Gen info
Bauhinia is a genus of more than 200 species. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers, Swiss-French botanists. The leaves share the double-leaf configuration of a heart, or more popularly, that of a butterfly. (Also see: Alibangbang / Bauhinia malabarica)

The Hongkong orchid tree (Bauhinia blakeana is named after one of the British Governors of Hongkong, Sir Henry Blake, 1898-1903) and is now the floral emblem of Hongkong. The flower looks like an orchid, and thus has earned the name "Orchid Tree." It is usually sterile, and debated as of hybrid origin between Bauhinia variegata and Bauhinia purpurea.

Botany
Botanically, very similar to and often confused with B. variegata but the petals are narrower, oblanceolate, and do not overlap. Stamens are 3 to 4.

Distribution
- Popular ornamental tree in towns and cities in the Philippines.
- Native to India.
- Found throughout subtropical India, North and South America, Nepal, Australia, Africa and the United Kingdom.

Constituents
- Phytochemical screening yielded glycosides, saponins, phenolic compounds and tannins, flavanoids, fixed oils and fats, phytosterols.
- Seeds and leaves yield phenolics, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides and tannins.
- Yielded amino acids lysine, phenylalanine, methionine and leucine.
- A study of ethanol extract of stems yielded a flavone glycoside, 5,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy flavone 6-O-beta-Dxylopyranoside.
- Seed study yielded a new flavone glycoside, 6,4’ dihydroxy 3- prenyl 3,5,7,5’ tetra methoxy flavone-6-O-a-Lrhamnopyranoside.
- Fatty acid composition of seed oil yielded linolein (55.34%) and oleic (11.84%) acids as predominant unsaturated fats, while palmitic (17.4%) and stearic acid (11.40%) were the major saturated fatty acids. Three tocopherols and six phytosterols were also identified.

Properties
Flowers considered laxative, anthelmintic.
Root considered carminative.
Stem considered astringent.
Seeds are rich in calcium and iron.

Parts used
Flowers, stems.

Uses
Edibility
Flower buds eaten as vegetable.
Folkloric
No recorded medicinal use in the Philippines.
Stem bark astringent in diarrhea.
Flower buds used for bloody dysentery and piles.
Bark decoction used for washing ulcers.
Used for dropsy, anasarca, rheumatic pains and swelling, convulsions, febrile delirium, animal bites, datura intoxication.

