Botany
Kablin is an aromatic, erect, branched and hairy herb, growing to a height of 0.5 to 1 meter. Leaves are oblong-ovate to ovate, 5 to 11 centimeters long, with coarse and doubly-toothed margins, and with a blunt or pointed tip. Flowers are pinkish-purple, crowded and borne in hairy, terminal, axillary spikes 2 to 8 centimeters long, 1 to 1.5 centimeters in diameter. Calyx is about 6 millimeters long. Corolla is 8 millimeters long, with obtuse lobes.

Distribution
- Found in Cagayan, Bontoc, Rizal, Pampanga and Camarines Provinces in Luzon; and in Leyte, occasionally planted in gardens, and occurring also on steep talus slopes in areas remote from settlements.
- Generally cultivated in tropical Asia and Malaya.

Constituents
- Leaves yield a volatile oil, 6-10%.
- Patchouli oil contains patchouli alcohol Patchouli camphor), cadinene, coerulein, benzaldehyde and eugenol.
- Important components of the essential oil are patchoulol and norpatchoulenol.
- Study of essential oil yielded 11 compounds, including a- and ß-patchoulene, patchouli alcohol (patchoulol), ß-caryophyllene, a-guaiene, seychellene and selinene.
- Study on the chemical constituents of an essential oil of PC yielded 22 compounds, 18 sesquiterpenes and three oxygenated sesquiterpenes; among these, patchouli alcohol was the major component, followed by germacrene.

Properties
- Antibacterial, antifungal, diuretic, carminative, insecticidal, stimulant, and emmenagogue.
- The oil may have antibactericidal activity and pogostone may have antibacterial and antifungal activities.
- Components eugenol, cinnamaldehyde and benzaldehyde have insecticidal activity.

Parts used
Leaves, flowering spikes, roots.

Uses
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, leaves and tops are used as insecticide - as a repellant of cockroaches, moths, ants, etc.
- For arthritis and rheumatism, crushed leaves are applied on affected parts.
- Infusion of fresh leaves for given for dysmenorrhea; also as emmenagogue.
Infusion of leaves, dried tops or roots used for scanty urination.
- Leaves and tops employed in baths; used for antirheumatic action.
- In India, infusion of leaves, flowering spikes or dried tops and root used as diuretic and carminative; used with Ocimum sanctum for scanty urine and biliousness. This infusion is reported to occasionally cause loss of appetite and sleep, and nervous attacks.
- In Malaysia and Japan, has been used as antidote for venomous snake and insect bites.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, used for colds, fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, to stimulate the appetite.
- In Uruguay, infusion of leaves used for nervous troubles; roots considered stimulant.
Patchouly oil
- Essential oil of patchouli used in perfumes and cosmetics.
- Also called: Huo xiang, Putcha-Pat.
- Oil also used as ingredient in foods and beverages.
- An ingredient of East Asian incense.
- Had a surge in the commerce of oil and incense during the free love and hippie decades of the 60s and 70s.
Others
- Repellant: Leaves and tops used as insecticide repellant for cockroaches, moths, ants, etc. Juice of leaves rubbed on hands and feet for climbing mountains to repel leeches (limatiks).
- Leaves used with gogo for washing hair. Also, used as hair conditioner for dreadlocks.
- In India, used as ingredient in tobacco smoking.

Studies
• ROS-scavenger: Pogostemon cablin as ROS Scavenger in Oxidant-induced Cell Death of Human Neuroglioma Cells: Study suggests the beneficial effects of PC on ROS-induced neuroglial cell injury possibly as a ROS-scavenger.
• Antimutagenic: Study of methanol extract of P cablin showed suppressive effects against the mutagen furylfuramide, Trp-P-1, and activated Trp-P-1. Test isolated suppressive compounds (7,4'-di-O-methyleriodictyol among others) plus three flavonoids, mobuine, pachypodol and kumatekenin.
• Mosquito Repellent Activity: Study of the mosquito repellent activity of 38 essential oils from plants against Aedes aegypti on human subjects showed the undiluted oil of patchouli, together with citronella, clove and makaen, to be effected in providing 2 hr of complete repellency.
• H Influenza Adhesion Inhibition: Study has shown inhibition of H Influenza on oropharyngeal cells to be inhibited by aqueous extracts of P cablin and A rugosa; a mixture also effective in preventing otitis media and sore throat.
• Anti-Platelet Aggregation: Study isolated a-bulnesene, a sesquiterpened from the water extract of P cablin. It showed a potent and concentration-dependent effect on platelet-activating factor (PAF) and arachidonic acid (AA) induced rabbit platelet aggregation; a first study demonstrating a-blnesene as a PAF-receptor antagonist and anti-platelet aggregation agent.
• Anti-Inflammatory / Analgesic: Study of methanol extract of Pogostemon cablin demonstrated analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting its use in traditional medicine.

Safety info
Safe in amounts in foods.
Maximum allowed for food use: 0.0002%.
Animal data shows no toxic effect on short-term use.

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Patchouli oil in the cybermarket.