RHIZOMA ALEPIDEA AMATYMBICA - PlantZAfrica

Definition 

Alepidea Amatymbica Rhizoma consists of 

the fresh or dried rhizome and root of 

Alepidea amatymbica Eckl. & Zeyh. 

(Apiaceae). 

Synonyms 

Vernacular names 

Kalmoes (A); ikhathazo (Z); lesooko (S), 

iqwili (Xh) 

Description 

Macroscopical 1 

Erect robust perennial herb to 2m in height 

with hollow grooved stems and a 

rhizomatous rootstock; leaves mostly basal 

on petioles up to 200mm long, with a few 

stalkless clasping stem leaves; glossy green 

on upper surface with prominent venation on 

lower surface; lamina lanceolate to cordate; 

300 - 100 × 20 - 75mm, with dentate margin, 

each tooth terminating in a long bristle; 

flowers (Jan-Mar) white, borne in heads 10 

- 20mm in diameter, arranged in panicles; 

each head with 5 unequal involucral bracts, 

the latter white to pale yellow above, olive 

green on lower surface. 

Three varieties have been distinguished on 

the basis of leaf shape and involucral 

segment size: 

var. amatymbica 

var. microbracteata Weim.: differs from var. 

amatymbica in its shorter involucral 

segments (5mm long as opposed to 10mm 

in the typical variety) 

var. aquatica (Kuntze) Weim.: differs from 

var. amatymbica in its longer, narrower 

leaves (up to 400mm long and 30-40mm 

wide) 2 

1 

Weimarck, (1949). Botaniska Notiser 4: 219- 

262. 

2 

De Castro, A. and van Wyk, B-E. (1994). 

Diagnostic characters and geographic 

distribution of Alepidea species used in 

traditional medicine. South African Journal of 

Botany 60(6): 345-350. 

ALEPIDEA AMATYMBICA RHIZOMA 

Figure 1a: Dried Root 

Figure 1b: Live plant 

Microscopical 

Figure 3: microscopical features 

Characteristic features are: the abundant 

golden brown to red brown cork cells (2), the 

yellow oleoresin canals (3), 250-300µ in 

diameter, in two concentric rings 

accompanying the vascular tissue; the 

numerous sclereids, up to 220µ in diameter, 

with narrow lumen (5+6); small starch 

granules each 20-30µ in diameter in the 

cortical collenchyma (1) and parenchyma of 

the central stele; the reticulate and spirally 

thickened vessels, 70-120µ in diameter, with 

lignified walls; the calcium oxalate rosette 

aggregates, each up to 160µ in diameter (7), 

in cells of the parenchyma surrounding the

vascular tissue and oleoresin ducts, forming 

an incomplete crystal sheath (4). 

Crude drug 

The fresh rhizome is russet-brown externally 

with adhering roots; the cut surface shows 

two rings of oleoresin ducts in a matrix of 

pale yellow ground tissue; odour pleasant 

aromatic, texture crisp resinous when fresh; 

f racture sharp when dry. 

Geographical distribution 

Locally common in grassland of the northern 

and southern Drakensberg mountains of the 

Eastern Cape Province, Lesotho, Kwazulu- 

Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and 

Northern Province; also northwards into 

Zimbabwe, on streambanks, drainage lines 

and forest margins between 850-2500m. 

Var. amatymbica is widespread but var. 

aquatica is recorded only from the Eastern 

Cape Province between Somerset East and 

Cala, and var. microbracteata only from the 

Umzinto region of southern Kwazulu/Natal 1 . 

Recent work suggests however that only two 

forms of Alepidea amatymbica are 

distinguishable: a typical form from the 

Eastern Cape with leaves tapering toward 

the base and a northern form with cordate 

leaves 2 . 

Figure 4: distribution map 

Quality standards 

Identity tests 

Thin layer chromatography on silica gel 

using as solvent a mixture of toluene:diethyl 

ether:1.75M acetic acid (1:1:1). Reference 

compound cineole (0,1% in chloroform). 

