Botany
Sarsalida is a slender, spreading or ascending, smooth, branched, annual herb, with branches as long as 10 to 40 centimeters. Leaves are opposite or whorled, spatulate, oblanceolate to oblong-obovate, 1 to 3 centimeters long, and up to 1 centimeter wide. Flowers are white and fascicled, with slender stalks up to 1 centimeter long. Sepals are 3 to 3.5 millimeters long. Capsule is ellipsoid, a little shorted than the sepals. Seeds are numerous and covered with raised tubular points.
Distribution
A common weed in and about towns at low and medium altitudes.
Also found in India to tropical Africa and Australia.
Constituents
• Study of aerial parts of Mollugo spergula yielded two novel triterpenoid saponins - spergulin A and spergulin B.
Properties
• Considered a stomachic, appetizer, aperient, antiseptic, uterine stimulant.
Uses
Edibility
• Whole plant, without the roots, consumed as vegetable.
• Very bitter when not properly cooked.
Folkloric
• Plant used as a stomachic, aperient and antiseptic.
• Used for the suppression of lochia.
• Whole plant used as cataplasm for dyspepsia in children.
• For earahces, applied warm, moistened with a little castor oil.
• In Puddokota, juice is applied to itches and other skin diseases.
• In India, used by tribal people for liver diseases.
• In Mali, used for malaria, joint pains, inflammation, intestinal parasites, furuncles, and wounds. Aerial parts used for abdominal pains and jaundice. Fresh leaves used against dizziness and to stimulate the appetite.
Studies
• Immunomodulating: An immunomodulating pectic polymer, GOA1, from the aerial parts of Glinus oppositifolius was shown to induce proliferation of B cells and secretion of IL-1ß by macrophages.
• Free Radical Scavenging / Antioxidant: Study showed Glinus oppositifolius scavenges free radicals and reduces lipid peroxidation, ameliorating the damage imposed by oxidative stress in different disease conditions. It serves as a potential source of natural antioxidants.
• Antifungal / Larvicidal / Molluscicidal / Antioxidant: (1) In a study of 78 different extracts from 20 medicinal plants from 14 plant families, G oppositifolius was one of three plant extracts that gave positive responses to all four tests – antifungal, larvicidal, molluscicidal and antioxidant testing. (2) A DCM-extract reported to be fungicidal against C. albicans and larvicidal against Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus. (3) Molluscidal activity has been demonstrated against Biomphalaria glabrata, B. pfeifferi and Bulnus truncates.
• Hepatoprotective: Study evaluating the methanol extracts of Glinus oppositifolius and T decarndra against paracetamol induced liver damage in rats concluded that both plants significantly restored altered biochemical parameters towards normal.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
