|
Botany
Kamokamotihan is a twining, rather slender, herbaceous, more or less hairy, annual vine reaching
a length of several meters. Leaves are prominently 3-lobed, subovate,
8 to 15 centimeters long, heart-shaped at the base. Peduncles are solitary, shorter
than the petioles, borne in the axils of leaves, each with 1 to 6 flowers.
Calyx is green, very hairy at the base, and about 3 centimeters long. Corolla
is pale blue, or the tube white within, turning purplish pink, about
5 centimeters long, with the limb shallowly 5-lobed. The capsules are ovoid,
about 1 centimeter diameter, each containing 2 black and smooth seeds.
 Distribution
- Found in Abra, Lepanto, Bontoc, and Rizal Provinces in Luzon, In thickets and waste
places at low and medium altitudes.
- Some forms cultivated for their flowers.
- Native of tropical America, but pantropic in distribution.
Constituents
• The active
principle is the kalandana resin, called "Pharbitisin" in
India. It is considered comparable to the resin of jalap or the
convolvulin from Ipomoea purga.
• Phytochemical studies of various fractions yielded reducing sugars, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, and tannins.
Properties
• Resin has a nauseous and acrid taste with an unpleasant odor, especially
when heated.
• Seeds considered cathartic, analgesic, antiseptic.
Part utilized
Seeds
Uses
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In India, besides the resin, the pharmacopoeia
includes an extract, tincture and compound powder.
- In many parts of India, roasted seeds are used as purgative; the powdered
seeds used for constipation.
- In China, seeds are used as diuretic, antihelmintic, deobstruent; prescribed
for constipation and dropsy, also to promote menstruation and as an
abortifacient.
Studies
• Phytochemicals: Study
isolated five ecdysteroids (hederasterone A, hederasterone A-20,22 monoacetonide
and hederasterone B) , two steroidal glycosides, one triterpene and
two aromatic acids. One compound showed inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase,
another inhibited lypooxygenase.
• Hepatoprotective / Antioxidant: Ethanol extract of Ipomoea hederacea was shown to have hepatoprotective and antioxidant potential against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats.
• Antioxidant: Study
of an ethyl acetate fraction yielded the highest phenolic content and highest antioxidant activity compared to other fractions.
• Nematicidal: Study
evaluated the potential toxicity of selected medicinal plants against juveniles of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne spp and Cephalobus litoralis. Ipomoea hederacea exhibited moderate activity.
• Antibacterial: In a study
screening the antimicrobial activity of selected flora of Pakistan, Ipomoea heredacea showed highest activity against Bacillus subtilis and highest activity against the fungal strains.
• Seeds / Antibacterial: Various seed extracts were studied for antibacterial activity. The methanol extract was found to be more active than other extracts against E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungi. Chemical constituents like saponins and alkaloids were probably responsible for the antimicrobial activity of the crude drug.
• Toxicity Study/ Analgesic: Mice study evaluating the toxic and non-toxic profile of Ipomoea hederacea showed a starting lethal dose of 300 mg/kg with a calculated LD50 value of 229.2 mg/kg dose. Dose-dependent toxic behavior included convulsion, tremor, unsteady gait, respiratory distress to death. Hot plate analgesic activity exhibited analgesic potential.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Seeds in the cybermarket.
|
