Gen info
- Rutaceae is a large plant family of about 160 genera and 2070 species.
- The genus Glycosmis consists of about 50 species of shrubs and trees.
- Glycosmis parviflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae.
- The genus name Glycosmis originates from the sweet smell of the flowers and sweet taste of the fleshy pericarp of fruits.

Botany
• Shrubs or trees, 1–3 m tall. Leaves (1 or)2–4(or 5)- foliolate; petiolules 1–5 mm; leaflet blades elliptic, oblong, or lanceolate, 5–19 × 2.5–8 cm, glabrous, base cuneate, margin entire, apex mucronate, acuminate, or obtuse. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, paniculate, 3–5 cm when axillary, to 14 cm when terminal. Sepals ovate, ca. 1 mm wide, apex obtuse. Petals white, ca. 4 mm, oblong. Stamens (8 or)10. Ovary broadly ovoid to globose; style extremely short; stigma slightly expanded. Fruit pale yellowish white but turning reddish to dark vermilion, globose to ellipsoid, 1–1.5 cm in diam., 1 to 3 seeds per fruit. (Flora of China)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippine.
- Also native to China, Hainan, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Taiwan, Vietnam. (1)
- A prolific seed producer>
- Invasive potential; once established it can smother native species.
- Cultivated indoors as a houseplant.

Constituents

Properties
- Studies have suggested antioxidant, cytotoxicity, anticancer, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, nematicidal, insecticidal properties.

Parts used
Leaves, aerial parts.

Uses
Edibility
- Fruits are edible, sweet.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In traditional Vietnamese medicine, used for treatment of colds, cough, indigestion.
- The Tay ethnic group use a decoction of leaves for treatment of rheumatism and bone pain; also prepared as sauna for treatment of edema. An oral herbal mix with Sauropus andrigynus, Streblus asper, Melastoma sanguineum and Chrysopogon aciculatus used for treatment of white discharge in women. (5)
- In Taiwan, used for skin itching.
- Flowers are rubbed on the skin to treat dermatitis, itching, and boils. Leaf sap used orally for fever, liver problems, and as anthelmintic. Root decoction taken to treat facial inflammation. Stems used as medicinal chew sticks. (7)
Others
- Used as hedge plant.

Studies
• Antioxidant / Aerial Parts: Study evaluated methanolic crude extract and partition extracts for antioxidant potential, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. Antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate extract showed strongest activity using DPPH assay with IC50 36.37 µg/mL. Ethyl acetate extract showed highest TPC (147.47 mg GAE/g extract) and n-hexane extract showed highest TFC (132.71 QE/g extract). (3)
• Nematicidal / Insecticidal / Essential Oil / Aerial Parts: GC-MS study of aerial parts yielded a total of 37 components comprising 98.7% of essential oil. Major components were (Z)- caryophyllene (20.6 %), methyl isoeugenol (11.1 %), (Z)-β-ocimene (8.9 %), α-cubebene (6.4 %), nerolidol (5.4 %), aromandendrene (4.9 %) and γ-pyronene (4.7 %). The EO possessed strong nematicidal activity against M. incognita with LC50 of 92.84 µg/mL. The EO also exhibited strong contact toxicity against S. zeamais and T. castaneum adults with LD50 of 41.7 and 22.6 µg/mL, respectively. (4)
• Cytotoxicity Against Human Cancer Cells / Aerial Parts: Study of aerial parts yielded three triterpenes, a sesquiterpenem and a flavonoid C-glycoside. Spathulenol exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against LU-1, MDA-MB-231, MKN7, HepG2, and HeLa human cancer cells with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranging from 31.88 to 42.33 µg/mL. Results suggest potential for development of novel anticancer agents. (see constituents above) (6)
• Natural Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors / Stems: Study evaluated extracts and fractions of Glycosmis parviflora stems for inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of cholinergic neurotransmitter acetycholine. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited strongest AChE inhibitory activity. Bioassay-guided study isolated eleven compounds, including a novel alkaloids, eight known alkaloids, one flavonoid, and one saponin steroid. Assessed from AChE inhibitory activity, O-methylglycosolone (6), 3-dimethoxy-10-methyl-9-acridone (1), skimmianine (4), and arborine (2) showed inhibitory effects. Compound 2 (O-methylglycosolone) was the most potent, with IC50 of 39.18 µM. Results suggest potential as natural medicines for Alzheimer's disease. (8)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Ornamental cultivation.

OTHER IMAGE SOURCE: Glycosmis parviflora - Ripening fruits / Ray cul / Creative Commons 2 Share Adapt / image modified / click on image or link to go to source page / Useful Tropical Plants

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Glycoosmis parviflora / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
(3)
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS FROM THE AERIAL PARTS OF GLYCOSMIS PARVIFLORA (SIMS) LITTLE / N Phu, Nguyen Khanh Thuy Linh, Tonghao Du / Corpus ID: 244397204
(4)
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Essential Oil of Aerial Parts of Glycosmis parviflora(Sims) Little (Rutaceae) / Liu, Zhi Long; Yang, Kai; Bai, Peng Hua; Zhou, Ligang; Liu, Shao Liang & Liu, Qi Zhi / Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2014; 13(2): pp 275-280 / eISSN: 1596-5996
(5)
Medicinal Plants Used by the Tay Ethnic Group, Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam / Le Thi Thanh Huong, Nguyen Phu Hung, Hosakatte Niranjana Murthy, Do Van Hai, Nguyen Trung Thanh / Herbs and Spices, Edited by Eva Ivanisova
(6)
In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of Constituents of the Aerial Parts of Glycosmis parviflora / Phu Q D Nguyen, Hoai T Nguyen, Linh T K Nguyen, Hung Q Vo, Anh T Le, Thao T Do, Duc V Ho / Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research, 2020; 4(10): pp 703-707 / DOI: 10.26538/tjnpr/v4i10.8
(7)
Glycosmis parviflora (flower axistree) / J Rojas-Sandoval / CABI Compendium
(8)
Natural Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors from Glycosmis parviflora stems / Thi Truch-Ly Duong, Tran Quoc-Dung Huynh, Ta-Wei Liu. Yun-Han Wang, Ching-Kuo Lee /  Planta Med, 2023; 89(14): 1336 /
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1773991

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)