ABSTRACT
About 110 species of Erythrina genus are trees and shrubs and distributed in Old World tropics, India, Malaysia, Zanzibar, and eastern Polynesia. Erythrina plants are used in the treatment of convulsion, fever, inflammation, bacterial diseases, insomnia, helminthiasis, cough, cuts, and wounds. E. variegata aerial parts are recommended as nervine sedative, febrifuge, anti-asthmatic, and antiepileptic agents. Flowers are useful in nausea and ear pain. The water extract is mixed with Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. as a soothing drink with a relaxing effect during the summer season. Leaf paste is applied to treat swellings and boils, possessing antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. The plant is a rich source of (+)-3-demethoxyerythratidinone, (+)-er ythraline, (+)-erythramine, (+)-erythrinine, (+)-erythratidinone, (+)-erysonine, (+)-erysotine, (+)-erysodine, (+)-erysovine, (+)-11-hydroxy-epi-erythratidine, (+)-erythratidine, (+)-epierythratidine, (+)-erysodienone, (+)-erysotrine, (+)-erysopitine, (+)-11-β-hydroxyerysotrine[(+)-erythrartine], scoulerine, (+)coreximine, l-reticuline, erybidine, abyssinone V, erycricstagallin, and 4-hydroxy-6, 3, 5-triprenylisoflavonone. Erythrina plants have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. This chapter discusses ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemicals, pharmacological effects, and culture conditions of Erythrina plants.
