua-Ocha.[3] It is one of three species in the genus Pericopsis genus that occurs in Africa.
| Pericopsis laxiflora | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Pericopsis |
| Species: | P. laxiflora
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| Binomial name | |
| Pericopsis laxiflora (Benth. ex Baker) Meeuwen
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The species contains the alkaloids: N-methylcytisine, ammodendrine, and choline.[4]
Description
editA tree or shrub, common growth reaches between 9 and 12 meters[citation needed] tall but occasionally grows up to 2 meters tall as a shrub.[citation needed] Trunk usually twisted, rarely straight and with twisted branches, bark is smooth, grey to beige in color while stem is pubescent. Leaves, alternate arrangement, 4 - 6 pairs, upper surface imparipinate, shiny and lower surface glabrous.[5] Leaf-blade, lanceolate to ovate in outline, 3 – 7 cm long and 2.5 – 5 cm wide, acuminate apex with cuneate base. Petiole, 15 – 20 cm long.[5]
Distribution
editOccurs widely in the Savannah and dry forest regions of West Africa.[6]
Uses
editRoot, bark, leaf decoctions are used to treat stomach ailments in Côte d'Ivoire, while in Guinea, plant extracts are used to treat shigellosis. In Ghana it is used as a topical treatment for body pain and among some locals in Cameroon, the plant extracts are used by diabetes patients.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ Fitzgerald, Maurice A.; Gunning, Peter J. M.; Donnelly, Dervilla M. X. (1976). "Phytochemical examination of Pericopsis species". Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 1 (2): 186–191. doi:10.1039/p19760000186. ISSN 0300-922X.
- ^ Tringali, Corrado (1995). "Identification of bioactive metabolites from the bark ofPericopsis (Afrormosia) laxiflora". Phytochemical Analysis. 6 (6): 289–291. doi:10.1002/pca.2800060603.
- ^ Fadipe, L. A.; Babayi, H.; Anselm, O. A. (2019-12-14). "Isolation and in-vitro assessment of two indole alkaloids from Pericopsis laxiflora leaf extract for their antibacterial potentials". Journal of Chemical Society of Nigeria. 44 (7). ISSN 0795-2066.
- ^ Forestieri, A. M.; Monforte, M. T.; Ragusa, S.; Trovato, A.; Iauk, L. (1996). "Antiinflammatory, Analgesic and Antipyretic Activity in Rodents of Plant Extracts used in African Medicine". Phytotherapy Research. 10 (2): 100–106. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199603)10:2<100::AID-PTR724>3.0.CO;2-I. ISSN 1099-1573. S2CID 84307919.
- ^ a b Arbonnier, Michel; Arbonnier, Michel (2004). Trees, shrubs and lianas of West African dry zones. CIRAD. p. 321. ISBN 978-3-8236-1419-7. OCLC 249767040.
- ^ Haruna, A. K. (2000). "Depressant and anticonvulsant properties of the root decoction of Afrormosia laxiflora (Leguminosae)". Phytotherapy Research. 14 (1): 57–59. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(200002)14:1<57::AID-PTR538>3.0.CO;2-V. ISSN 1099-1573. PMID 10641052. S2CID 6833059.