Botany
A rapid growing juicy herb. Leaves are thick, fleshy and simple or compound in pairs on reddish stems.

Plantlets grow along the notches of the leaf margins which can develop while still attached to the plant or when detached, a fascinating characteristic that earns its name.

Flowers are about 5 cm long, nodding, dangling and bell-shaped, greenish or yellowish, reddish by the stems.

Distribution
Easily propagated and widely distributed in the Philippines, found in thickets and open places. Also cultivated, flowering from December to March. Probably of prehistoric introduction.

Chemical constituents and properties
• Phytochemical evalutation of leaf extract yielded bryophyllum A, B and C, a potent cytotoxic bufadienolide orthoacetate.
• Bufadienolide has been reported to be poisonous with digitalis-toxicity type cardiac effects (slowing of heart rate, heart blocks and potentially fatal ventricular arryhthmias.
• Bryophillin A, a bufadienolide compound, has shown anti-tumor promoting activity.

Parts utilized
Entire plant. May be collected year round; preferably used fresh.

Uses
Folkloric
Pounded fresh material is applied as a poultice for a variety of conditions: Sprains, eczema, infections, burns; carbuncle and erysipelas. Usually not taken internally.
For boils, the whole leaf is pressed by hand, to and fro, until it becomes moist with the leaf extract. A small opening is made in the middle of the leaf which is then placed on the boil with hole over the pointing of the abscess.
Studies
• Neuropharmacological Effects of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Bryophyllum Pinnatum in Mice: Study revealed CNS depressant activity of the aqueous leaf extract that could be due to the presence of bufadienolide.
• Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Crassulaceae) leaf aqueous extract: The animal study showed the leaf extract of BP possesses antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic properties probably due to the flavonoid, polyphenol and triterpenoid contents.
• Antiulcer Activity of Methanolic Extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum in Rats: Results showed that BP possess potent antiulcer properties.
• Pre-term labor: Intravenous tocolysis with Bryophyllum pinnatum is better tolerated than beta-agonist application.
• Analgesic effects of aqueous extracts of the leaves of Bryophyllum pinnatum: The study concludes that the aqueous extract of BP has strong analgesic potency.
• The antileishmanial activity assessment of unusual flavonoids from Kalanchoe pinnata: Quercetin from K pinnata has demonstrated to be a potent antileshmanial flavonoid. Another study yielded unusual flavonoids with antileishmanial effect.

Availability
Wild-crafted.