 Botany
Put is an erect, hairy herb about 60 cm in height, with spreading branches below. Leaves are opposite, somewhat arrow-shaped, 3 to 10 cm long, and pointed at the tip, the base running down on the petioles. Flowering heads are yellow, small, somewhat rounded, and 5 to 6 mm in diameter. Involucral bracts are very dissimilar. Ray flowers are red beneath, very short, recurved and 3-toothed. Achenes are each enclosed in a boat-shaped bractlet which is hairless and slightly rough.
Distribution
- In open, waste places, fallow fields, etc., chiefly at medium altitudes, ascending to 2,100 meters.
- Found in the Batan Islands; In Benguet and Bontoc Subprovinces, Abra and Rizal Provinces in Luzon; and in Mindanao.
Constituents
- Plant yields a crystalline bitter principle, darutyne (darutine).
- Study of aerial parts yielded liposoluble constituents: Two new natural products, siegesesteric acid and siegesetheric acid, with known compounds: ent-16 beta, 17-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, kirenol, beta-sitosteryl glucoside, heneicosanol, methyl arachidate and beta-sitosterol.
- Study of ethanol extract yielded six new ent-pimarane diterpenoids: ent-14β,16-epoxy-8-pimarene-3β,15α-diol, 7β-hydroxydarutigenol, 9β-hydroxydarutigenol, 16-O-acetyldarutigenol, 15,16-di-O-acetyldarutoside, and 16-O-acetyldarutoside,
Properties
Considered alterative, antiseptic, aperient, depurative, sialagogue, tonic, vulnerary.
Parts used
Leaves, shoots, whole plant.
Uses
Folkloric
In the Philippines, leaf decoction used as alterative; in lotion form, used as vulnerary.
Used for diseases of the urethra.
Aqueous extract, in syrup, sometimes combined with potassium iodide, used as alterative, sudorific, and antisyphilitic.
Externally, mixture of equal parts of a tincture and glycerine used for ringworm.
Decoction of leaves and youngs shoots, used as lotion for ulcers and parasitic skin diseases.
Juice of fresh herb used as a dressing for wounds, where it dries leaving a varnishlike coating.
In China, long known as a remedy for ague, rheumatism and renal colic.
In Perichon's Sirop depuratif vegetal, used for venereal and scrofulous affections.
In China, used for worm fever, loss of apetite, to relieve wound pains, chronic malaria and extremity numbness. Also, used as anthelmintic.
In Indo-China, whole plant prescribed as cardiotonic.
In Tahiti. plant is an ingredient for herbal preparations used for wounds, sprains, dislocations, and contusions.
Used to induce menstruation.
In China used as remedy for ague, rheumatism, and renal colic.
In Britain, with glycerine, used for ringworm.
In Marutius Islands, used for syphilis, leprosy and other skin diseases.
Used by Creoles as protective covering for wounds, burns, etc. Leaves applied to the skin provides a covering similar to collodion, called 'colle colle' - stick stick.
New Uses
- Skin / Stretch Mark Remover:
An ingredient in many skin care products with claims made as stretch mark remover.
Studies
• Anti-Cancer: A study showed Siegesbeckia orientalis can inhibit human cervix cancer HeLa cells in vitro.
• Immunosuppressant: Study showed the ethanol extract of Siegesbeckia orientalis could suppress the cellular and humoral response to ovalbumin in mice, and presents a potential for devolopement as immunosuppressant.
• Inhibition of Immunoglobulin E Production / Antiallergic: Elevated levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) are associated with immediate-type allergic reactions. SO inhibited the plasma levels of IgE induced by antigens and inhibited the IL-4 dependent IgE production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated whole spleen cells. Results show SO have antiallergic activity by inhibition of IgE production by the B cells.
• Anti-Stretch Marks: Study claims SO extract is beneficial in restructuring the collagen matrix, aids in wound healing, tissue regeneration, restoring skin elasticity, with claims of a more than 50% decrease in length and degree of indentations of stretch marks, a decrease in depth and increase in smoothness.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Creams and extracts in the cybermarket.
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