MEDICINAL PLANTS OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC - PART 5

PHAN TẤT HOÀ --- NHỮNG CÂY THUỐC CHÂU Á THÁI BÌNH DƯƠNG 98 tendrils. The leaves are simple, exstipulate, and spiral. The petioles are 2–4cm long. The blade is membranaceous, cordate, 3–5-lobed, 4cm – 8cm × 4cm– 8cm, the apex is acuminate, the base is cordate, and both surfaces are scabrous. The flowers are male or female. The male flowers are solitary and grouped by 3–8 in a raceme, peduncle slender, and 10–15cm. The bract is foliaceous, 3-lobed, 1– 2.5cm long, and yellow–brown villous. The calyx tube is tubular and 2cm long. The segments are 7mm long. The corolla is white, the segments are oblong–ovate, more or less villous, 15mm – 20mm × 10mm – 12mm; there are three stamens, filaments are 0.5mm; and the anthers are 7mm. The female flowers are solitary, on a 1–4cm-long pedicel. The gynaecium is oblong, 12mm × 5mm, yellow– brown villous, and develops three stigmas. The fruits are oblong–ovate, orange, 4–5cm, smooth, 10ribbed, and fusiform (Figure 17.3). 17.2.2 Ethnopharmacology In Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, the plant is used as a postpartum remedy. In Malaysia, a decoction of leaves is used as a drink to counteract the poisonous effects of the fruits. The juice squeezed from the leaves is used to soothe inflamed eyes. In China, the plant is called jin gua. The pharmacological properties of this plant, and the Gymnopetalum species in general, are unexplored as of yet. Note the presence of saponins in the fruits of the Gymnopetalum integrifolium Kurz, including aoibaclyin and β-sitosterol-3-Oβ-D-glucopyranoside.1 17.3 HODGSONIA MACROCARPA (BL.) COGN. [After Hodgson, and from macrocarpa = with large fruits.] 17.3.1 Botany Hodgsonia macrocarpa (Bl.) Cogn. (Trichosanthes macrocarpa Bl. and Hodgsonia capniocarpa Ridl.) is a woody climber that grows in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Burma, and China to a height of 30m. The stems are glabrous. The tendrils are linear. The leaves are simple and spiral. The petiole is stout, 4–8cm long, and striate. The blade is coriaceous, 3–5-lobed, and up to 20cm × 15cm long. The flowers are yellow outside and white inside, narrowly tubular, 8cm – 10cm × 7mm – 9mm and 5-lobed; the lobes are triangular-lanceolate and 5mm long. The fruits are large, pale brown to reddish-brown, globose, 20cm × 15cm long, and contain a few woody seeds which are 7cm × 3cm (Figure 17.4). 17.3.2 Ethnopharmacology In Malaysia, Hodgsonia macrocarpa (Bl.) Cogn. or kepayang akar (Malay) or you zha guo (Chinese) is used to heal nasal ulcers, smoked like a cigar with the smoke blown through the nostril. The oil of the seed is a mosquito repellent. Malays drink a decoction of leaves or inhale smoke of burned leaves to cure nose complaints. A decoction of leaves is used as a drink to bring fever down. In Borneo, the oil expressed from the fresh seeds is rubbed onto the abdomen after childbirth and is applied to the breast to deflate swelling. The seeds are known to be poisonous. The pharmacological potential of this plant and of the Hodgsonia species in general is unexplored. PHAN TẤT HOÀ --- NHỮNG CÂY THUỐC CHÂU Á THÁI BÌNH DƯƠNG 99 17.4 TRICHOSANTHES QUINQUANGULATA A. GRAY [From: Latin tricho = hairy or hair-like and Greek anthos = flower and quinquangulata = 5angled.] 17.4.1 Botany Trichosanthes quinquangulata A. Gray is a climber that grows in Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, New Guinea, and Vietnam. The tendrils are forked. The leaves are simple and spiral. The petiole is slender and 10cm long. The blade is 5-lobed, 13cm – 22.5cm × 10cm – 20cm, membranaceous, and finely denticulate. The male flowers are arranged in lax racemes which are 15–30cm long and 8–10-flowered. The fruits are globose, 8cm long, glabrous, red, and contain several small, brownish seeds. The fruit pedicel is 3cm long (Figure 17.5). 17.4.2 Ethnopharmacology In the Philippines, the seeds are fried and the cooked oil is used externally to calm itchiness. The seeds are reduced to powder and mixed with wine to make a drink used to assuage stomachaches. In China, the Trichosanthes species including Trichosanthes quinquangulata A. Gray or wu jiao gua lou have attracted a great deal of interest on account of their ability to elaborate a ribosome-inhibiting protein called trichosanthin, which has displayed encouraging signs as an anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) drug.2 The Trichosanthes species are elaborate, PHAN TẤT HOÀ --- NHỮNG CÂY THUỐC CHÂU Á THÁI BÌNH DƯƠNG 100 Sandakan. SAN No: 143173. Geographical localization: Upper River Miau near Mount Murut. Alt.: 1300m. April 13, 2000. Botanical identification: W. J. J. O. de Wilde, July 10, 2000.] besides trichosanthin, trichomislin, which induces apoptosis.3 Cytotoxic multiflorane triterpenoids including karounidol are known to occur in the Trichosanthes species.4 17.5 TRICHOSANTHES TRICUSPIDATA LOUR. [From: Latin tricho = hairy or hair-like and Greek anthos = flower and tricuspidata = three-pointed.] 