This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition.
How does Erythrina senegalensis work to fight infections?
Erythrina senegalensis contains bioactive compounds including erysotrine, alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins that contribute to its antimicrobial activity. These constituents work through multiple mechanisms: disrupting microbial cell membranes, inhibiting bacterial enzyme function, and interfering with pathogen protein synthesis. The tannins provide astringent effects that support wound healing, while flavonoids contribute anti-inflammatory properties. Evidence level: C (preliminary pharmacological studies demonstrate antimicrobial activity in vitro, though human clinical trials remain limited).
Is Erythrina senegalensis safe during pregnancy?
Erythrina senegalensis is considered unsafe during pregnancy and should be strictly avoided. The bark contains alkaloids, including erysotrine, which may exert uterine stimulant effects or cause fetal toxicity. Traditional use guidelines explicitly contraindicate this herb for pregnant women. Additionally, the muscle relaxant properties of its alkaloid constituents pose theoretical risks to fetal development. Women who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding should not use this herb. Evidence level: C (based on constituent toxicity profiles and traditional contraindications).
What is the recommended dosage for Erythrina senegalensis bark?
Traditional adult dosage of Erythrina senegalensis bark is 5-10 grams prepared as a decoction, taken twice daily. For topical application, the bark is ground into a paste and applied directly to affected skin areas for treating skin diseases and infections. Dosage should not exceed recommended amounts due to the herb's cumulative muscle relaxant effects. Evidence level: C (based on traditional use protocols; standardized clinical dosing guidelines have not been established through controlled trials).
Does Erythrina senegalensis interact with any medications?
Erythrina senegalensis may interact with medications due to its muscle relaxant alkaloids. Caution is warranted when combining with central nervous system depressants, skeletal muscle relaxants, or anesthetic agents, as additive effects may occur. The alkaloids present, including erysotrine, can potentiate muscle relaxation and may enhance sedative effects. Patients taking prescription medications should consult a qualified healthcare provider before using this herb. Evidence level: C (theoretical interactions based on constituent pharmacology; formal interaction studies are lacking).
What is Erythrina senegalensis used for traditionally?
Erythrina senegalensis bark has been used traditionally across West Africa and the Sahel region to treat skin diseases, bacterial and fungal infections, fever, and venereal diseases. Traditional healers employ both internal preparations (decoctions) and external applications (pastes) depending on the condition being treated. The plant is valued for its broad antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Evidence level: C (ethnobotanical documentation and preliminary pharmacological studies support traditional antimicrobial claims; human clinical trials are limited).
PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 29 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Erythrina senegalensis is a medicinal plant from the Fabaceae family used in sub-Saharan Africa for treating microbial infections, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases [PMID:37064277, 39348655, 25680843].
Background
Erythrina senegalensis (also known as E. senegalensis DC) is a plant native to regions including Cameroon, Mali, Guinea, and Nigeria [PMID:2089116, 18321374, 17825510, 10904174].
Traditional uses
Traditional uses include the treatment of microbial ailments [PMID:37064277], diabetes mellitus [PMID:39348655], cardiovascular diseases [PMID:31472272, 25680843], liver disorders [PMID:21256951], malaria [PMID:18321374, 16270940], amenorrhea [PMID:18321374], infections [PMID:18321374], abortion [PMID:18321374], wounds [PMID:18321374], body pain [PMID:18321374], and Alzheimer's disease [PMID:23844333].
Active compounds
Isolated compounds include alkaloids (Erysodine), triterpenes (Erythrodiol, maniladiol, oleanolic acid), prenylated isoflavonoids (senegalensin, erysenegalensein E, M, O, D, N, H, I, alpinumisoflavone, derrone, warangalone, 8-prenylleutone, auriculatin, 6,8-diprenylgenistein), flavonoids (erythrisenegalone, senegalensein, lupinifolin, carpachromene), pterocarpans (erybraedine A, C, F, phaseollin, isoneorautenol), saponins, and a new flavanone called senegalensisnone [PMID:35009024, 19183875, 2089116, 38946337, 36647748, 19288405, 17236036].
Mechanism of action
Prenylflavonoids from the plant inhibit diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), a target for obesity and type 2 diabetes [PMID:19183875]. Certain prenylated flavonoids inhibit PLCgamma1 activity and the formation of inositol phosphates [PMID:16142647]. Prenylated isoflavones have shown dose-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 protease (PR) activity [PMID:19097000]. Pterocarpans act as strong inhibitors of 15-lipoxygenase [PMID:19288405]. Stem bark extracts may induce ER- and mitochondria-derived vacuoles leading to non-apoptotic cell death in cancer cell lines [PMID:35458781].
Clinical evidence
Evidence DBacterial and Fungal Infections
Purified seed lectin (ESL) showed potent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumonia, E. carotovora, A. niger, P. camemberti, and S. brevicaulis [PMID:37064277]. Stem bark extracts showed activity against S. pneumoniae [PMID:20162068] and C. albicans/C. glabrata [PMID:36441750].
