LIONS EAR Seeds | Leonotis nepetifolia

Leonotis nepetifolia is an annual or short-lived perennial plant growing from 1m-3m tall. The stem is branched at the upper nodes only and the plant has an easily uprooted taproot about 10cm long. The plant is often gathered from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is cultivated as a medicinal plant in India, Malaysia, on the Antilles Islands, in Brazil and Africa. It is commonly grown as an ornamental.

This South African plant bears orange blossoms and is purported to be active. In Africa, it is known by the name Klipp Dagga.

The Hottentots and Bushmen smoked the buds and leaves.  The resinous leaves and the resin rubbed off or extracted from them are smoked either alone or mixed with Mapacho (Nicotiana rustica).

The rather bitter-tasting smoke of the dried flowers have a mild active effect. The leaves and flowers of this species have yielded bound oils, bitter principles, diterpenes, coumarins and resins. 

In Mexico, this plant is known as flor de mundo, "world flower," or mota. The

name mota is normally used to refer to Mary Jane and this may indicate that the plant was used as a substitute.

The extract of this plant has antispasmodic effects and appears to inhibit acetylcholine and histamine. In Rwanda, the leaves of this plant are used to treat pneumonia, anthrax and syphilis.

The plant is used against swellings, fever, gastrointestinal troubles and as an abortifacient. A decoction of the whole plant is employed to clean out the uterus, treat diarrhoea and heavy cramps. Used as a diuretic and as a tonic to strengthen the back. It is used in a decoction with Heliotropium indicum to treat bed-wetting.

The whole plant is boiled with Hyptis pectinata, Mikania micrantha and Momordica charantia and used as a wash for piles. The leaves and flowers are cholagogue. An infusion is used as an antidysenteric and decocted with salt or sugar in a preparation to dissolve renal calculi. The leaf juice is used in the treatment of thrush. Cooked in an infusion which is drunk to treat itches and skin diseases. An ethanolic extract of the plant showed anti tumor and antimicrobial activity. The roots are considered to be the botanical sources of Granthiparna, an Ayurvedic herb.

The nectar is sucked or licked from the base of the flowers. It tastes sweet like honey and is usually eaten in small amounts.

Leonotis nepetifolia contains several labdane diterpenes including Nepetaefolin, Nepetaefuran, Nepetaefolin, Nepetaefolin, Leonotinin, Leonotin and Dubiin as well as bis-spirolabdane diterpenes like Leonepetaefolin A-E. Methanol based extracts of Leonotis nepetifolia has shown antidepressant-like effects in mice. Metabolic screening of the extract suggested nepetaefolin, methoxynepataefolin, and 7-O-β-glucoside luteolin are the main products. Nepetaefuran and Leonotinin isolated from Leonotis nepetaefolia plant material demonstrated anti-inflammatory by suppressing NF-κB activation related to pro inflammatory Cytokines.