Merendera robusta

Plant Name

Merendera robusta Bunge.

Botanical Info

A perennial, 12-40 cm heigh

Geography:

Central Asia: all regions, except Aralo-Caspian and Dzhungaro.-Tarbagatay. Grows on sandy, sandy-argillaceous hills, argillo-arenaceous and saline plains reaching elevation of 350-600 m above the sea level.

Chemical Content

The principal alkaloids of the leaves and stems of this plant are tropolone compounds colchicine and colchamine. The homoaporphine base merenderine (bechuanine) was also found in the plant . In addition to several minor tropolone alkaloids, their photochemical isomers, and homoaporphines , homoproaporphine bases that differ from previously known analogs in the configuration of the substituents were also isolated from the leaves and stems. Carbohydrates: starch , polysaccharides – 3.9 %, in hydrolysate gum sugar, galactose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose.

Traditional Use and Activity

Colchicine derivatives have anticarcinogenic activity. In ethnopharmacology the plant is known for its use in the treatment of arthralgia. Underground part is used in the treatment of rheumatic disease and heart diseases.

Merendera robusta