Evidence DDiabetes and Hypertension
Aqueous stem bark extract demonstrated antidiabetic and antihypertensive activity in male hypertensive diabetic rats [PMID:31472272]. Saponins from the plant showed alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity [PMID:36647748].
Evidence DCancer
Nineteen secondary metabolites (including Erysodine and various isoflavonoids) displayed in vitro and/or in vivo antitumor activities [PMID:35009024]. Isoneorautenol showed cytotoxicity toward multi-factorial drug resistant cancer cells [PMID:24252341].
Evidence DInflammation and Pain
Aqueous stem bark extract exhibited significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in rat models [PMID:10904174].
Safety & adverse effects
Acute oral toxicity studies in mice (up to 12.5 g/kg) and sub-chronic studies in rats (up to 1,200 mg/kg/day for 28 days) of the aqueous stem bark extract induced no mortality or significant behavioral changes [PMID:21256951].
Evidence summary
The evidence consists primarily of in vitro studies, animal models, and ethnobotanical surveys (Level D). There are no human clinical trials (RCTs) provided in the abstracts.
PubMed sources
1.PMID: 35009024 (2021) — Systematic Review of Potential Anticancerous Activities of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae). · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2.PMID: 19183875 (2009) — Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-inhibitory compounds from Erythrina senegalensis. · Archives of pharmacal research
3.PMID: 37064277 (2023) — Antimicrobial activities and phylogenetic study of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae) seed lectin. · Biotechnologia
4.PMID: 2089116 (1990) — A new prenylated isoflavone and long chain esters from two Erythrina species. · Journal of natural products
5.PMID: 35458781 (2022) — In Vitro Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties of Various E. senegalensis Extracts. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
Government sources
No direct government monograph is available for this herb. The content below is AI-generated and has not been verified against an authoritative government source. Use the search links to check official sources before relying on this information.
6.PMID: 38946337 (2025) — New flavanone and other constituents from erythrina senegalensis A. DC. (fabaceae). · Natural product research
7.PMID: 31472272 (2020) — Antihypertensive and antidiabetic activities of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae) stem bark aqueous extract on diabetic hypertensive rats. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
8.PMID: 36647748 (2023) — In vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of isolated compounds and semisynthetic derivative from aerial parts of Erythrina senegalensis DC. · Natural product research
9.PMID: 25680843 (2015) — In vitro chronotropic effects of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae) aqueous extract on mouse heart slice and pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
10.PMID: 39348655 (2024) — Antibacterial and antioxidant studies of silver nanoparticles formulated from Erythrina senegalensis stem bark extract. · Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
11.PMID: 36441750 (2022) — Metabolite profiling, antifungal, biofilm formation prevention and disruption of mature biofilm activities of Erythrina senegalensis stem bark extract against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. · PloS one
12.PMID: 17825510 (2007) — Ethnobotanical survey and antibacterial activity of some plants used in Guinean traditional medicine. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
13.PMID: 15182903 (2004) — Traditional medicine in north Côte-d'Ivoire: screening of 50 medicinal plants for antibacterial activity. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
14.PMID: 19097000 (2009) — Prenylisoflavonoids from Erythrina senegalensis as novel HIV-1 protease inhibitors. · Planta medica
15.PMID: 27169180 (2016) — Medicinal Plants Used in Mali for the Treatment of Malaria and Liver Diseases. · Natural product communications
16.PMID: 24252341 (2014) — Activity of three cytotoxic isoflavonoids from Erythrina excelsa and Erythrina senegalensis (neobavaisoflavone, sigmoidin H and isoneorautenol) toward multi-factorial drug resistant cancer cells. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
17.PMID: 19288405 (2009) — 15-Lipoxygenase inhibitory effects of prenylated flavonoids from Erythrina senegalensis. · Planta medica
18.PMID: 20162068 (2006) — Evaluation of 17 medicinal plants from Northern Côte d'Ivoire for their in vitro activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae. · African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
19.PMID: 16270940 (2005) — Ethnopharmacological survey of different uses of seven medicinal plants from Mali, (West Africa) in the regions Doila, Kolokani and Siby. · Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine
20.PMID: 18321374 (2008) — Ethnopharmacological uses of Erythrina senegalensis: a comparison of three areas in Mali, and a link between traditional knowledge and modern biological science. · Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine
21.PMID: 21256951 (2011) — Acute and subchronic oral toxicity assessment of the aqueous extract from the stem bark of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae) in rodents. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
22.PMID: 10904174 (2000) — Antiplasmodial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities of the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Erythrina senegalensis. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
23.PMID: 23844333 (2013) — An exploration of the potential mechanisms and translational potential of five medicinal plants for applications in Alzheimer's disease. · American journal of neurodegenerative disease
24.PMID: 16142647 (2005) — Phospholipase Cgamma1 inhibitory activities of prenylated flavonoids isolated from Erythrina senegalensis. · Planta medica
25.PMID: 17236036 (1994) — Erysenegalenseins H and I: Two New Isoflavones from Erythrina senegalensis1. · Planta medica