 Botany
Sabuñgai is a twining vine, smooth except for the peduncles. Leaves are stalked (the uppermost ones stalkless), ovate-elliptic or lanceolate, 3.5 to 8 cm long, and 0.8 to 3.5 cm wide, with somewhat entire or toothed margins. Flowering heads are panicled, narrow, yellow, and 1 to 1.5 cm long. Involucral bracts are smooth and up to 6 mm long. Achenes are very small and smooth, with very close and slender ribs.
Distribution
In thickets along streams, in old clearings, etc., at low and medium altitudes, ascendiing to 1,500 meters.
From northern Luzon to Mindanao, in most islands and provinces.
Also occurs in Thailand and Indo-China to Malaya.
Constituents
Study identified abundant proteins from the leaves.
Properties
Leaves considered anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory.
Parts used
Whole plant, leaves, shoots.
Uses
Culinary
In many Asian countries, leaves eaten fresh or cooked; added to salads or stand-alone salad; used for sauces, as flavoring.
Folkloric
In Java, used for kidney troubles.
In Malacca, decoction used for dysentery.
In Thailand, used as topical inflammation, rheumatism, and viral ailments.
Poultice used for rheumatic and general body pains.
In some parts of Asia, used as abortificient.
In Malaysia, a folk remedy for diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
Studies
• Anti-Inflammatory: Study of ethanol extract showed antiinflammatory activity.
• Antihypertensive: Study showed the oral administration of aqueous extract significantly lowered blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Results suggest GPE may be useful for prevention and treatment of hypertension through increasing NO (nitric oxide) production in blood vessels.
• Glucose Lowering: Ethanolic extract of leaves significantly suppressed elevated serum glucose levels in diabetic rats. The extract did not significantly suppress glucose levels in normal rats. Results conclude the leaves of GP may be biguanide-like activity.
• Abundant Leaf Proteins / Peroxidase: Study found few abundant proteins from the leaves of GP; among these, peroxidase was found the most abundant of the extracted proteins. Results suggest a natural source for peroxidase for use in the cosmetic and skin care industry.
• Nutritive / Antioxidative Properties: Ethanolic Gynura extract exhibited the highest antioxidative properties in every assay. Nutritive evaluation suggests the extract is a good protein source and may have positive effects on free radical scavenging and iron chelating.
• Gynura procumbens Medical Toothpaste: A Gynura procumbens toothpaste invention consists of" gynura procumbens (Lour.) extractant of 1-20%, glycerol of 20-55%, diglycol of 10-15%, abradant of 20-45%, carboxymethyl cellulose of 0.5-1.5%, sodium dodecyl sulfate of 0.5-2%, additive of 1-4%, essence of 1-2% and saccharin of 0.1-1%.
• Anti-Ulcerogenic: Study results suggest the ethanolic leaf extract of Gynura procumbens promotes ulcer protection as shown by significant reduction of ulcer area, histologic decreases in ulcer areas, with absence or reduction of edema and leucocyte infiltration of submucosal layer.
• Anti-Diabetic: (1) Study evaluating the water extract of G. procumbens in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats showed a hypoglycemic effect by promoting glucose uptake by muscles. (2) Study results suggest the antidiabetic effect may be mediated through the stimulation of glucose uptake and the potentiation of insulin action.
• Toxicological Evaluation: Administration of a methanol extract of G. procumbens did not produce mortality or significant changes in various parameters in both acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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