Gen info
- Apocynaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, usually known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable members include oleander, dogbanes, milkweeds, wax plants, and periwinkles. As of 2012, the family comprised some 5,100 species, in five subfamilies: Apocynoideae, Asclepiadoideae, Periplocoideae, Rauvolfioideae, and Secamonoideae. (6)
- Alyxia is a genus of shrubby, climbing, or scrambling flowering plants belonging to the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It contains over 100 accepted species.
- Alyxia reinwardtii was first described by the botanist Carl Ludwig von Blume in 1823.
- Etymology: The genus name Alyxia derives from Greek 'halusis", meaning "a chain", referring to the making of leis in the Pacific. The specific epithet reinwardtii honors Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt, a 19th century botanist known for his contribution to South-East Asian botany.

Botany
• Lianas woody, to 3 m, glabrous except for inflorescences. Juvenile branchlets triangular, later terete. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3 or 4; petiole to 5 mm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic or oblong, 8-11 X 1.5-2.5 cm, sub-leathery to leathery, abaxially glabrous, apex narrowly long acuminate, lateral veins obscure abaxially. Cymes fascicled, axillary, pubescent, 3-5 cm; peduncle 1-1.3 cm; bracteoles very narrowly ovate. Sepals ovate or narrowly so, ca. 2 1 mm, obtuse or acute, pubescent to subglabrous. Corolla yellowish white, glabrous, tube ca. 8.5 mm; lobes ovate, ca. 4 mm. Ovary villous. Fruit oblong-ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 cm X 5 mm. (Flora of China)

• A climbing shrub freely branching with younger branches quadrangular and pubescent. They are covered with smooth, shining, brown, or mahagony-coloured bark. Leaves: Opposite; in young branches are quatern, obovate, acute, sometimes obtuse, coriaceous, shining above and smooth, 7.5-10 cm long. Flowers: Small, yellowish white, fragrant, pubescent, and in corymbs appearing axillary. Bracts are linear, villous. Calyx is villous, deeply divided into five linear teeth. Lobe of the limb is oblong, about as long as the tube, which is a little pubescent within. Ovary is villous with capillary and long style. The stigma is sub-capitate. Drupes are two on each calyx, oval, subacute, of a pale ferruginous color, obscurely eight furrowed and single seeded. (GLOBinMED)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1) (2)
- In Culion; in Mindanao: Zamboanga del Norte; Mindoro, Palawan.
- Dry forests at low elevation in Culion. 0-3100 m. (2)
- Also native to Andaman Is., Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)

Propagation
- Propagates easily from vegetative parts and seed. Parts of stem will root when in contact with the ground. Vegetative cuttings of 0.5 to 0.8 cm diameter and 10-15 cm, long are preferred, and should be screened from direct sunlight and regularly sprayed to maintain humidity. (3)

Constituents
- In a study for TPC and TFC using different solvents of leaves and stem, acetone showed highest TPC content (170.44 mg GAE/g) while hexane showed highest TFC content (2957 mg QE/g). (see study below) (4)
- Study of stems isolated 8 compounds: coumarin (1), 3-hydroxycoumarin (2), 6-hydroxy-coumarin (3), 8-hydroxycoumarin (4), scopoletin (5), (+)-pinoresinol (6), zhebeiresinol (7), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (8). (see study below) (5)

Properties
- Studies have suggested antioxidant, antibacterial, lipid peroxidation inhibitory properties.

Parts used
Leaves, flowers, stems, bark.

