Цеструм нічний

Lady of the Night, Cestrum nocturnum, is a species of plant in the potato family Solanaceae. Despite its common name, it is not a true jasmine and does not belong to the genus Jasminum. It is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America and is naturalized in South Asia.

Origin and Botany

It is an evergreen woody shrub with slender branches growing to 4 m tall. The leaves are simple, narrow lanceolate, 6-20 cm long and 2-4.5 cm broad, smooth and glossy. The flowers are fragrant and yellow or greenish-white, with a corolla tube 20-30 mm long. The fruit is a whitish globose berry, and the seeds are ovoid and black. The Latin epithet nocturnum means 'at night' and refers to the plant's habit of blooming at night. It can be found flowering and fruiting throughout the year. The genus Cestrum holds some 150 to 250 species, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas.

Cultivation and Spread

It is grown in subtropical regions as an ornamental plant for its flowers that are heavily perfumed at night. It was introduced in South-East Asia as an ornamental for its sweet-scented flowers, which bloom at night. In South-East Asia it is cultivated and locally naturalized from sea level up to 1600 m altitude, and it propagates easily from semi-hardwood cuttings. It has become widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, and it is classed as a weed in some countries.

Chemistry

The oil distilled from the flowers contains phenylethyl alcohol (27%), benzyl alcohol (12%), eicosane (5.6%) and eugenol (5.6%). Forty-seven compounds, representing 93.28% of the total oil, were identified in the essential oil by GC-MS. A total of 22 well-matched compounds were detected in the volatiles from the petals, including 12 species of phenylpropanoids. Benzaldehyde, phenyl acetaldehyde and benzyl acetate were identified as the main floral scent substances involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. When the phenylpropanoid peak area was at its maximum at 24:00, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde and phenylmethyl acetate were the dominant components, at 32.40%, 26.91% and 23.07% respectively. The flower alcohol extract contains cytotoxic steroids.

Uses and Toxicity

In Central America and the Caribbean a leaf decoction is used as a lotion on skin eruptions. In former times a fruit extract was taken orally as a sedative in cases of epilepsy, chorea and hysteria. The essential oil and organic extracts showed antibacterial activity against several food-borne bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. All parts of the plant are rich in saponins, yielding some 4-5%. All members of the family Solanaceae contain an alkaloid toxin called solanine. The most commonly reported problems associated with C. nocturnum are respiratory problems from the scent, and feverish symptoms following ingestion.

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