Erythrina (Erythrina spp.) is a group of flowering plants that belong to the Fabaceae (legume) family of plants. Erythrina grows in tropical and subtropical regions and the group is sometimes called the coral tree because of its coral-like branches. Many species of erythrina possess characteristic bright red flowers, although other species can have green, yellow, pink or white flowers. The plant produces seeds in a pod similar to other plants in the legume family. Erythrina is used in South American traditional medicine as a sedative. The chemical composition of erythrina plants have been investigated and there is some variation between species. However, many species contain erythrina alkaloids, and these may confer medicinal properties to those who consume extracts containing them. The alkaloids present include scoulerine, erysovin, erysodin, and erythravine. It has been reported that erythravine has anxiolytic and sedative effects in animals, and this may explain the medicinal properties of the plant.
Erythrina (Erythrina spp.) (the coral tree) is a group of flowering plants belonging to the Fabaceae (legume) family. Extracts of one species of erythrina, erythrina mulunguwere, have been shown to possess anxiolytic effects in animals. This supports the traditional use of the plant in traditional South American medicine, where it is used as a sedative.
For example, in one study the mood elevating effects of erythrina extracts of erythrina mulunguwere were investigated in mice. When researchers administered the drug to the mice they observed anxiolytic effects comparable to the anxiolytic benzodiazepine drug diazepam. Such an anxiolytic effect has also been observed in rats. In another study, researchers investigated the mood enhancing effects of alkaloids isolated from erythrina mulunguwere on mice. The erythrinian alkaloids hydroxy-erysotrine, erythravine and hydroxy-erythravine all demonstrated anxiolytic effects in mice. This study therefore suggests that the erythrinian alkaloids are responsible, at least in part, for the anxiolytic effects of erythrina. In another experiment involving rats, extracts of erythrina mulunguwere were shown to have anxiolytic effects in the animals. These anxiolytic effects however differed slightly from those of diazepam. Therefore animal studies support the traditional use of erythrina as treatment for anxiety.
A group of alkaloids in erythrina are thought to be responsible for its sedative and anxiolytic effects. These alkaloids are collectively called erythrinian alkaloids.
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