Keetia venosa
StarKeetia venosa
Synonyms: Canthium sphaerocarpum, Canthium venosum, Canthium dundusanense, Canthium sylvaticum, Plectronia reygaertii, Plectronia barteri, Plectronia vanderystii, Plectronia stipulata, Plectronia sylvatica, Plectronia dundusanensis, Canthium barteri, Plectronia venosa, Plectronia myriantha, Canthium venosum var. pubescens
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Keetia venosa (synonym Canthium venosum) is used in Cameroonian traditional medicine to treat pain. This use is supported by pharmacological investigation: aqueous and ethanol extracts of the fruits produced significant anti-nociceptive and anti-hyperalgesic effects in acute and chronic pain models in rats and mice, an action attributed in part to modulation of TRP channels and nitric-oxide levels (Cameroon Journal of Experimental Biology). No Native American use is documented.
Botanical Description
Keetia venosa (synonym Canthium venosum) is a woody climbing shrub or liana of the coffee family (Rubiaceae), native to tropical Africa where it grows mainly in wet forest and forest-edge vegetation. It clambers over surrounding trees and shrubs by means of long, slender, woody stems, bearing opposite, simple leaves with the prominent net-like (venose) venation that gives the species its name and interpetiolar stipules characteristic of the family. Small greenish to whitish flowers are produced in axillary clusters and develop into fleshy, rounded, raisin-like fruits that ripen dark and are edible to wildlife and people. The plant occurs across the wet tropical belt of Africa and is gathered locally for both its fruit and its medicinal properties.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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