Albizzia julibrissin is a plant which comes from China and Asian regions and belongs to the Fabaceae family, in China it is commonly known as mimosa or silk tree. The name comes from an Italian from the Albizzi family who in 1700 imported the plant in Europe.

Also known as the "Silk Tree" or "Mimosa", Albizia julibrissin is an ornamental plant native to Asia, particularly Iran, China, and Korea. This deciduous tree is famous for its spectacular pink inflorescences and umbrella-like canopy.

Characteristics.

Height: It can reach heights of 5-12 meters.

Leaves: It has bipinnate, green, delicate leaves that close during the night or when it rains.

Flowers: Its flowers, blooming in summer, are feathery, pink, with stamens that give a silky appearance.

Fruits: It produces flat, long, brown legumes.

Uses.

Albizia julibrissin is often planted as an ornamental tree in gardens and along roadsides for its aesthetic beauty. In traditional Chinese medicine, it's used as a healing herb for various ailments.

Growth and Care.

It prefers well-drained soils and sunny positions. It is drought-resistant once established and has a relatively fast growth rate.

While loved for its beauty, in parts of the USA, it's considered an invasive species because it can spread easily and compete with native plants.

Its dried bark has been used for centuries in He Huan traditional Chinese medicine to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia. 

Medical

Recently, it has been credited as an anti-inflammatory and sedative drug to treat swelling and pain in the lungs, wounds, and for the removal of carbuncles. It has also demonstrated marked inhibitory activity against some cancer cell lines in vitro (1).

The saponin fraction contained in Albizzia julibrissin could enhance humoral and cellular antigen-specific immune responses and simultaneously trigger a Th1/Th2 response to avian influenza IH9V. Therefore, it could be a safe and effective adjuvant candidate for H9N2 avian influenza vaccine (2).

The purpose of this study was to characterize the putative anxiolytic effects of the aqueous extract of Albizzia julibrissin bark using the elevated plus maze in rats, and results suggest that Albizzia julibrissin might prove to be an effective anxiolytic agent and that it acts through the serotonergic nervous system (3).

In the composition of Albizzia julibrissin bark, saponins, natural glycosides, possess a wide range of pharmacological properties including cytotoxic activity. In this review, recent studies (2005-2009) regarding the cytotoxic activity of saponins were summarized. Correlations between the structure and cytotoxicity of steroid and triterpenoid saponins and the most common mechanisms of action were described (4).

Albizzia julibrissin studies

References____________________________________________________________________

(1) Won HJ, Han CH, Kim YH, Kwon HJ, Kim BW, Choi JS, Kim KH. Induction of apoptosis in human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells by Albizzia julibrissin extract is mediated via mitochondria-dependent caspase-3 activation. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Jul 19;106(3):383-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.01.027.

(2) Sun H, Fei L, Zhu B, Shi M. Quick and improved immune responses to inactivated H9N2 avian influenza vaccine by purified active fraction of Albizia julibrissin saponins. BMC Vet Res. 2020 Nov 7;16(1):427. doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02648-1. 

(3) Kim WK, Jung JW, Ahn NY, Oh HR, Lee BK, Oh JK, Cheong JH, Chun HS, Ryu JH. Anxiolytic-like effects of extracts from Albizzia julibrissin bark in the elevated plus-maze in rats. Life Sci. 2004 Oct 22;75(23):2787-95. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2004.05.024. 

(4) Podolak I, Galanty A, Sobolewska D. Saponins as cytotoxic agents: a review. Phytochem Rev. 2010 Sep;9(3):425-474. doi: 10.1007/s11101-010-9183-z.