Botany
Malakafe is an unarmed, smooth shrub 3 to 4 meters or more in height. Leaves are extremely variable, ovate, elliptic, ovate or somewhat rounded, 5 to 15 cm long, 1.5 go 10 cm wide, leathery, shining above, and usually pointed at both ends. Flowers are white, with very slender stalks, 5 to 10 mm long, and borne in compressed, short-stalked cymes. Calyx is cut off at the end or obscurely toothed. Corolla is bell-shaped, with a 4- to 6-mm tube, and five somewhat pointed lobes. Fruit is rounded, ellipsoid or obovoid, 6 to 10 mm long, slightly flattened and obscurely 2-lobed.
Distribution
In secondary and primary forests at low altitudes in Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Rizal and Batangas Provinces in Luzon; and in Mindoro, Ticao, Palawan, Negro, Guimaras, and Mindanao.
Also in India to Malaya.
Constituents
Study yielded ursolic acid, rutin and 7-O-(5-O-benzoyl-ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-rutin.
Parts used
Bark, roots.
Uses
Folkloric
In India, bark is used for fever.
Decoction of roots used for diarrhea.
Studies
• Flavonol Glycoside: Study yielded a new flavonol glycoside, 7-O-(5-O-benzoyl-ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-rutin.
• Antifungal: Diglycosides, rutin and its benzoic derivative, 7-O-(5-O-benzoyl-ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-rutin from C dicoccum and kaempferol 3-ß-D-rutinoside from C rheedii strongly inhibited all test fungi.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
