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Taxonomy
Quisumbing's compilation lists Coleus atropurpureus (badiara) and Coleus blumei (mayana) as separate species. More recent compilations list the species as synonymous. K. Heyne does not separate it from C. blumei (now Solenostemon scutellarioides).
Botany
Erect, branched, fleshy
annual herb, about 1 m high. Stems, purplish and 4-angled. Leaves are
blotched or colored, ovate, 5-10 cm long, with toothed margins. Flowers
are purplish, numerous, in simple or branched inflorescences, 15-30
cm long.
Distribution
Introduced in the Philippines.
Cultivated for ornamental purposes.
Constituents
Volatile oils.
From the leaves, study isolated a mixture of sterols and triterpenes, campesterol, a-amyrin and b-amyrin.
Parts used and preparation
Seeds, bark, and wood.
 Uses
Folkloric
• Bruises and sprains:
Crush or pound 10-12 leaves and apply over the ankles, wrists or affected
areas for 30 minutes, three times daily. Use a bandage to hold the poultice
in place.
• Carminative: Take decoctions of leaves.
• Headache: Pound leaves and apply over temples and nape.
• Mild bleeding of wounds: Wash the young leaves; crush and extract
the juice. Drop a few drops of the juice directly on the wound. Apply
the crushed leaves as poultice.
• Sinusitis: Heat 10-12 fresh leaves over a fire; apply while
still hote over the forehead for the frontal sinues or over the cheeks
for the maxillary sinuses, twice daily.
• Dyspepsia: Decoction, taken internally.
• Eyedrops for eye inflammation.
• Reported use in Asian traditional medicine for asthma, angina, bronchitis, epilepsy, insomnia, skin rashes.
• In India, fresh juice of leaf and stem is mixed withh the juice of raw Citrus fruits and applied over the skin during scorpion bite. source
Studies
• Antimicrobial / Diterpenes: Diastereomeric Diterpenes
from Coleus blume: Study
yielded a new abietane type diterpene that whowed antimicrobial activity
against B subtilis, P aeruginosa and C albicans.
• Antioxidant: Antioxidant Activity
of Coleus Blumei, Orthosiphon Stamineus, Ocimum basilicum and Mentha
arvensis from Lamiaceae Family: Study showed all methanol samples
exhibited antioxidant activity and suggested that Lamiaceae plants has
pharmaceutical potential for its antioxidant properties.
• Forskolin / Erectile Dysfunction: Study has shown forskolin may enhance smooth muscle relaxation. Studies are needed to assess the use of coleus in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
• Anthelmintic: Leaf extract showed high efficacy against Hymenolepsis nana (mice).
• Analgesic / Anti-Inflammatory / Antimicrobial: Study isolated a mixture of sterols and triterpenes from the leaves of Coleus blumei. The isolates exhibited analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. The study also isolated capesterol, a-amyrin and b-amyrin.
Availability
Wildcrafted.
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