Scarlet Wisteria Tree, Red Wisteria, Daun Turi
2015 | No comments »
Sesbania grandiflora Pers. (Leguminosae)
Sesbania grandiflora Pers. is a tree that can grow to 8-10 m in height. The compound leaves are about 30 cm long with 12 to 20 pairs of rounded, narrow, oblong leaflets, 3-4 cm by 1 cm. Flowers are 5-10 cm by 3 cm, in pale pink, red, purple or white. The pods are 25-50 cm, slender, and cylindrical with many light brown to red brown seeds.
Origin
Native to Malesia and cultivated in the tropics.
Phytoconstituents
Grandiflorol, (+)-leucocyanidin, oleanolic acid, lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, zeaxanthin and others.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
In the Philippines, the plant is used for its hypotensive properties. It is used in Indian folk medicine for the treatment of liver disorders. The juice of the leaves and flowers are popularly used for nasal catarrh and headache when taken as snuff. Various leaf preparations are used to treat epileptic fits. Applied externally for treatment of leprous eruptions. A poultice of the leaves is used for bruises. The leaf juice is mixed with honey for congenital bronchitis or cold in babies.
Pharmacological Activities
Antibacterial, Anticonvulsant, Anti-inflammatory, Anxiolytic, Depressant, Diuretic, Hepatoprotective, Hypoglycaemic, Read more [...]
Honduras Mahogany, Broad-leaved Mahogany
2015 | No comments »
Swietenia macrophylla King (Meliaceae)
Swietenia macrophylla King is an evergreen tree, up to 30-35 m tall. Bark is grey and smooth when young, turning dark brown, ridged and flaky when old. Leaves are up to 35-50 cm long, alternate, glabrous with 4-6 pairs of leaflets. Each leaflet is 9-18 cm long. Flowers are small and white; and the fruit is dehiscent, usually 5-lobed capsule, erect, 12-15 cm long, grayish brown, smooth or minutely verrucose. The seed is woody, glossy and possesses wing-like structure at the base that aids its dispersion by wind.
Origin
Native to South America, cultivated in the Asia-Pacific and the Pacific for its quality wood.
Phytoconstituents
Swietenine, swietenolide, andirobin, khayasin T, swietemahonins E-G, swietenine acetate, swietenolide tiglate and others.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
The seeds of Swietenia macrophylla are traditionally used in several indigenous systems of medicine for the treatment of various ailments such as hypertension, diabetes and malaria. The local folks of Malaysia believe that the seeds are capable of "curing" hypertension and diabetes. The seeds are usually consumed raw by chewing. A decoction of seeds of Swietenia macrophylla is reported to treat malaria Read more [...]
Yellow Oleander, Trumpet Flower
2015 | No comments »
Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum. (Apocynaceae)
Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum. is a shrub, up to 6 m tall. All parts contain highly poisonous milky latex. Leaves are simple, few, exstipulate and spirally arranged. Blade is linear, 7-13 cm by 0.5-1 cm and glossy. Flowers are large, yellow, 5 cm across, gathered in few flowered terminal cymes. Fruits are green, shiny, globose, 4-5.5 cm across with 4 or less poisonous seeds.
Origin
Native to Central and South America.
Phytoconstituents
Thevetins A and B, thevetosides, acetylperuvoside, epipemviol, perusitin, theveneriin, thevebioside, thevefolin, pervianoside I-III and others.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
Used as an abortifacient, to treat congestive heart failure, malaria, leprosy, indigestion, ringworm, venereal disease and even as a suicide instrument. Used in India as an astringent to the bowel, useful in urethral discharge, worms, skin diseases, wounds, piles, eye problems and itch. Used in continental Europe and is considered particularly useful in mild myocardial insufficiency and digitalis intolerance. Its bark is used as an emetic, febrifuge, insecticidal, poison and for reviving patients with heart failure.
Pharmacological Activities
Antiarrhythmic, Read more [...]
Akar Putarwali, Batang Wali
2015 | No comments »
Tinospora crispa (L.) Diels (Menispermaceae)
Tinospora crispa (L.) Diels is a woody climber with numerous protrusions on the stem. Leaves are oblong-ovate, cordate, 8-9 cm by 7-8 cm and tapering to a pointed end. Flowers are small, with 6 petals, 2 mm in length and 8-27 cm racemes. Male flowers have yellow sepals whereas female flowers have green sepals. Drupelets are red, juicy and 7-8 mm long.
