Gen info
- Nymphoides hydrophylla, commonly known as crested floating-heart,  is an aquatic plant of the family Menyanthaceae, native to tropical Asia.
- Crested floating heart is dicotyledonous aquatic plant that exhibits nymphaeid growth. Nymphoides probably derives from this botanical feature i.e., the plant is rooted in the submerged sediment and produced floating leaves at the ends of long stems. (4)
- The plant is aggressive and potentially invasive, capable of outcompeting native vegetations by forming dense floating canopies. (4)

Botany
• Pusong-lutang is a perennial water plant of the habit of the water lily, producing carpet growth on surfaces of ponds or lakes. Stems are long and slender on the underside of floating leaves, rooted in submersed sediments or hydrosoil in shallow water. Plant can also be free-floating with tuberous propagules on the underside of leaves. Leaves are rounded, heart-shaped, 2.5 to 7.5 centimeters wide, and on long stalks. Flowers are white but yellow on the base. Corolla lobes are 6 to 8 millimeters long, and the tube bears a ring of white hairs around the throat. Fruit is a somewhat rounded capsule, and contains 10 to 20 seeds.

• Stems 10-30 cm, rooting from nodes. Leaves few per node; petiole 4-10 cm, slender; leaf blade cordate, 1-6 × 1-4(-5) cm, submembranous, veins indistinct. Flowers 2-10 per node, 5merous, homostylous. Pedicel 2-6 cm, slender. Calyx 4-5 mm, lobed to near base; lobes narrowly oblong, apex acute. Corolla white, campanulate, 7-8 mm, lobed to middle, tube 4-5 mm; lobes 3-4 mm, margin laciniate, apex emarginate. Filaments absent; anthers triangular, ca. 1 mm. Style very short. Capsules globose, ca. 3 mm in diam., 6-10- seeded. Seeds brown, globose, ca. 1 mm in diam.; seed coat spinescent. (Flora of China)

Distribution
- Nymphoides cristata is native to the Philippines.   (9)
- In shallow lakes, quiet streams, and sometimes rice paddies, at low and medium altitudes; however, ascending in Mount Data to an altitude of 2,100 meters.
- Sometimes cultivated in ponds or as an aquarium plant.
- Also native to Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Iran, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. (3)
- Plants sold for ornamental water garden use. Outside of their native range they can escape cultivation and become nuisance weeds, particularly in Florida. (10)

Properties
- Studies have suggested hepatoprotective, phytoremediative, antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, anthelmintic, thrombolytic, CNS depressant, antipyretic properties.

Parts used
Stalks, seeds and leaves.

Uses
Edibility
- Plant reportedly used for food; probably the roots and pseudostems.
- The slim stem is edible; used as a vegetable in Taiwan.
Folkloric
- In India, stalks and leaves are pounded with oil and applied to ulcers and insect bites. Also, used as a substitute for Valeriana hardwickii in neurological disorders and colic.
- Decoction used as wash for parasitic skin complaints.
- Seeds eaten to destroy or prevent intestinal worms.
- Reported use for fever, jaundice, and eye diseases.
- In Bangladesh, leaf juice applied to snake bites. (14)

