 Botany
Trichodesma indicum is an erect, spreading, branched, annual herb, about 50 centimeters in height. Leaves are stalkless, opposite, lanceolate, 2 to 8 centimeters long, pointed at the tip, and heart-shaped at the base; the upper surfaces clothed with stiff hairs arising from circular tubercles, the lower surfaces less densely villous. Flowers occur singly in the axils of the leaves. Calyx is green, hairy, and 1 to 1.3 centimeters long, with pointed lobes. Corolla is pale blue, with the limb about 1.5 centimeters in diameter, and the lobes pointed. Fruit is ellipsoid, and enclosed by the calyx. Nutlets are about 5 millimeters long, and rough on the inner surface.
Distribution
- In the Rizal, Quezon and Laguna Provinces in Luzon, as a weed in cultivated grounds, especially in peanut plantations.
- Also occurs in Iran, India, and Mauritius.
Properties
- Acrid and bitter tasting.
- Considered thermogenic, emollient, alexeteric, anodyne, anti-inflammatory, carminative, constipating, diuretic, depurative, ophthalmic, febrifuge and pectoral.
- Flowers considered sudorific and pectoral.
- Leaves considered depurative.
Parts used
Roots, leaves, flowers.
Uses
 Edibility
- Leaves and flowers are edible.
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, used in the same manner as Tichodesma zeylanicum.
- Leaves and roots are used as remedy for snake bites;
also used as diuretic.
- Cold infusion of leaves considered depurative.
- Crushed roots, in decoction or infusion, used for dysentery in children.
- In Indian traditional medicine, decoction of roots used for diarrhea, dysentery and fever.
- In Deccan, plants is used as emollient poultice.
- In Chutia Nagpur, roots are crushed and made into a paste, and applied externally to swollen joints, inflammations and superficial skin injuries.
- Used for arthralgias, inflammations, dyspepsia, diarrhea, dysentery, dysmenorrhea.
Studies
• Antitussive: Study of methanol extract of the whole plantg of Trichodesma indicum on sulfur dioxide-induced cough reflex in Swiss albino mice showed significant inhibition of cough frequency in all tested doses compared with the untreated control group, in an effect comparable to codeine phosphate.
• Anti-Inflammator / Alkane: Study isolated triterpenoids and aliphatic phytoconstituents. Results showed the alkanoic acid significantly inhibited the carrageenan-induced acute arthritis. Alkane, the major phytoconstituent in in vivo studies, suppressed the development of chronic arthritis induced by CFA.
• Anti-diarrheal: Extract study showed significant inhibition of castor oil-induced diarrhea and decreased propulsion of charcoal meal through the GI tract. There was also reduction of castor oil-induced enteropooling. Results support the use of the herbal remedy as a nonspecific treatment for diarrhea in folk medicine.
• Anti-Inflammatory: The chloroform extract of T. indicum root exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activitry in acute and chronic inflammatory models.
• Antispasmodic / Lipoxygenase Inhibitory Activity: Study of some Pakistani medicinal plants showed the extract of T. indicum caused reduction in spontaneous and acetylcholine-induced contractions, with 78% inhibition of intestinal contractions and good lipooxygenase inhibitory activity.
• Phytotoxic / Insecticidal: In a study for the agrochemical potentials of ethanolic extracts of selected plants, T. indicum showed excellent herbical activity against Lemna minor. It also showed good insecticidal activity against Rhizopertha dominica.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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