Frangipani (Plumeria Rubra L.) belongs to the Apocynaceae family, native to Central America, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and also cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries.

It is known by the names Frangipani and Lal Champa. In addition to being an ornamental plant with aromatic five-petalled flowers in intense and vivid red and white or yellow and white, it has been used for decades by traditional medical science. 

The extract appears in the form of a brown-coloured powder.

What it is used for and where

Medicial

Plumeria Rubra has a phytochemical composition that includes flavonoids, phytosterols, alkaloids, coumarins, terpenoids and in particular:  α-allamcidin, α-amyrin, β-allamcidin, β-amyrin acetate, β-sitosterol, 13-O-p-cumaroylplumieride, 15-demethylplumieride, 2,4,6-trimethoxyaniline, 2,5-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone, 3-O-caffeylquinic acid, allamandine, allamcine, arjunolic acid, benzyl salicylate, betulinic acid, citric acid, fulvoplumierin, gaertneroside, isoplumericin, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, liriodendra, lupeol, lupeol acetate, lupeol carboxylic acid maslinic acid, methyl salicylate, naphthalene, narcissin, nerolidol, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, P-(E)-coumaric acid, plumericidine, plumericin, plumerinine, plumerubroside, plumieride, plumieride-E-p-cumarate quercetin 3-O -α-L-arabinopyranoside, quercitrin, quercetin, quinic acid, rubradoid, rubrajaleelol, rubranonoside, rutin, scopoletin, stigmasterol, stigmast-7-enol, sweroside, taraxasteryl acetate and ursolic acid (1).

In traditional medical practice, the decoction made from the bark was used for the treatment of asthma, diarrhoea and emesis. 

Plumeria rubra extract from the bark has antipyretic (2), vasorelaxant, anticoagulant and antioxidant (3) activities.

Cosmetics

The phytochemical composition of Plumeria Rubra flower/leaf/stem water contains saponins, glycoside compounds that have amphiphilic properties and can reduce surface tension. Saponins function as surfactants with emulsifying and foam-stabilising properties.

For more in-depth information:

Plumeria rubra studies

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Bihani T. Plumeria rubra L.- A review on its ethnopharmacological, morphological, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Jan 10;264:113291. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113291. 

(2) Khan I.A., Aziz A., Raza M.A., Saleem M., Bashir S., Alvi A. Study pertaining to the hypothermic activity of Plumeria rubra, Linn. in prostaglandin 1 and typhoid vaccine-induced pyrexia models in rabbits. West Indian Med. J. 2015;12:1. doi: 10.7727/wimj.2015.172. 

(3) Khan IA, Hussain M, Syed SK, Saadullah M, Alqahtani AM, Alqahtani T, Aldahish AA, Asiri S, Zeng LH. Pharmacological Justification for the Medicinal Use of Plumeria rubra Linn. in Cardiovascular Disorders. Molecules. 2021 Dec 31;27(1):251. doi: 10.3390/molecules27010251.