 Botany
Amarillo is an erect, smooth, branched, rank-smelling herb, o.3 to 0.8 meters high. Leaves are 4 to 7 cm long, deeply pinnatifid with linear-lanceolate segments. Heads are solitary, 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter, borne on long peduncles, which are thickened upward. Flowers are pale to deep yellow, sometimes red. Species is similar to ahito (Tagetes erecta) except that it is smaller, with finer leaves and smaller heads.
Distribution
Cultivated for ornamental purposes in the Philippines.
Thoroughly naturalized in Lepanto and the Benguet Subprovinces, along gravel banks and streams, at altitudes of 1,200 to 1,500 meters.
Parts utilized
Flower.
Constituents
Flowers yield a yellow crystalline substance, quercetagetine. The dye was found several shades browner than quercetin.
Flowers contain volatile oil, 0.57%.
Fruit contains phytomelan, 3.2%.
Study of roots, leaves and flowers yielded thiophenes, steroidal and terpenoidal type constituents.
Properties
Flowers considered carminative.
Considered aromatic, digestive, diuretic and sedative.
Uses
Edibility
- Flowers used in refreshing drinks.
- Leaves and essential oil used as food flavoring.
Folkloric
- Decoction of flowers used to relieve flatulence.
- Used for treatment of indigestion, colic, severe constipation, coughs, dysentery.
- Externally, used for sore eyes and rheumatism.
Others
- Dried flowers used as adulterant of saffron, used for coloring foods yellow. Also used for coloring textiles.
- Secretion from roots have an insecticidal effect on the soil, against nematodes and keeled slugs.
- Repels insects (whiteflies).
Studies
• Larvicidal: Study of T patula essential oil on fourth instar larvae of mosquito species showed greatest activity against A aegypti, followed by An. stephansi and C quinquefasciatus. Results were compared to synthetic insecticide, malathion.
• Antibacterial / Patuletin: Study showed the methanol extract of the flower to possess antimicrobial activity against a number of bacteria. Study isolated a flavonoid patuletin as the active antibacterial principle.
• Hypotensive / Hypertensive Effects: Study of methanolic extract of roots of Tagetes patula isolated well known citric and malic acid as hypotensive, and pyridine hydrochloride as a hypertensive constituent.
Availability
Ornamental cultivation.
Wild-crafted.
Extracts and other products in the cybermarket. |
