Botany
Dalairo is a low undershrub. Leaves are oblong, 7 to 15 centimeters long, 3 to 5 centimeters wide, smooth, and obtuse at the ends. Flower is solitary, leaf-opposed, and about 2 centimeters in diameter. Sepals are ovate, and the petals ovate or oblong. Fruit is clavate, and 3 to 4 centimeters long. Seeds are shining, black, and obovoid.

Distribution
- In forests chiefly at medium altitudes, locally abundant in Bataan, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, and Camarines Provinces in Luzon; and in Mindoro; Biliran; Leyte; Negros; and Mindanao.
- Also occurs in Ceylon, Burma, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Indo-China, and Java.

Parts used
Leaves.

Constituents
Study yielded prenylflavonoids.

Properties
Considered tonic, stomachic, antipyretic.

Parts used
Leaves.

Uses
Folkloric
Fresh leaves used as topicals for articular rheumatism.
Others
• Erectile dysfunction: Marketed as: (1) blood tonic and muscle strengthening properties. (2) as herbal supplement for erectily dysfunction or impotence problems.

Studies
• Constituents / Antioxidant: (1) Study of the bark of A. luzonensis yielded five new xanthones and one new flavonoid, along with seven known xanthones and seven known flavonoids. Almost all the flavonoids and one xanthone showed antioxidant activity. Compound 6, new flavonoid (3,5,7,49-tetrahydroxy-29-methoxyflavone), scavenged the DPPH radical to the same degree as a-tocopherol. (2) A new flavonoid, 3,5,7,4'-tetrahydroxy-2'-methoxyflavone, isolated on autoxidation of epinephrine Hcl exhibited an effective antioxidant potency.
• Vasorelaxant / Antioxidant: Study of dichloromethane extract of Anaxagorea luzonensis showed concentration-dependent vasorelaxations. Results in the rat isolated aorta showed vasorelaxant responses, in part, mediated via the endothelium and NO-dependent pathways. Results provide evidence to support it use as a vasodilator agent.
• Tyrosinase Inhibition / Antioxidant: Study showed anti-tyrosinase activity and scavenging activity toward DPPH assay. Results demonstrate potential pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
• Prenylflavonoids / Antioxidant: Study isolated 8-isopentenylnaringenin that exhibited an estrogen agonist activity at an order greater than genistein.
• Prenylflavonoids / Antioxidant: Study isolated 8-iso

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Capsules in the cybermarket; marketed for erectile dysfunction.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Antioxidant Effect of New Flavonoid Isolated from Anaxagorea luzonensis A. Gray on Autoxidation of Epinephrine Hydrochloride / Takeda T, Yokoyama S / Material Techonology, Vol 18, No. 6, Pp 238-241
(2)
Studies on the Constituents of Anaxagorea luzonensis A. GRAY / Ryoko G, Tadahiro Takeda and T Akiyama / Chem. Pharm. Bull. 48(8) 1219—1222 (2000)
(3)
The Vasorelaxant Effects of Anaxagorea luzonensis A. Grey in the Rat Aorta / P. Tep-Areenan and P. Sawasdee / International Journal of Pharmacology, 2011, Vol 7, No 1, Pp 119-124/ DOI: 10.3923/ijp.2011.119.124
(4)
PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND ANTI-TYROSINASE ACTIVITY OF ANAXAGOREA LUZONENSIS A GRAY / Wiyada Nooring / MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME IN PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY AND PHYTOCHEMISTRY(INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME)
(5)
Prenylflavonoids: a new class of non-steroidal phytoestrogen . Isolation OF 8-isopentenylnaringenin and an initial study on its structure-activity relationship / Planta Med. 1998 Aug;64(6):511-5