Studies
• Anti-Inflammatory / Antipyretic / Antinociceptive: Study of aqueous extract on animal models showed antinociceptive, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities.
• Nephroprotective: Study showed the unripe pods and ethanol extract of leaves of BP significantly protected rat kidneys from gentamicin-induced histopathological changes, with normalization of gentamicin-induced increases in serum creatinine, uric acid and BUN.
• Wound Healing: Study of methanol and chloroform extracts prepared in carbopol and simple ointment base and applied to wounds showed dose-dependent and significant reduction in epithelization and wound contraction time. The methanol extract exhibited more activity. Results indicated BP leaves had wound healing property.
• Antiproliferative / Antioxidant: Study showed Bauhinia purpurea leaf possesses potential antiproliferative and concentration-dependent antioxidant activities.
• Antioxidant: Study of different extracts bark and leaves of B. purpurea showed significant inhibition of superoxide radicals in a dose-dependent manner.
• Seed Oil: Extracted oil showed a reasonable ration of saturated and unsaturated acids. After oil extraction, the seed residue presents as a source of protein in the manufacture of poultry and animal feeds.
• Anti-Ulcer: Aqueous extract of BP exhibited antiulcer activity which could be due to the presence of saponins or sugar-free polyphenols.
• Antihyperlipidemic / Antiatherogenic: Study showed BP extracts significantly suppressed a cholesterol-high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia in rats, suggesting antihyperlipidemic and anthiatherogenic potential. The activity may be due to polyphenolic compounds flavonoids, tannins, and proanthocyanidines.
• Bauhiniastatins / Cancer Cell Growth Inhibitors: Study isolated four cancer cell growth inhibitors designated Bauhiniastatins 1-4 and pacharin. Bauhiniastatin 1 exhibited significant growth inhibitio of P388 cancer cell line.
• Antilipidemic: Study of methanolic extract showed significant decreases in serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL, with significant increases in HDL in obese rats.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Antinociceptive, Anti-Inflammatory and Antipyretic Properties of the Aqueous Extract of Bauhinia purpurea Leaves in Experimental Animals / Zainul Amiruddin Zakaria, Loo Yi Wen, Nurul Izzah Abdul Rahman et al / Medical Principles and Practice, Vol. 16, No. 6, 2007
(2)
Sorting Bauhinia names / MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE
(3)
Phytochemical Studies on Bauhinia racemosa Lam. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. and Hardwickia binata Roxb / G. K. SHARANABASAPPA, M. K. SANTOSH et al / E-Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 4, No.1, pp 21-31, January 2007
(4)
Protective Effect of Bauhinia purpurea on Gentamicin-induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats / B. V. S. Lakshmi,* N. Neelima, N. Kasthuri, V. Umarani, and M. Sudhakar / Indian J Pharm Sci. 2009 Sep-Oct; 71(5): 551–554. / doi: 10.4103/0250-474X.58196
(5)
Evaluation of Wound Healing Potential of Bauhinia purpurea Leaf Extracts in Rats / K V Ananth, M Asad, N Prem Kumar, S M B Asdaq and G Rao / Indian J Pharm Sci. 2010 Jan-Feb; 72(1): 122–127.
/ doi: 10.4103/0250-474X.62250
(6)
Bauhinia purpurea leaves’ extracts exhibited in vitro antiproliferative and antioxidant activities / Z A Zakaria, M S Rofiee, L K Teh et al / African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 10(1), pp. 65-74, 3 January, 2011
(7)
Superoxide anion radical scavenging activity of Bauhinia purpurea and Bauhinia galpinii / Pawanjkit K and Saroj Arora / Journ of Chinese Clinical Medicine, 2010, 5, Vol 5, No 5.
(8)
Studies on some Pharmacognostic Profiles of Bauhinia purpurea Linn. Leaves (Caesalpinaceae) / M. Sugumaran and T. Vetrichelvan / Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 461-468. 2008.
(9)
PHYSIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION Of Bauhinia purpurea SEED OIL AND MEAL FOR
NUTRITIONAL EXPLORATION / Sarfraz Arain, Syed T. H. Sherazi, Muhammad I. et al / Pol. J. Food Nutr. Sci. , 2010, Vol. 60, No. 4, pp. 341-346
(10)
In vivo antiulcer activity of the aqueous extract of Bauhinia purpurea leaf / Z.A. Zakaria. E.E. Abdul Hisam, M.S. Rofiee et al / Journal of Ethnopharmacology / doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.07.038
(11)
Antihyperlipidemic activity of Bauhinia purpurea extracts in hypercholesterolemic albino rats / B.V.S. Lakshmi, N.Neelima, N.Kasthuri, V.Umarani, M. Sudhakar / International Journal of PharmTech Research,
Vol.3, No.3,pp 1265-1272, July-Sept 2011
(12)
Antineoplastic Agents. Isolation and Structures of Bauhiniastatins 1-4 from Bauhinia purpurea / Pettit. G.R., Numata. A., Iwamoto. C., Usami. Y., Yamada. T., Ohishi. H. and Cragg. G.M. / J. Nat. Prod. 69: 323-327, 2006
(13)
Evaluation of Antilipidemic and Anti Obesity Efficacy of Bauhinia purpurea Bark Extract on Rats Fed with High Fat Diet / Mopuri Ramgopal, Idress H. Attitalla, P. Avinash and Meriga Balaji / Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 3 (3): 104-107, 2010