Alstonia scholaris

HABIT: Alstonia scholaris is a tall evergreen tree up to 18 m with bitter milky juice, glabrous except inflorescence. Bark grey rough and yellowish from the inside, branches whorled, and young branches lenticellate, when he bark is injured a milky juice comes out. 4 - 7 in whorls, coriaceous, oblong - lanceolate, obtuse or bluntly acuminate, dark green above, pale and covered with whitish bloom beneath, base tapering, main nerves numerous, nearly horizontal, parallel, uniting in an intramarginal nerve. Capitate cymes.

CONSERVATION STATUS: Evaluated as 'Least Concern' by IUCN.

MEDICINAL USES: According to the statistics of literature, the crude extracts and compounds of Alstonia plants had anti-cancer effects in numerous in vivo and in vitro experiments. ASERS (the alkaloid fraction of A. scholaris) was considered the most efficientt doses of 210 mg/kg. More and more species of genus Alstonia are being identified to have vasorelaxant activities. Arai et al. found that vincamedine showed potent vasodilatory activity. Alkaloids are potent anti-inflammatory compounds found in the genus Alstonia. Oxidative damage can lead to various diseases. Therefore, the study of antioxidant drugs has attracted the attention of medical workers. Studies demonstrated (Arulmozhi et al., 2011) that the ethanol extract of A. scholaris leaves (EEAS) significantly decreased lipid peroxidation and myeloperoxidase levels in the joint tissue. 

(Zhao, M. X., Cai, J., Yang, Y., Xu, J., Liu, W. Y., Akihisa, T., ... & Zhang, J. (2023). Traditional uses, chemical composition and pharmacological activities of Alstonia R. Br.(Apocynaceae): A review. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 104857.)

ETHNOBOTANICAL USES: In West and Central Africa, A. boonei is regarded as a medicinal plant by local people. A. boonei is widely used in the treatment of malaria, intestinal helminths, rheumatism, hypertension. The flowers of A. scholaris can be used as a CNS depressant and also to treat respiratory problems and asthma. When ear pain, boils and injuries occur, the latex of A. scholaris is combined with oil as a treatment for the disease. The genus Alstonia bark is most generally used in traditional medicine, but the most commonly used part is the thick bark of mature tree. Alstonia’s bark has a natural analgesic effect and serves as one of the analgesic herbs. The decoction of Alstonia also provides mild antibacterial action and may relieve the soreness involved with malarial fevers. The fresh bark of Alstonia is used to make an herbal tincture for snake, rat or scorpion poisoning. The cold infusion is used orally to expel roundworms and nematodes (Abbiw, 1990). Extracts of the leaves have been developed commercially as typical herbal medicines and are also hospital prescription drug, available in pharmacies.

(Zhao, M. X., Cai, J., Yang, Y., Xu, J., Liu, W. Y., Akihisa, T., ... & Zhang, J. (2023). Traditional uses, chemical composition and pharmacological activities of Alstonia R. Br.(Apocynaceae): A review. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 104857.)