Prosopis juliflora

Scientific name: Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.

Botanical family: FABACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Haiti:

bayawond blan

Other vernacular names

Haiti:

bayawond blan
bayawonn ou watapana
watapana

Geographical distribution

Native of Central America.

Botanical description

Shrub or small tree of up to 12 m, young (green) branches armed with straight thorns. Petiolate, compound, glabrous
leaves; 1 to 3 pairs of pines; with leaflets of 12 to 20 pairs perpinna, sessile, linear-oblong. Yellowish-green, sessile flowers in dense, cylindrical spikes, 5 to 10 cm long, pedunculate. Compressed, falcate, coriaceous, indehiscent pod; flattened,
oval, brown seeds.

Voucher(s)

Pimentel,1174,JBSD

ocular affections

leaf, juice, instillation¹

For ocular infections:
adequately wash 1 or 2 leaves before removing the leaflets from them. Crush these leaflets in a mortar, possibly adding a few drops of boiled water, until the juice is squeezed out. Filter the preparation with a cloth before making an instillation with a dropper (3 millilitres) every 2 hours.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for ocular conditions is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys,
the validation and toxicity studies and the scientific information published.

All applications in the eyes must follow the strictest hygiene measures, in order to prevent contamination or additional
infection and to avoid contact with substances that can irritate to the conjunctiva.

In cases of conjunctivitis, there is a risk of increasing the irritation by the application of the juice of the leaves.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or the ocular condition persists for more than 3 days, seek medical attention.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 5 years.

TRAMIL Work¹¹
The aqueous extract and the leaf juice instilled into the lower conjunctival sac (0.1 ml) of Univalle albino rabbits, according to
the method described by Draize, did not produce signs of eye irritability for 5 days after treatment.

The LD₅₀ of the hydroalcoholic extract (50%) of aerial parts via the intraperitoneal route in mice was 0.75 mg/kg¹².

Juliflorine, an alkaloid present in the leaves, did not induce signs of mutagenicity or carcinogenicity in the Ames test¹⁰, nor did it induce toxic manifestations when administered to mice (40 mg/kg)¹³.

There is no information available documenting the safety of use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

TRAMIL Work²
The preliminary phytochemical study of the leaves showed the presence of: alkaloids and lipophile chromophores.

Indolent alkaloids were observed in the leaf: juliflorine (or juliprosopine), juliprosine, julifloricine and julifloridine^3-4 ; it also contains serotonin and prosopidione (a sesquiterpene)^5-6.

Proximate analysis of 100 g of dried leaves⁷: water: 0%; protein: 19%; fat: 2.9%; carbohydrates: 69.6%; fibre: 21.6%; ash: 8.5%; calcium: 2080 mg; phosphorus: 220 mg.

TRAMIL Work⁸
The hydroalcoholic extract (95%) from dried leaves, in vitro, on Staphylococcus aureus, showed antimicrobial activity.

Juliflorine and julifloricine in vitro, against gram + germs, Staphylococcus aureus, S. citreus, S. epidermis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Sarcina lutea (1 μg/ml), S. pneumoniae, S. lactis, (5 μg/ml) were active⁹.

Juliflorine in vitro against Trichophyton rubrum, T. violaceum, T.mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, T. megninii, T. gallinae,
Microsporum canis, M. nanum, M. ferrugineum and Epidermophyton floccosum, was active with MIC = 1.5 μg/ml, as well as against Candida albicans (MIC = 0.05 mg/ml) and C.tropicalis¹⁰.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 WENIGER B, ROUZIER M, 1986
Enquête TRAMIL. Service Oecuménique d’Entraide SOE, Port au Prince, Haïti.

2 ZWAVING J, 1986
Selección fitoquímica preliminar en algunas plantas TRAMIL. Dép. de Pharmacognosie, Universidad de Groningen, Groningen, Hollanda. TRAMIL II, Sto. Domingo, Rep. Dominicana, UASD/enda-caribe.

3 AHMAD V, BASHA A, HAQUE W, 1978
New alkaloids from Prosopis juliflora. Z Naturforsch Ser 33:347.

4 OTT-LONGONI R, VISWANATHAN N, HESSE M, 1980
The structure of the alkaloid juliprosopine from Prosopis juliflora. Helv Chim Acta 63:2119- 2129.

5 WILLAMAN J, LI H, 1970
Alkaloid-bearing plants and their contained alkaloids, 1957-1968. Lloydia 33(3A)Supp.

6 AHMAD VU, SULTANA A, 1989
A terpenoid diketone from the leaves of Prosopis juliflora. Phytochemistry 28(1):278-279.

7 DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986
Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press. p134.

8 LE GRAND A, WONDERGEM PA, 1986
Activités antimicrobiennes et études bibliographiques de la toxicologie de dix plantes médicinales de la Caraïbe. Rapport TRAMIL. Dép. de Pharmacognosie, Universités de Groningen & Leyden, Hollande.

9 AHMAD A, KHAN KA, AHMAD VU, QAZI S, 1988
Antibacterial activity of an alkaloidal fraction of Prosopis juliflora. Fitoterapia 59(6):481-484.

10 KHURSHEED AK, ARSHAD HF, VIQARUDDIN A, SABIHA Q, SHEIKH AR, TAHIR SH, 1986
In vitro studies of antidermatophytic activity of juliflorine and its screening as carcinogen in Salmonella/microsome test system. Arzneimittelforschung 36(1):17-19.

11 HERRERA J, 1990
Determinación de actividades biológicas de vegetales utilizados en medicina tradicional. Informe TRAMIL. Dep. de Farmacología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

12 DHAWAN BN, PATNAIK GK, RASTOGI RP, SINGH KK, TANDON JS, 1977
Screening of Indian plants for biological activity. VI. Indian J Exp Biol 15(3):208-219.

13 AQEEL A, KHURSHEED AK, VIQARUDDIN A, SABIHA Q, 1989
Antimicrobial activity of julifloricine isolated from Prosopis juliflora. Arzneimittelforschung 39(6):652-655.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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Prosopis juliflora

Vernacular names

Haiti:

Haiti:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

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