 Botany
Sumbak's rootstocks are jointed and branched. Roots are in whorls from the nodes. Fertile stems are erect, simple, 60 to 70 cm long, regularly striated, and more or less smooth. Leaves are much reduced, simple, united into a sheath at the nodes, their tips thinner and prolonged into teeth, somewhat funnel-shaped, 5 to 7 mm long. Spikes are 8 to 10 mm long, obtuse.
Distribution
Reported from Benguet Province in Luzon, in Bukidnon and Davao Provinces in Mindanao.
Parts used
Whole plant.
Properties
All species thought to contain alkaloids toxic to livestock.
Uses
Folkloric
- In Malaysia, used for pains in the joints.
- In Africa, juice of E. debile taken orally to cure jaundice and hepatitis; also reported use as diuretic and treatment of kidney infections.
- In Nepal, paste from pounded plants applied to cure old ulcers.
- In India, used for the treatment of urinary tract and kidney stones.
Others
- High silica content of shoots provide a rough abrasive texture useful for scouring of cooking pots.
- In New Guinea, used to polish ornaments and smooth handles.
Studies
• Hypolipidemic: Study showed E. debile Roxb alcohol extract decreased the triglyceride and total cholesterol of rat and triglyceride of rabbits. The concentration of b-apoprotein was not influenced.
• Debilosides: Study isolated three new megastigmane glucosides from the whole plant of E. debile, with four known constituents - blumenol A, corchoinoside C, sammangaoside A and (3S,5R,6R,7E,9S)-9-[(β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]megastigm-7-ene-3,5,6-triol.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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