Uses
Edibility
- Bark, often referred to as "white cinnamon" or pulasari, is used as spice.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
-In Indonesia, widely used as a medicinal ingredient; used with adas (fennel), hence the name 'adas-pulasari'. Used in jamus, a Javanese traditional medicine, for treatment of various illnesses; also for flavoring and to impart a pleasant odor to other ingredients. In Central Java, about 18 'jamu' products contain 'adas-pulsari' as a principle ingredient. Used as antispasmodic and for treatment of stomach aches, flatulence, colic, fever, dysentery; as carminative and for treatment of sprue. The leaves and flowers taste spicy, bitter when fresh, sometimes used instead of the bark. (3)
-Infusion of bark, leaves, and flowers taken as treatment of gonorrhea.
- A. reinwardtii cooked with Amaranthus spinosus and bark of Cinnamomum cassia used for treatment of bronchitis. Bark pounded with onions is wrapped in leaves, cooked, and juice extracted—used for treatment of thrush. (3)
- Bark applied with leaves of Polygonum flaccidum and aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) is used as emmenagogue, or in cosmetics, or as flavoring. Bitter sap used as emetic.(3)
- In Indo-China, burnt plant parts (unspecified) smoked for treatment of cephalalgia. (3)
- In Thailand leaves and fruits used to reduce fever; flowers reported effective in treating mental confusion and halllucination associated with high fever; stems used to treat fainting, heart failure, abdominal discomforts dues to gaseous distention. (5)
- All parts used as antipyretic and cardiotonic. (7)
Others
- Scent: Bundles of dried twigs are placed in cupboards to perfume them; the fragrances may last up to two years. (3) Aromatic bark put among clothes for its fragrance. (7)
- Incense: In Java, dried and finely powdered bark used as ingredient in the manufacture of incense. (3)
- Spice / Flavoring: Bark used as cinnamon spice. Bark and leaves used as flavoring in the manufacture of rum. Coumarin from bark also used to flavor wines. (7)

Studies
• Antioxidant / Antibacterial / Leaves and Stem: Study evaluated the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of Alyxia reinwardtii extracts of leaves and stem. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escheriichia coli and Bacillus cereus growth. Methanol was the most effective solvent due to highest crude yield(19.47%). Methanol extract showed highest antioxidant activity for DPPH (75.81%) and hexane for FRAP assay (2278 mg AAE/g). Results indicated methanolic and hexane extract using cold maceration showed optimum antioxidant and antibacterial activity. (see constituents above) (4)
• Antioxidant / Lipid Peroxidation Inhibitory / Stem: Study of stems isolated 8 compounds. DPPH test indicated compound 7 (zhebeiresinol) showed best antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.19 mM) followed by 6 (IC50 0.31 µM), 2 (IC50 0.61 mM) and 5 (IC50 3.17mM) indicating moderate to weak activity, while 1, 3, 4, and 8 were inactive. Compounds 2 and 7 exhibited moderate superoxide scavenging activity while 1 and 8 were inactive. All compounds showed no inhibitory activity against xanthine oxidase. Compounds 6 and 7 showed potent inhibitory activity (IC50 3.31 and 2.08 mM respectively) in lipid peroxidation. (see constituents above) (5)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Herbal products—dried bark, powders—in the cybermarket.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Alyxia reinwardtii / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Malvaceae: Gossypium arboreum / Co's Digital Flora Database
(3)
Alyxia reinwardtii / HM Sangat-Roemantyo, DJ MIddleton / PROSEA: Plant Resources of South-East Asia- No 12(2) / Medicianl and Poisonous Plants: Prosea Foundation
(4)
Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Different Solvent Extracts of Leaves and Stem of Alyxia reinwardtii Blume / Vanishri Kaly Sitthan, Muhamad Salihu Abdallah, Meenakkkshii Nallappan et al / MAB: Malaysian Applied Biology, 2023; 52(6) / DOI: 10.55239/mabjournal.v52i6.2581
(5)
Chemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity from the Stems of Alyxia reinwardtii / Jurairat Rattanapan, Jirapast Sichaem, Santi Tip-pyang / Records of Natural Products, 2012; 6(3): pp 288-291
(6)
Apocynaceae / Wikipedia
(7)
Alyxia reinwardtii / Ken Fern: Tropical Plants Database / Useful Tropica Plants
(8)
Alyxia reinwardtii Blume / GLOBinMED

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)