Botany
Bikas is a smooth vine. Leaves are long-petioled, deltoid-ovoid or ovate heart-shaped, 4 to 10 centimeters long, with pointed tip, rounded, heart-shaped, or truncate base, and toothed margins. Heads are 4-flowered, cylindric, 6 to 9 millimeters long, borne in compound inflorescences. Achenes are smooth, glandular, linear-oblong, and 2.5 to 3 millimeters long. Pappus is composed of one series, whitish or salmon colored.

Distribution
- In thickets at low and medium altitudes, ascending to 1,600 meters, in most islands and provinces, from northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao.
- Probably a native of tropical America.
- Now pantropic in distribution.

Constituents
- Yields stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, sesquiterpene dilactones, mikanolide, dihydromikanolide, scandenolide.
- Phytochemical screening yielded flavonoids, steroids, alklaloid, tannin, gum and saponin.

Properties
Root considered anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and adaptogenic.

Parts used
Leaves, leaf juice.

Uses
Edibility
- In some places, leaves used as soup vegetable.
Folkloric
- In southern Nigeria, decoction used for coughs; leaf juice used as remedy for sore eyes.
- In East Africa, the Tongas used the plant as remedy for snake and scorpion bites.
- Infusion of plant given for affections of the stomach and intestines.
- Leaves used by the Malays by rubbing it onto the body for itches.
- In Java, leaves used for poulticing circumcision wounds and other wounds.
- In India, leaves used for itchiness and as wound plaster.
- In Bangladesh, decoction used for treatment of gastric ulcer.
- In southern Africa, leaves applied to wounds.
Others
- Used as cover crop to prevent erosion.
- Used as cattle fodder.

Studies
• Anticarcinogenic Biological Response: Study showed the intracellular contents of active intermediates of various xenobiotics including chemical carcinogens would be reduced by specific enhancement of drug-detoxifying enzymes in the liver of rats treated with the plant extract.
• Essential Oil / Leaves: Essential oil of the leaves of Mikania cordata yielded four majors constituents: a-pinene (20%), germacrene D (19.8%),beta-pinene (8.7%) and alpha-thujene (7.1%).
• Anti-Inflammatory: Study of the methanolic fraction of M. cordata root extract showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in exudative, proliferative and chronic phases of inflammation and also showed an antipyretic activity.
• CNS Changes: Study showed root extract induces profound behavioral changes, especially the disappearance of aggressive behavior. It also showed strong narcotic effects and analgesic effects.
• Anti-Stress Activity: Study on stress-induced alterations in central neurotransmitters showed pretreatment with M cordata root extract prevented decreases in adrenaline and noradrenaline and increases in 5-HT, while dopamine was further increases. Dose-depended biochemical responses may be the possible mechanism of the anti-stress activity of this plant extract.
• Analgesic / Antioxidant: Study of a hydromethanol extract of the leaves of Mikania scandens showed strong analgesic and antioxidant effects.
• Anti-Ulcer: Study of alkaloidal fraction from M. cordata on diclofenac-induced gastric ulcer showed the bioactive principles of M. cordata have anti-ulcerogenic effects. Results validate the use of the plant in Bangladesh for treatment of gastric ulcer.
• Anti-Inflammatory / Antipyretic: A methanolic extract of roots showed an inhibitory effect on carrageenin and other mediator-induced edema. The extract also exhibited inhibitory effects on sodium urate-induced experimental gout. Results showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in exudative, proliferative and chronic phases of inflammation, and also showed an antipyretic effect.
• Antibacterial: An ethanol extract of leaves showed moderate concentration-dependent antibacterial properties. Maximum inhibition was seen against Shigella flexneri and Staphylococcus aureus. It showed no apparent in vitro toxicity in the brine-shrimp lethality bioassay.
• Essential Oil / Flowers: Study of essential oil from flowers yielded forty-two compounds. The main constituents were beta-cubebene (12.95%), allo-aromadendrene (11.67%), beta-caryophyllene, 1H-inden-1-one, 5-(1, 1-dimethylethyl)-2, 3, beta-himaohalene, trans-alpha-bergamotene, limonene, and beta-ocimene.
• Phytochemicals / Potential Medicinal Constituents: Study of aqueous extracts yielded thirty compounds, while an ethanolic extract yielded thirty-four. The aqueous compounds included 2,3-pentanedione, glycerin, acetic acid, 2,3-butanediol, and caryophyllene oxide -- compounds that are considered pharmaceutically relevant. The ethanolic compound yielded a small amount of sequelene.
• CNS Depressant Effect: Study of a methanolic fraction of root extract on experimental animals exhibited potent CNS-depressant action: alteration in general behavior pattern, reduction in spontaneous motility, hypothermia, potentiation of pentobarbitone-sleeping time, analgesia, reduction in exploratory behaviour and suppression of aggressive behavior. It also showed antagonism to amphetamine toxicity.

Availability
Wild-crafted.