Method according to Appendix 2a. 

Only one collection of this species was 

available for TLC assessment. Further work 

is required. 

HPLC on C18 column, method according to 

Appendix 2b. 

Major compounds: 

Methanol extract: 

Retention times (mins): 5.67; 6.93 

Figure 6: HPLC spectrum 

Purity tests 

Assay 

Not yet available 

Major chemical constituents 

This species has been shown to contain a 

mixture of several kaurene-type diterpenes 

such as ent-16-kaurene-19-oic acid (see a 

below) 3 , which may together constitute up to 

11.8% of rhizome and root dry mass 4 . Very 

similar compounds occur in Arctopus 

echinatus (Apiaceae), also used in 

traditional medical practice. 

3 Rustaiyan, A. and Sadjadji, A.S. (1987). 

Kaurene derivatives from Alepidea amatynsia 

(sic). Phytochemistry 26(7): 2106-2107. 

4 Holzapfel, C.W., van Wyk, B-E., de Castro, A., 

Marais, W. and Herbst, M. (1995). A 

chemotaxonomic survey of kaurene derivatives 

in the genus Alepidea (Apiaceae). Biochemical 

Systematics and Ecology 23(7/8): 799-803.

Figure 7: chemical constituents 

Dosage forms 

Fresh or cooked rhizome and roots are 

chewed or sucked and dried powdered drug 

used as a snuff. Smoke from burning dry 

material is inhaled and a root infusion taken 

orally or administered per rectum as an 

enema. Fresh rhizome is applied externally 

GR1, 12, 28 

as a styptic. 

Medicinal uses 

This species is highly regarded as a remedy 

for respiratory tract infections, asthma, sore 

throat, gastro-intestinal complaints, fever, 

rheumatism, bleeding wounds and 

headache. 

Pharmacology/bioactivity 

Preliminary in vivo assays (animals) have 

demonstrated antimicrobial, 

GR12. . 

antihypertensive and diuretic activity 

In vitro vasorelaxation (rat aorta; dose 

0,1mg/ml) and in vivo diuretic activity (IG; 

rat; dose 50.0mg/kg) have been 

demonstrated for hexane/ethyl acetate 

extracts of fresh rhizome 5 

The results of an investigation of cytotoxicity 

and antiviral activity of 16 South African 

plant species 6 showed that aqueous 

extracts of Alepidea amatymbica were not 

cytotoxic, at any concentration used in the 

test, to HeLa, Vero, Jurkat E6.1, AA-2 or 

CEM-SS cells. Similar extracts were found 

to reduce the infectivity of both Coxsackie 

B2 virus and HSV-1, at most dilutions used. 

In a cell culture antiviral assay, aqueous 

extracts did not inhibit replication of HSV-1 

but inhibited that of Cocksackie B2 virus at 

the higher concentrations tested. 

5 Somova, L.I., Shode, F.O., Moodley, K. and 

Govender, Y. (2001). Cardiovascular and 

diuretic activity of kaurene derivatives of 

Xylopia aethiopica and Alepidea amatymbica. 

Journal of Ethnopharmacology 77(2/3): 165- 

174. 

6 Treurnicht, F. T. (1997). An evaluation of the 

toxic and potential antiviral effects of some 

plants used by South Africans for medicinal 

purposes. MSc thesis, University of 

Stellenbosch. 

Contraindications 

None known 

Adverse reactions 

None recorded 

Precautions 

No special precautions 

Dosage 

For respiratory complaints (cough, cold, 

influenza), the recommended adult dose is 

one tablespoonful of raw or cooked rhizome 

and root; for children one to two 

teaspoonsful, according to age, is sufficient 

GR12 . 

Copyright in this monograph resides with the authors, the South 

African National Biodiversity Institute, the South African Medical 

Research Council and the University of the Western Cape. It may 

not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of 

the copyright holders.

RHIZOMA ALEPIDEA AMATYMBICA - PlantZAfrica

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