Abstract
The traditional and current use of Calotropis procera and C. gigantea, two soft-wooded, xerophytic shrubs of the family Apocynaceae, are reviewed against the background of the plants' chemical constituents and their biological properties. The focus is on the usage of the plants for building materials, natural pesticides, animal feed and bioremediative purposes.
Highlights
Plants growing in arid regions have elicited increased attention, because the hostile environment, in which these plants survive, forces them to develop chemical protective systems rarely found in vegetation of other ecosystems
Calotropis plants are seen as invasive species that threaten local plant life and that due to their toxicity pose a threat to grazing field animals
The current review provides a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the uses and chemical constituents of both plants
Summary
Plants growing in arid regions have elicited increased attention, because the hostile environment, in which these plants survive, forces them to develop chemical protective systems rarely found in vegetation of other ecosystems. The two plants, Calotopris procera (giant milkweed, named C. persica) and Calotropis gigantea (crown flower), have been used widely in traditional medicine in North Africa, the Middle East, and South and South-East Asia. This has led to extensive research on the chemical constituents of the plants. Both plants are known to be sources of cardenolides, and newer research has yielded a number of interesting cancer-active constituents. The complexity of the plants’ properties and chemical constituents combined with the wide geographic distribution and regional use of C. procera and C. gigantea has led to a fast-growing body of research on the two plants.
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