Origin
Native to Malesia, Indochina, Indian subcontinent and China.
Phytoconstituents
Boropetol B, borapetoside B, C & F, jatrorhizine, magnoflorine, palmatine, protoberberine, tembolarine, diosmetin, cycloeucalenol, cycloeucalenone and others.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
It is used for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, to treat malaria, remedy for diarrhoea and as vermifuge. In Malaysia, T. crispa extract is taken orally by Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients to treat hyperglycaemia.
Pharmacological Activities
Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antimalarial, Antiprotozoal and Hypoglycaemic.
Dosage
No information as yet.
Adverse Reactions
The plant may result in an increased risk of hepatic dysfunction due to marked elevation of liver enzymes but is reversible upon discontinuation of T. crispa.
Toxicity
No Read more [...]
Round Leaf Chastetree, Beach Vitex
2015 | No comments »
Vitex rotundifolia L. f. (Verbenaceae)
Vitex rotundifolia L. f. is an evergreen woody tree, densely covered with short hairs. Leaves are opposite, simple, ovate, broadly oblong-elliptic, 2-5 cm long by 1.5-3 cm wide, rounded or abruptly acute at the base. Inflorescence panicles are at the terminal, densely flowered, 4-7 cm long with purple corolla. Fruits are globose, 5-7 mm.
Origin
Native to Temperate and Tropical Asia, Australasia and Pacific.
Phytoconstituents
Rotundifuran, prerotundifuran, vitexilactone, previtexilactone, vitexicarpin, vitricine, vitetrifolins D-G, vitexifolins A-E, isoambreinolide and others.
Traditional Medicinal Uses
In Malaysia, various parts of the plants are considered panacea for illnesses ranging from headache to tuberculosis. In China, the plant has been used for the treatment of cancer. A poultice of the leaves is used to treat rheumatism, contusions, swollen testicles and as a discutient in sprains. In Indonesia, leaves have been used in medicinal baths, as a tincture or for intestinal complaints. In Papua New Guinea, sap from crushed heated leaves is diluted with water and drunk to relieve headaches. The fruits are used to expel worms and in Vietnam, a decoction of dried fruits Read more [...]
Primary Dysmenorrhoea
2015 | Comments Off
Primary dysmenorrhoea is caused by uterine contractions which are too strong and occur too frequently. Between the contractions, the uterine muscle does not relax properly, and there is an abnormally high 'resting tone'. The overall effect is a reduction in the amount of blood flowing through the uterine muscle (ischaemia) which causes the pain known as primary dysmenorrhoea.
The most usual cause of primary dysmenorrhoea is an imbalance in the prostaglandins levels. Prostaglandins are complex hormone-like substances found in most body tissues. There are many different types of prostaglandins which control bodily functions by working together as an integrated team. When the different types of prostaglandins are present in normal ratios, menstruation proceeds normally. An imbalance in the ratios in favour of the type of prostaglandins which increase muscle spasm will cause period pain. Their role in menstruation is complex and is discussed in 'Prostaglandins'.
The uterine tonics
The uterine tonics, Aletris farinosa, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Angelica sinensis and Rubus idaeus, are used to treat pain because they are believed to regulate the muscular activity of the uterus and help initiate contractions which are Read more [...]
Thapsia garganica L.
2015 | Comments Off
Thapsia garganica L., Apiaceae (), called Derias by the Arabs, is an ancient medicinal plant that contains thapsigargins as the active constituents. Thapsigargins are highly oxygenated sesquiterpene lactones with three or four ester groups, a specific stereochemistry, with a ds-annulated lactone ring and possessing unique biological activities. The first known thapsigargin was trilobolid III isolated from Laser trilobum (L.) Borkh. (). However, the biological activities were not recognized until the isolation of thapsigargin I and thapsigargicin II from T garganica (), a perennial herb growing on stony, sandy fields, and along roadsides in the Mediterranean area. The resin from roots of T garganica has been known since ancient times to cause a vigorous contact dermatitis and has been used in folk medicine until recently, especially by the Arabs of northern Africa. Radix Thapsiae and Resina Thapsiae have been recorded in several pharmacopoeias, most recently in the 1937 edition of the French Pharmacopoeia. The resin has been reported to be used against pulmonary diseases, catarrhs, and in the form of a medicinal plaster in the treatment of rheumatic pains ().
Since the isolation of thapsigargins from T garganica, Read more [...]