Studies
• Hepatoprotective / Roots: Study evaluated a hydroalcoholic extract of roots of Limnanthemum cristatum for hepatoprotective activity against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in male Wistar rats. The root extract significantly increased total protein and antioxidant enzymes, catalase and reduced glutathione, and improvement in lipid peroxidation. Silymarin, a known hepatoprotective drug, was used as standard for comparison. (2)
• Antibacterial: Study evaluated the antibacterial activity of four aquatic macrophytes viz., Najas graminea, Nymphoides cristata, Myriophyllum tuberculatum and Utricularia stellaris collected from the Purulia district of West Bengal. N. cristata showed activity against one gram-negative bacteria, Vibrio parahemolyticus. (5)
• Antioxidant: Study for DPPH activity and TEAC values in acid methanolic hydrolysates and ethanolic extracts yielded DPPH scavenging activity IC50 34.01 ± 0.11 µg/mL, and TEAC-methanolic and TEAC ethanolic µmol Trolox/g DW of 47.80 ± 2.84 and 6.12 ± 0.25, respectively. ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) was 129.32 ± 8.00 and 175.86 ± 1.09 µmol Trolox/g DW for hydrophilic and lipophilic ORAC, respectively. (see constituents above) (6)
• Antioxidant Activity / Polysaccharide Content: Study evaluated the antioxidant activity, total polysaccharide content and optimum extraction conditions for pseudosstems, roots, and leaves. Results showed 80% ethanol extract of leaves had the best antioxidant activity and pseudostems showed the most polysaccharide content. Antioxidant activity was attributed to polyphenols or flavonoids. (7)
• Phytoremediation / Chromium and Cadmium: Limnanthemum cristatum commonly grows in closed water bodies in India. In a study of absorption of chromium and cadmium, treated leaves showed highest accumulation of chromium at 2 ppm after 168 h. Concentration was greater in the root (060 µg/g dry wt) than the leaf ( 620 µg/g dw). For cadmium, highest accumulation was 0.1 ppm for both root and leaf. Results suggest the possibility of using the plant for reducing chromium and cadmium levels in polluted waters. (8)
• Cytotoxic / Anthelmintic / Antioxidant / Leaves: Study evaluated the invitro cytotoxic, anthelmintic and antioxidant activities of leaves of Nymphoides hydrophylla. On brine shrimp lethality bioassay, crude assay extract showed LC50 of 3.2808 µg/ml, compared to Vincristine sulphate LC50 of 0.839 µg/ml. The methanol extract showed significant anthelmintic activity against Pheretima posthuma at higher dose of 80 mg/ml, compared to piperazine citrate at 15 mg/ml. Crude methanolic extract showed total phenolic content of 12.5 mg GAE/gm. Results showed significant cytotoxic activity, mild anthelmintic activity, and moderate antioxidant activity. (11)
• Thrombolytic / Antipyretic / CNS Depressant: Study evaluated the thrombolytic potential, antipyretic, CNS and analgesic activities by clot lysis, temperature reducing, and depression-inducing and pain sensation decreasing ability. Results showed thrombolytic activity of 3.05 to 26.45%. Maximum pyrexia suppression of 91.07% at 400 mg/kg of extract. In hole cross and open field tests, the extract at 400 mg/kg showed maximum 71.4% and 66.80% suppression of locomotor activity, compared to diazepam at 68.57% and 51.20% respectively. Analgesic data showed 91.72% inhibition for 400 mg/kg of extract. (12)
• Analgesic / Anti-Inflammatory: Study evaluated ethanolic, ethyl acetate, and hexane extracts of Nymphoides hydrophylla at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg for invivo and invitro analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. In-vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by human red blood cell membrane stabilization method and protein denaturation method, and in-vivo by carrageenan-induced paw edema in albino rats. Analgesic activity was evaluated by acetic acid-induced writhing, tail flick method, and Eddy's hot plate method in albino rats. Results showed reduction of pain and inflammation.  The ethanolic extracts showed better analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities compared to the other extracts, with maximum activities at 500 mg/kbw. (13)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Limnanthemum cristatum (Roxb.) Griseb. / Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary / C. P. Khare
(2)
HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF THE OF ROOTS OF LIMNANTHEMUM CRISTATUM AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE-INDUCED INJURY IN RATS / Phalke RUa, Ghosh Ra*, Priya Ga, Pitre SSa, Kadam VJa. / Pharmacologyonline 3: 777-784 (2010) / Pharmacologyonline 3: 777-784 (2010)
(3)
Nymphoides hydrophyllum / Synonyms /KEW: Plants of the World Online
(4)
Aquatic Weeds: Crested Floating Heart (Nymphoides cristata) / Leif N. Willey and Kenneth A. Langeland / University of Florida: IFAS Extension
(5)
Antimicrobial Activity of some Aquatic Angiosperms against Four Pathogenic Bacteria / Moumita Datta, Subrata Raha / Journal of Environment and Sociobiology, Dec 2015; Vol 12, Issue 2
(6)
Antioxidant activity in extracts of 27 indigenous Taiwanese vegetables. / Pi-Yu Chao, Su-Yu Lin, Kuan-Hung Lin, Yu-Fen Liu, Ju-Ing Hsu, Chi-Ming Yang, and Jun-You Lai / Nutrients, 2014 May; 6(5): pp 2115 – 2130. /  doi:  10.3390/nu6052115
(7)
Antioxidant activity and optimum extraction conditions of bioactive compounds from Nymphoides cristata (Roxb.) O. Kuntze /
(8)
Absorption and toxicity of chromium and cadmium in Limnanthemum cristatum Griseb. / Prakash Chandra, Poonam Garg // Science of the Total Environment, 1992; Vol 125: pp 175-183 /
DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(92)90389-A
(9)
Nymphoides: Nymphoides cristata / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(10)
Nymphoides hydrophylla / Wikipedia
(11)
In-Vitro Study of Cytotoxic, Anthelmintic and Antioxidant Activities of Nymphoides hydrophylla / Md Mizanur Rahman Moghal, Kazi Asif Foysa, Md Mahmodul Haque, Md Abdul Kader, Md Shohel, Somen Mogumdur / International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Phytopharmacological Research, 2013;p 2(5): pp 328-331 / eISSN: 2249-6084 / pISSN: 2250-1029
(12)
INVESTIGATION OF IN-VITRO THROMBOLYTIC AND IN-VIVO ANTIPYRETIC, ANTIDEPRESSANT POTENTIALITY AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITY WITH PHYTO-CHEMICAL NATURE OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF NYMPHOIDES HYDROPHYLLA / S Bhattacharjee, S Roy, MM Hosen, A Das, TD Aka, SC Paul, SR Debi / International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 2019; 10(5) /
DOI: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.10(5).2619-27
(13)
Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory activities of ethanolic, ethyl acetate, and hexane extracts of Nymphoides hydrophylla in experimental animals / K Ravishankar, S Nageswara Rao, V Girija Sastry / International Journal of Green Pharmacy, 2020; 14(4)
(14)
Ethnomedicinal and ethnobotanical uses of aquatic flora by local inhabitants of Gopalganj District, Bangladesh / Masnum Homaira Maisha et al / Journal of Medicinal Plant Studies, 2004; 12(1): pp 157-165 / DOI: 10.22271/plants.2024.v12i1b.1639 / eISSN: 2320-3862 / pISSN: 2394-0530

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