 Botany
Hagonoi-tsina is a slender, spreading, and hairy herb, with the branches usually less than 50 cm long. Leaves are oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 2 to 4.5 cm in length, and narrowed at both ends; the margins entire or obscurely toothed; and both surfaces covered with sharp-pointed, appressed, straight, and stiff hairs. Heads are stalked, about 1 cm in diameter, and yellow. Involucral bracts are oblong-ovate. Ray flowers are 8 to 12, spreading, about equal to the bracts, and broad; the disk flowers number about 20, are are short, narrow and pointed. Achenes are nearly cylindric, and hairy.
Distribution
In open waste places at sea level.
A casual introduction.
Also occurs in India to China.
Constituents
Studies yield presence of saponins, tannins, terpenoids, steroid, flavonoids.
Properties
Leaves considered tonic, alterative.
Considered astringent, bitter, acrid, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic, vulnerary.
Parts used
Leaves, seeds, flowers.
Uses
Folkloric
Leaves are used to dyeing grey hair and in promoting hair growth.
Used for coughs, cephalalgia, skin diseases and alopecia.
Juice of leaves used as snuff in cephalalgia.
Decoction of seeds and flowers, as well as leaves, at half a teacup twice daily, used as deobstruent.
Plant decoction used for uterine hemorrhage and menorrhagia.
In Indian indigenous sytems of medicine, a oft use pant for treatment of jaundice. Juice of tender leaves used for jaundice; crushed leaves used for helminthiasis.
In Siddha medicine, used as hair growth stimulang and hair dyeing.
Others
Tattoing: Leaf juice used for tattoing with its deep indelible blue black color. Root is pounded to produce a black dye with salts of iron.
Studies
• Anti-Prostate Cancer: Study in mice showed oral administration of W. chinensis extract impeded prostate cancer tumorigenesis. Exposure of prostate cancer cells induced apoptosis selectively in androgen receptor (AR)-positive prostate cancer cells. The anticancer action of the WC extract was correlated with the accumulation of the principle active compounds wedelolactone, luteolin and apigenin in vivo.
• Anti-Cancer: Study of ethanolic extract showed inhibition of growth of Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma.
• Phytochemicals / Wedelosin / Complement Inhibition: Study yielded a series of caffeic acid derivatives and the new compound, wedelosin, as well as three known flavonoid glycosides (quercetin 3-O-β-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-β-apiosyl-(1-2)-β-glucoside, and astragalin or kaempferol 3-O-β-glucoside. Wedelosin showed an inhibitory activity on both the classical and the alternative activation pathway of the complement system.
• Hepatoprotective / Wedelosin / Complement Inhibition: Study on hepatotoxin-induced acute hepatitis in rats showed a hepatoprotective effect against liver injuries on WC treated rats.
• Anti-Stress Activity: Study evaluating the effect of alcoholic extracts of Costus speciosus rhizomes and Wedelia chinensis leaves on albino rats showed normalizing activity against cold immobilization stress induced changes in NE, DA, 5HT, 5-HIAA and MAO. Results showed biochemical evidence for antistress activity of tested extracts.
• Antifungal / Anti-Inflammatory: Study showed the leaf extract of W chinensis contains the majir phytoconstituents - carvocrol (46%) and trans-caryophyllene (14%) - which may be responsible for its anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties in a mice model.
• Anti-Inflammatory / Analgesic: Study in animal models showed potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects and therapeutic efficacy of WC extract comparable with those of standard drugs like aspirin, morphine and indomethacin.
• CNS Depressant Activity: Study of ethanol extract of whole plant of WC on albino and Wistar rats revealed CNS depressant activity with significant reduction of spontaneous activity, exploratory behavioural patter, muscle relaxant activity and significantly potentiated sodium-induced sleeping time.
• Antibacterial Activity: Study analyzed the phytochemical constituents and antibacterial activities of T procumbens, Wedelia chinensis and P amboinicus against different bacterial strains.
• Acute and Subacute Toxicity Study: Study showed the plant seems to show no toxic effects in mice in both acute and subacute modesl of testing.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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