Not Just for Show

Not Just for Show

You know these  giant lily-like flowers for their amazing ability to flower indoor in  winter straight from a bulb. We all call them “Amaryllis”, but they are  really from the genus Hippeastrum. This is because of botanical  confusion over the genera for many years that then resulted in Amaryllis  being used as a common name.
 

They are also sometimes referred to as a lily, however, they are not true lilies (from the Lilium genus). 
 

The Hippeastrum genus is native to South America and consists of about 60 species, half of which are from Brazil.
 

Hippeastrum  cultivars are very popular as ornamentals, and are commonly used for  flowering indoors, or can also be grown in gardens in frost-free  gardens. As they have been hybridized since the early nineteenth century  for producing large colorful flowers, there are many cultivars and  flower colors to choose from.
 

Hippeastrum species are used in  many areas of the world in traditional medicine and have become the  subject of investigation into their phytochemicals, which have potential  uses in medicine.
 

Hippeastrum species have been used  traditionally to treat hemorrhoids, tumors, asthma, and other  inflammatory conditions. Galanthamine is an acetylcholinesterase  inhibitor marketed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and was  obtained from Amaryllidaceae plants. From the demand of this drug, a  search into other bioactive alkaloids has been underway. The plant  subfamily, the Amaryllidoideae, produce alkaloids that are exclusive to  the plant subfamily, numerous and still being discovered.
 

For  example, in a study of H. reticulatum, which is also cultivated as an  ornamental and used as a traditional medicine, four previously-unknown  alkaloids were characterized and found to potentially be  antiparasitological and cholinesterase inhibitory agents.
 

An  alkaloid 11Beta-hydroxygalnthamine with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory  activity was found from the species H. papilio, along with significant  quantities of galanthamine.
 

Montanine, which exhibited  acetylecholinesterase inhibitory, anxiolytic, antidepressant and  anticonvulsant activity was found in H. vittatum. Also, candimine, an  alkaloid from H. morelianum, was found to be active against the parasite  Trichomonas vaginalis.
 

In a study this year on H. stapfianum,  major compounds were identified and the plant extract suggested as a  candidate for Alzheimer’s disease as it was found to activate PPAR  receptors, and exhibit antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition  activity…and the search continues in these beautifully interesting  plants.
 

#ethnobotany #medicinalplants #amaryllis #alkaloids #flowers
Photo by Gary Ingram  

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