Bobgunnia madagascariensis (Bambara: samagara), also called the snake bean plant,[2] is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. Sometimes sold as "Pau Rosa", along with Bobgunnia fistuloides.
| Bobgunnia madagascariensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pod fragment and seeds | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Bobgunnia |
| Species: | B. madagascariensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Bobgunnia madagascariensis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
Bobgunnia madagascariensis is a small deciduous tree, 3–4 m tall. The plant has large pods that turn dark when ripe.[2]
Ecology
The larvae of Abantis zambesiaca feed on B. madagascariensis.
Toxicity
Bobgunnia madagascarensis is toxic.[3]
Applications
Poison composed of the roasted seeds of Bobgunnia madagascariensis and innards of the beetle Diamphidia nigroornata is applied to the arrows of the Bushmen.[citation needed] Seeds, fruits and stem bark are also used in fishing by poisoning in Africa.[4]
Chemistry
The methanolic extract of the fruit of B. madagascariensis contains a saponin tetraglycoside.[5]
The root bark of B. madagascariensis contains quinone methide diterpenes.[6]
The seed pod contains two acidic saponins, swartziasaponin A and B and swartziagenin, a mixture of oleanolic and O-acetyloleanolic acid.[7] The pod methanolic extract yields highly glycosylated flavonoids (glycosides of kaempferol and quercetin).[8]
The crude chloroform and methanol extracts of the stem bark of the plant show strong feeding deterrent activity against stored-product insect pest of maize Tribolium castaneum with the two compounds, methyl paraben and lupeol, being identified in these extracts.[citation needed]
Other compounds in B. madagascariensis are (−)-maackiain, (−)-medicarpin, gypsogenin 3-O-rhamnosylglucuronide, (−)-homopterocarpin, pterocarpin, 4-methoxymedicarpin, 4-methoxymaackiain, 4-methoxyhomopterocarpin, 4-methoxypterocarpin, anhydrovariabilin and coumestrol dimethyl ether.[9]
References
External links
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