An ethnobotanical role of Calotropis procera (Aiton) R. Br. rubber bush (apple of Sodom) widely grown in a desert environment – a review
Muhammad Shafiq
University of Karachi
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/ce.v2i1.6748
Keywords: Alkaloids; biodiversity; biodegradability; climate change, diversity; ecology; grazing; invasive species; latex; medicinal plants; natural recovery; phytochemicals; plant community; pollution; revegetation; richness; seeding; species composition
Abstract
Calotropis procera (Aiton) R. Br. is an important flowering desert plant species. C. procera is a broad-leaf, evergreen, soft wooded, perennial shrub of the family Apocynaceae and subfamily Asclepiadaceae (the milk weed family). C. procera is playing a positive economic and ecological role in the harsh climatic conditions of the arid and semi-arid regions. The different parts (leaves, fruits, flowers, bark, stem, whole part) of C. procera have been used traditionally in medicine, agriculture, and industry for since long period of human beings. The germination and growth ability of C. procera attributed to the well adaptation in variant environmental and dry climatic conditions. C. procera utilized successfully differently, such as in traditional medicine, fodder, and fuel purposes, phytoremediation, petro plant (biogas), biofuel, source of hydro carbon and synthesis of nanoparticles. The utilization of C. procera as a source of bioenergy also assisting in the uplift the economy of some poor countries. The traditional used for the treatment of asthma, cough, diarrhea, malaria, cancer, dysentery jaundice, rheumatism, fever, dysentery, diabetes, and many skin disease problems in human beings. The published research article data was searched from different electronic engines, including English databases, Google, Google Scholar, NIH (National Library of Medicine), Conbio (Society for Conservation of Biology), PubMed and Science direct.
The goal of this review was to search and analyze the research articles available covering the period 1981–2024 on the ethnobotanical properties on C. procera. The C. procera is playing a helping role in balancing the desert ecosystem due to its better adaptation potential to such diverse climatic conditions. Many researchers have reported that the change of climatic conditions, scarcity of water, indiscriminate discharge of various types of toxic pollutants, overgrazing, and some natural activities have been the main reasons of decline of this plant species since last couple of decade very rapidly. The present review findings would be helpful for conservation groups, ecologist, nongovernmental organizations, and governmental sectors, researchers, land manager, environmental manager and field management, industrial sectors and pharmaceutical sectors are working on this aspect at regional and international levels.