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Family Centroplacaceae
Kuela
Bhesa paniculata Arn.
MALAYAN SPINDLE TREE

Scientific names Common names
Bhesa paniculata Arn.            Kuela (P. Bis.)
Kurrimia paniculata (Arn.) Wall. ex M.A.Lawson          Malayan spindle tree (Engl.)
Pyrospermum calophyllum Miq.             
Bhesa paniculata Arn. is an accepted species. KEW: Plants of the World Online

Other vernacular names
BRUNEI: Serunai.
INDONESIA:  Merlanntaan rawang, Pimpuh, Rawang, Gongggang.
MALAYSIA: Biku-biku, Serunai, Simum.
THAILAND: Tum phra, Yang kriang.

Gen info
- Bhesa is a small genus of eight species of wood plants in the family Centroplacaceae. It was formerly classified in Celastraceae until molecular phylogenetc study moved it to the family Centroplacaceae.
- Bhesa paniculata is a species of plant in the Centroplacaceae family. It is sometimes considered a synonym of Bhesa indica. (4)

Botany
Bhesa paniculata is a medium-sized tree up to 35 m tall, with a dark green, heavy crown. Leaves are spirally arranged with long stalks that are swollen at both ends. Leaf blades are thinly leathery, oval to oblong, pointing downwards, and 5.5–39 by 2–15 cm, with finely crowded, parallel veinlets between the secondary veins. Flowers are faintly fragrant, yellowish-cream or dark purplish-red, and 5 mm wide, arranged in panicles up to 38 cm long at the end of leafy twigs. Fruits are heart-shaped, gradually ripening from yellow to rose-red. (3)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Also native to Borneo, India, Malaya, Myanmar, Sumatera, Thailand. (2)

- Grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.
- In undisturbed forests up to 2000 m altitude.

Constituents
- Study of methanol extract of bark isolated three new quinovic acid glycosides, names gonggonsides A, B, and C (1-3), along with quinovic acid (4), 3-oxoquinovic acid (5), quinovic acid 3-O-ß-D-quinoranoside (6) and 28-O-ß-D-glucopyranosylquinovic acid 3-O-ß-D-quinovopyranoside (7). (5)
- Study of wood of Bhesa paniculata isolated a novel derivative of sucrose, ß(3,6-di-O-feruloyl)-fructofuranosyi-α-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl)-glucopyranoside, along with known compounds glycerol 1-9',12'-octadecadienoate, ß-sitosterol, ( + )-pinoresinol, methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid, anofinic acid and 2-(l'-methylethenyl)-benzofuran-5-carboxylic acid. (6)
- Study of bark isolated four new triterpene-glycosides, named gongganosides D (4), E (5), F (6), and G (7), and two new secoiridoid-glucosides, (7R)-7-caffeoyloxysweroside (8) and (7S)7-caffeoyloxysweroside (9). (8)
- Study of bark isolated two new alkaloids: bhesine (1) and dehydrobhesine (2). (9)

Uses
Edibility
- Fruits are edible.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In Indonesia, used for treatment of vomiting and diarrhea. (5)

Studies
Gongganosides A-C / Quinovic Acid Glycosides / Bark:
Study of methanol extract of bark isolated three new quinovic acid glycosides, names gonggonsides A, B, and C (1-3). (see constituents above)   (5)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

August 2023

                                                 PHOTOS / ILLUSTRATIONS
OTHER IMAGE SOURCE: Celastraceae : Bhesia paniculata / Fruiting twig / Copyright © 2011 by Leonardo L Co [ref. DOL35305] / Non-Commercial Use / image modified / click on link or image to go to source page / Phytoimages.siu.edu

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Bhesa paniculata / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Bhesa paniculata (PROSEA) / Pl@ntUse
(3)

Bhesa paniculata / National Parks: FLORA& FAUNA WEB
(4)
Bhesa paniculata / Wikipedia
(5)
Indonesian Medicinal Plants. IX. Chemical Structures of Gongganosides A, B, and C, Three New Quinovic Acid Glycosides from the Bark of Bhesa paniculata (Celastraceae) / Kazuyoshi Ohashi, Hiromi Kojima, Tatsuya Tanikawa, Isao Kitagawa et al / Chem. Pharm. Bull., 1994; 42(8): pp 1596-1600
(6)
A FERULIC ACID ESTER OF SUCROSE AND OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF BHESA PANICULATA  / Leslie J Harrison, Guat-Lee Sia, Keng-Yeow Sim, Hugh T W Tan, Joseph Connolly, Catherine Lavaud, Georges Massiot / Phytochemistry, 1995; 38(6): pp 1497-1500 / 0031-9422(94)00314-9
(7)
Bhesa / Wikipedia
(8)
Indonesian Medicinal Plants. X. Chemical Structures of Four New Triterpene-Glycosides, Gongganosides D, E, F, and G, and Two Secoiridoid-Glucosides from the Bark of Bhesa paniculata (Celastraceae) / Kazuyoshi Ohashi, Tatsuys Tanikawa, Hirotaka Shibuya, Isao Kitagawa et al / Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 1994 / DOI: 10.1248/cpb.42.1791
(9)
Dihydroquinoline-type Alkaloids from Bhesa Paniculata, Celastraceae
/ A Balayer, T Sévenet, H Schaller, A Hamid, A Hadi, A Chiaroni, C Riche et al / Natural Product Letters, 1993; 2(1) /
DOI: 10.1080/10575639308043456


 

 




 

 



 


(2)
Passiflora names / /Maintained by: Michel H. Porcher / MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE / Copyright © 1995 - 2020 / A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The Univers ity of Melbourne. Australia.

(2)
Sorting Eragrostis names / /Maintained by: Michel H. Porcher / MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE / Copyright © 1995 - 2020 / A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The University of Melbourne. Australia.

α(5)

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)

PHOTOS / ILLUSTRATIONS
                                                            List of Understudied Philippine Medicinal Plants
α(5)

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