17.5.1 Botany Trichosanthes tricuspidata Lour. is a climber that grows in Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The stems are stout, angular-striate, ribbed, and glabrous. The tendrils are forked. The leaves are simple and spiral. The petiole is 5cm long. The blade is broadly ovate– cordate, 12–13cm, papery, and undulate–denticulate at the margin. The inflorescences are axillary (Figure 17.6 ). 17.5.2 Ethnopharmacology In Malaysia, the leaves of Trichosanthes tricuspidata Lour., orsan jian gua lou (Chinese), are reduced to a paste which is applied to boils. Indonesians drink the sap squeezed from the fresh leaves to stop diarrhea. The fruits are known to abound with a series of cucurbitacins, including tricuspidatin and 2-O-glucocucurbitacin J, which inhibit the survival of KB cells cultured in vitro.5,6 Such compounds probably explain the antitumor effects of extracts of Trichosanthes root tubers on HepA-H PHAN TẤT HOÀ --- NHỮNG CÂY THUỐC CHÂU Á THÁI BÌNH DƯƠNG 101 26, 1982.] Figure 17.7 Trichosanthes villosa Bl. [From: Flora of Sabah. Herbarium of the Forest Herbaria of Sandakan. SAN No: 144257. Geographical localization: Mount Kinabalu Park, District Ranau. Alt.: 1500m. Field collectors: W. J. J. O. de Wilde et al., July 26, 2001.] cells and HeLa cells reported by Dou and Li.7,8 Cucurbitane saponins are known to occur in the leaves and stems.9 17.6 TRICHOSANTHES VILLOSA BL. [From: Latin tricho = hairy or hair-like and Greek anthos = flower and villosa = hairy.] 17.6.1 Botany PHAN TẤT HOÀ --- NHỮNG CÂY THUỐC CHÂU Á THÁI BÌNH DƯƠNG 102 Trichosanthes villosa Bl. is a climber that grows in a geographical area spanning Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, Borneo, and the Philippines. The stems are stout and densely brownish-villous. The leaves are simple and spiral. The petiole is slender, up to 12.5cm long, and densely brownish-villous. The blade is broadly ovate, 11cm – 18cm × 11cm – 17cm, membranaceous, trilobate, and denticulate. The male inflorescences consist of 10–20cm-long, 15–20-flowered racemes, which are densely brownish-villous. The female flowers are solitary on a 1.5cm-long densely villous pedicel. The fruits are subglobose, brown–red, and 8–13cm long (Figure 17.7) 17.6.2 Ethnopharmacology In Malaysia, a paste of leaves of mi mao gua lou (Chinese) is used externally to bring fever down and to deflate swollen legs after childbirth. The pharmacological properties of this plant are unknown. 17.7 TRICHOSANTHES WAWRAE COGN. [From: Latin tricho = hairy or hair-like and Greek anthos = flower.] 17.7.1 Botany Trichosanthes wawrae Cogn. (Trichosanthes trifolia auct. non [L.] Bl.) is a climber that grows to a length of 8m in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Borneo. The stems are subglabrous and develop axillary forked tendrils. The leaves are simple and spiral. The petiole is slender, and up to 7cm long. The blade is oblong– lanceolate, membranaceous, 5cm × 9cm, with four pairs of secondary nerves. The fruits are red with a white–yellow strip at the base and 7cm × 6cm in size (Figure 17.8). 17.7.2 Ethnopharmacology In the Southern parts of Thailand (khi ka din) and Malaysia a paste of leaves is applied externally to treat ague. Its pharmacological Figure 17.8 Trichosanthes wawrae Cogn. [From: potential is unknown. Flora of Malaya. FRI No: 38316. Geographical localization: Kedah, Mahang, Forest Reserve, hill forest. Alt.: 700m.] REFERENCES 1. Sekine, T., Kurihara, H., Waku, M., Ikegami, F., and Ruangrungsi, N. 2002. A new pentacyclic cucurbitane glucoside and a new triterpene from the fruits of Gymnopetalum integrifolium. Chem. Pharm. Bull. (Tokyo), 50, 645. 2. Shaw, P. C., Lee, K. M., and Wong, K. B. 2005. Recent advances in trichosanthin, a ribosome-inactivating protein with multiple pharmacological properties. Toxicon. 45, 683. 3. Mi, S. L., An, C. C., Wang, Y., Chen, J. Y., Che, N. Y., Gao, Y., and Chen, Z. L. 2005. Trichomislin, a novel ribosome-inactivating protein, induces ... - tailieumienphi.vn