 Gen info
Similar is a genus of about 300 to 500 species, found in temperate, tropics and subtropic zones worldwide.
Botany
Banag is a climbing woody vine reaching a height of several meters with stems armed with few to many stout spines. Leaves are elliptic to oblong-ovate, 8 to 13 centimeters long, the base broadly rounded or slightly cordate, and the apex shortly and abruptly acuminate. Umbels are many flowered, about 2 centimeters in diameter. Flowers are fragrant, greenish-yellow, and about 5 millimeters long. Berries are globose, 5 to 8 millimeters in diameter, black when mature.
Distribution
- In thickets and secondary forests at low and medium altitudes in Benguet, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Rizal, Bataan, Laguna and Quezon Provinces in Luzon.
Constituents
- Methanolic extract from rhizomes yielded six new phenolic compounds: (2S,3S)-5-O-β-d-glucopyranosyloxy-6-methyl-3‘-methoxy-3,7,3‘-trihydroxyflavan, (2S,3S)-5-O-β-d-glucopyranosyloxy-6-methyl-4‘-methoxy-3,7,4‘-trihydroxyflavan, 3β-(3‘,5‘-dihydroxyphenyl) 2α-(4‘‘-hydroxyphenyl)dihydrobenzofuran-5-carbaldehyde, (1-p-O-coumaroyl-6-O-feruroyl)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-α-d-glucopyranoside, (1-p-O-coumaroyl-3,6-di-O-feruroyl)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-α-d-glucopyranoside, and (6-O-feruroyl)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(6-O-acetyl)-α-d-glucopyranoside.
- Rhizomes yielded five compounds: 5,7-dihydroxy-chromone-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, resveratrol, astilbin, neoisoastilbin,catechin, respectively.
Properties
Depurative, emmenagogue.
Parts used
Rhizomes, roots.
Uses
Folkloric
- In the Visayas, decoction of fresh or dry rhizomes used as emmenagogue.
- Decoction of rhizomes and roots used as depurative.
- Rhizomes used for rheumatism.
- Decoction of roots or bark used by the Higanon tribe in Mindanao to relieve and prevent muscle pains or over fatigue in women after childbirth.
Studies
• Phenolic Compounds: Study of methanol extract of Smilax bracteana rhizomes yielded six new phenolic compounds with five other known compounds.
• Antioxidant / Radical Scavenging Activity: Ethanolic extract yielded six phenylpropanoid glycosides - smilasides G-L along with four known phenylpropanoid compounds and 14 known phenolic compounds. Compounds 1-6 exhibited moderate scavenging activities against DPPH radicals.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
