Tripterygium wilfordii

Wilford's three-winged fruit ( Tripterygium wilfordii )

Wilford's three-winged fruit ( Tripterygium wilfordii ) is the only species of the genus Tripterygium within the family of spindle tree family ( Celastraceae ). The climbing plant native to East Asia and is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is poisonous in all components and has because of their medical importance ingredients.

• 4.1 ornamental plant
• 4.2 ingredients

• 5.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance and leaf

Wilford's three-winged fruit grows as a deciduous, woody weak entwining to climbing shrub, reaching heights of growth 2-6 (rarely to 10) meters. She is hairy tomentose when young and bald in shady locations in old age.

The alternate arranged leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The petiole is 1 to 2 inches long. The papery and depending on the amount of light herbaceous to leathery leaf blade is usually ovoid or roundish - ovate, sometimes oblong- round or elliptical - ovate, 8.6 to 12.5 (rarely 4.6 to 18.4 ) and 5.7 inches long to 8.9 ( 3.1 to 12.3 ) centimeters wide. She is bald or slightly tomentose occupied with auburn hair. The leaf base is broadly cuneate or rounded to heart-shaped. The leaf margin is feingezähnt whole or occasionally. Toward the outer end the blade is tapered, the tip is often dull. The early falling stipules are linear.

Inflorescence and flower

The flowering period extends into China from May to October. The lateral or terminal, thyrsenähnlichen, inflorescences are composed of several to many smaller thyrsi together. They reach a length of 12.5 to 23.6 (4,5 to 38) inches and a width of 4.7 to 9.3 (2,3 to 15) centimeters.

The five petals are hermaphrodite or unisexual male, in the latter case but barren and 4 to 6 mm long and wide. The calyx is five-lobed, hemispherical and 1 millimeter long. The five whitish, yellowish or yellow- green petals are terete to almost ovate, narrowed to the approach towards, rounded toward the outer end and 2 to 2.5 millimeters long. The fünflappige, light green discus is fleshy with aufgewölbtem edge and has a diameter of about 2 millimeters. The five advertised on its edge of the disk stamens have anthers, which point towards the flower center inside and open along. The Upper constant ovary is incomplete dreifächrig, with three around 1 mm protruding lobes. The each subject in duplicate existing ovules stand erect. The style is short and the light purple scar little head shaped.

Fruit and seeds

Fruit time in China from August to November. The usually green and ripen green-brown, rarely pink or pink -purple wing nut has three lateral, parchment-like wings (hence the generic name ). It is 1.3 to 1.9 ( 1 to 2.3 ) inches long and 1.2 to 1.5 ( 0.7 to 1.9 ) inches wide. The approximately 5 mm long and 1.3 to 3 millimeters wide seed is triangular and albuminous.

Set of chromosomes

The chromosome number is 2n = 24

Dissemination

Wilford's three-winged fruit is distributed from the northeast Myanmar over South China, Taiwan and Korea to Japan. It is found in mixed forests, forest edges, in Woodlands and shrubs at altitudes 100-3500 m.

Systematics and Botanical History

The genus Tripterygium wilfordii erected in 1862 by Joseph Dalton Hooker in Genera Plantarum, Volume 1, pp. 360 and 368 with the type species of Tripterygium. The genus name refers to the Tripterygium Dreiflügeligkeit of the fruit. The specific epithet honors the British plant collector Charles Wilford. Long were Tripterygium hypoglaucum ( H.Lév. ) Hutch. and Tripterygium regelii Sprague & Takeda considered a separate species. They are now considered synonyms.

Tripterygium wilfordii is the only species of the genus Tripterygium in the subfamily Celastroideae within the family Celastraceae.

Use

Ornamental plant

Wilford's three-winged fruit is cultivated as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens for their flowers and fruits, and is hardy only conditionally. It grows best on well drained soils, but is otherwise effective as undemanding.

Ingredients

Tripterygium wilfordii contains a number of highly effective and partly toxic agents on the terpene -based mostly diterpenes. The most important was prepared from the above ingredients, the compound triptolide 70 ( also referred to as PG490 ) isolated and characterized, as well tripdiolide Triptolidenol, Tripchlorolid and 16 Hydroxytriplid. The toxic ingredients are mainly in the root bark, so mostly just peeled roots are used. The diterpenes are from abietane type; the pentacyclic triterpenes have an oleanane body. In addition, there are also various alkaloids, such as Wilfordin, in the plant. And toxicity are essentially determined by Wilfordin and the diterpene derivatives. To be particularly effective, the triptolide has proven that the lipopolysaccharide -induced (LPS ) inhibits prostaglandin synthesis, among other things, thereby exerting anti-inflammatory.

The three-winged fruit from Wilford isolated as a plant extract terpenes are able to immobilize sperm, without affecting the hormonal balance of the man.

One of the main side effects of pure extracts of Wilford's three-winged fruit is immunosuppression, but - for example in autoimmune diseases - may also be advantageous. Until now present results of preclinical and clinical studies show intracellular cortisone -like effect. Proper preparation of the extract and careful dosage can largely suppress the toxicity. In a randomized double-blind study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis occurred after 12 weeks of treatment on improvement of symptoms.

In various preclinical and clinical studies, the efficacy of T. wilfordii extracts or isolated therefrom individual substances tested at different diseases. Here are inflammation, arthritis rheumatic diseases autoimmune diseases and various cancers in focus.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine ( TCM) extracts of Wilford's three-winged fruit, for example, for treating herpes zoster infection ( shingles), psoriasis and rheumatic diseases are used. The first traditions on the application of the plant date back to the 16th century.

Evidence

• M. P. Simmons: Celastraceae. In: Klaus Kubitzki (ed.): The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants - Volume VI - Flowering Plants - Dicotyledons - Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales, 2004, p 53, ISBN 978-3-540-06512 - 8
• M. Jin- shuang and M. Funston: Tripterygium, pp. 486 - text the same online as printed work, In: Wu Zheng -yi, Peter H. Raven & Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China, Volume 11 - Oxalidaceae through aceraceae, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis, 2008. ISBN 978-1-930723-73-3 (Sections Description and systematics).