 Botany
Malasambung is an erect, branched shrub growing 1 to 2 meters high. Branches and lower surfaces of the leaves are densely hairy, soft and smooth to the touch on account of the small, numerous, grayish or brownish hairs. Leaves are lanceolate, 5 to 15 centimeters long, pointed at the base, tapering to a sharp and pointed tip, and toothed at the margins. Flowers are white, 3.5 to 4 millimeters long, hairy and borne in large numbers on ample panicles which grow up to 15 centimeters long. Fruit is a reflexed capsule, oblong, and about as long as the flower.
Distribution
- In thickets and recently cleared places at medium altitudes, sometimes at sea level and up to 2,000 meters, from northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao.
- Also occurs in India to China and Malaya.
Constituents
- Study yielded free sugars (mannitol and sucrose), steroids (beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, stigmasterol-O-glucosdie, beta-sitosterol-O-glucoside), iridoid glucosides (methyl catalpol, catalpol, aucubin), phenylpropanoids (isoacteoside and aceoside), a triterpene saponin (mimengoside A), flavonoids (linarin and disomin).
- Studies have yielded terpenoids, flavonoids, iridoids, phenylethanoids, and saponins.
- Study of chloroform soluble fraction of B. asiatica yielded 7 compounds:dihydrobuddledin-A, buddledone-B, ursolic acid, 2-phenylethyl-β-D-glucoside, 7-deoxy-8-epiloganic acid (6) and scutellarin-7-O- β-D-glucopyranoside. (see study below) .
- Study of ethanolic extract of flowers yielded four flavonoidal compounds viz., apigenin, acacetin, 7-O-ß-D-glucoside, linarin, and a phenyl ethanoid glycoside, verbascoside.
Parts used
Roots, leaves.
Uses
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, plant used to induce abortion.
- Also used for various skin diseases.
- Used as cure for weight loss.
- In Pakistan, used as abortifacient and contraceptive.
- Used for skin complains.
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Paste of roots mixed with rice water used as tonic.
- Roots and leaves used to treat tumor-like growths.
- Concentrated infusion of roots used to treat malaria.
Others
- Wood: Moderately hard, used for making walking sticks.
Studies
• Buddlin: Study isolated a new compound, buddlin, from the whole plant of B asiatica.
• Asiatisides: Study yielded four new phenylpropanoid esters of rhamnose, asiatisides A-D, with the known compounds, buergeriside C1, p-methoxycinnamic acid, ferulic acid, and O-methylferulic acid, from the aerial parts of B asiatica.
• Antihepatotoxic: Study isolated a new natural compound, 6-O-(3",4"-dimethoxycinnamoyl) catalpol, from the defatted alcoholic extract of the flowering parts of B asiatica. The flowering parts and roots showed substantial antihepatotoxic activity comparable to the lignan silymarin.
• Non-Phenolic Antioxidants: Study of methanol extract of leaves of B asiatica showed antioxidant activity towards well known in vitro antioxidant tests. Four non-phenolic compounds were isolated and identified.
• Antibacterial / Antifungal / Antispasmodic / Calicum Antagonist: Study showed a crude extract and fractions exhibited significant antibacterial and antifungal activities and concentration-dependent relaxation of spontaneous and high K+-induced contractions. Results indicated antibacterial, antifungal, antispasmodic and Ca++ antagonist potential.
• Antimicrobial Constituents: Study of chloroform soluble fraction of B. asiatica yielded 7 compounds. Compounds 5 -7 (2-phenylethyl-β-D-glucoside, 7-deoxy-8-epiloganic acid (6) and scutellarin-7-O- β-D-glucopyranoside) showed significant antimicrobial activity against P vulgaris, S. typhi E. coli, Trichophyton longifusus, C. albicans, M. canis, Candida glabrata, Fusarium solani and Aspergillus flavus.
• Pb Phytoremediation Potential: Study showed both Buddleja asiatica and B. paniculata are suitable for use in the phytoremedication of lead-contaminated soil.
• Anti-Inflammatory / Analgesic / Antipyretic / Antioxidant / Antimicrobial: Study of ethanol and aqueous extracts of leaves and flowers of B. asiatica and B. madagascariensis exhibited marked anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, and antioxidant activities. The extracts also showed antimicrobial activities against some of the tested organisms.
• Essential Oil from Leaves / Antifungal / Antibacterial / Anthelmintic: Study of essential oil from shade-dried leaves of the plant yielded 18 compounds, including monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids. Oil was found rich in ß-caryophyllene oxide, citroneliol, and ß-caryophyllene. The oil showed in vitro antifungal, antibacterial and anthelmintic activities.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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