Galbulimima belgraveana (Pharmaceutical interest and uses)

Galbulimima belgraveana (F. Muell.) Sprague

Synonymy: 

Himantandrabelgraveana (F. Muell.) F. Muell.

Common name: 

Pigeon berry ash, agara, white Magnolia.

Physical description: 

It is a tree which grows to a height of 35m and which has a girth of 60 cm. The plant is common in the mountain rainforests of Papua New Guinea, Australia and Indonesia. The buttresses can reach up to 3m, with a width of 1m and a thickness of 5 cm–20 cm. The bark is greenish brown, bitter, and has a resinous smell. The inner bark is cream-colored and rapidly turns red-brown when exposed to light. The wood is white or pale yellow and very soft. The sap-wood and heart-wood are white to a pale straw color. The stems, underside of leaves, petioles, inflorescences and fruits are densely to sparsely covered with copper-colored peltate scales. Leaves: the leaves are simple, alternate and estipulate. The petiole is 1.3 cm–1.5 cm long, channeled and glabrous. The blade is elliptic, oblong, hard, 14 cm×5.7 cm, glossy green above and silvery brown below. The midrib is sunken above and prominent below. The margin of the blade is recurved. The blade shows 13–15 pairs of indistinct secondary nerves.The flowers are bisexual, large, and have a strong unpleasant odour. The perianth is white, cream or brown. The fruits are pink or red drupes which are 1.5 cm–3 cm in diameter. The fruit pedicel is 2.5 cm long (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Galbulimima belgraveana (F. Muell.) Sprague. From: KLU Herbarium 33852, Flora of Sulawesi (Celebes). Ex Herb. Leiden Indonesian. Dutch Expedition 1979. Field collector & botanical identification:V Balgooy, 11.7. Geographical localization: South Sulawesi 2◦15–3◦3 South — 121◦ 121◦45 East, behind Inco driving, altitude: 500 m. Center near Nickel Plant, disturbed forest on ultrabasic soil.

(+) - Himbacine                Acetylcholine

Pharmaceutical interest: 

The medicinal properties of Galbulimima belgraveana (F. Muell.) Sprague are attributed to piperidine alkaloids, such as (+)-himbacine, which are structurally shaped like acetylcholine and are therefore muscarinic receptor antagonist/ agonist (Zholos AV et al., 1997). These anticholinergic alkaloids have become the focus of attention as a potential source of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s diseases, cardiac bradycardia and glaucoma.

Uses: 

In Papua New Guinea, a decoction of bark of Galbulimima belgraveana (F. Muell.) Sprague is drunk to invigorate health before war, and to give hallucination and premonition.

Reference

Zholos AV, et al. (1997) Br J Pharmacol 122(5): 855–893.

Caution:

This plant is toxic.