 Botany
Tala is an erect herb reaching a height of about 50 centimeters. Leaves are opposite, oblong-ovate, 3 to 10 centimeters long, 1.5 to 4 centimeters wide, pointed at both ends, and toothed at the margins. Upper surface of the leaves is rough. Flowers are about 1 centimeter long, purplish, and clustered on stems which are found in the axils of the leaves or which terminate the leafy branches.
Distribution
- In open, wet places at low altitudes in Lepanto, Nueva Viscaya, Pampanga, Bulacan, Camarines and Sorsogon Provinces in Luzon; Palawan, Panay, Negros and Mindanao.
- Also occurs in India to Malaya and Polynesia.
Constituents
- Leaves yield an essential oil.
- Essential oil has yielded p-methoxybenzoic acid, anisaldehyde, anisylacetone, trans-anethole, cis-anethole, methylchavicol, formic acid, propionic acid, acetic acid, valeric acid, acetone and hentriacontanol.
- Aerial parts and roots yielded 5-hydroxy-7,2′,4′-trimethoxyflavone from a petrol extract.
Properties
- Aromatic with a flavor similar to Chinese star anise.
- Considered carminative and digestive tonic.
Parts used
Leaves.
Uses
Culinary
- Anise-scented leaves used as flavoring for food in Java.
Folkloric
- Infusion of leaves used as diuretic and digestive tonic.
- Juice of the plant rubbed over the body for pestilent fever.
- Decoction of leaves is taken internally for gonorrhea and impotence.
- In Thailand, decoction of leaves used as expectorant; externally as cosmetic for skin care.
- In India, used as diuretic and stomachic.
Others
- Essential oil used for perfuming of hair oils.
Studies
• Antimicrobial: Essential oil and constituents have exhibited antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhi. The essential oil has shown antifungal activity.
• Flavonoids: Aerial parts and roots have yielded flavonoids: 5-Hydroxy-6,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone (salvigenin), 5-Hydroxy-7,2',4'-trimethoxyflavone, and 5-Hydroxy-7,8,2',4'-tetramethoxyflavone.
• Essential Oil: Leaves yielded about 0.5 to 0.7% essential oil. Results showed the presence of estragole and anethole in the oil. Toxicity gave an ED50 of 0.185 m>/100gm BW.
• Hypotensive / Nevadensin: Study of the whole plant yielded 3 /3-hydorxylup-20(29)-en-27-oic acid, nevadensin, and demethoxysudachitin from the whole herb of Limnophila rugosa (Roth) Merr. Nevadensin exhibited hypotensive effect on both normotensive and spontaneous hypertensive rats under pentobarbital anesthetization.
• Nevadensin: Nevadensin, (5,7-dihydroxy-6,8,4'-trimethoxyflavone), a natural bioflavonoids has exhibited a wide range of biological activities including hypotensive, anti-tubercular, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-cancer. Study details the natural sources, isolation, chemistry and biological activities of the flavonoid in detail.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Essential oil in the cybermarket.
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