 Botany
Acacia concinna is a scandent, prickly shrub reaching a height of 4 to 5 meters. Branches are gray and armed with short, sharp prickles. Leaves are pinnately compound, 15 to 25 centimeters long, and with 8 to 10 pairs of pinnae. Rachis has one gland near the base, and one of two near the apex. Leaflets number 20 to 32 pairs on each pinnae, are linear-oblong, 8 to 10 millimeters in length, with a pointed tip and subtruncate base. Midrib is oblique. Panicles are terminal, in the upper axils, and ample. Heads are yellow, about 1 centimeter in diameter. Pods are straight, somewhat fleshy, flat, 7 to 10 centimeters long, and about 2 centimeters wide.
Distribution
- In Benguet, La Union, and Ilocos Sur Provinces in Luzon, in thickets at low and medium altitudes.
- Also occurs in India to southern China and Malaya.
Constituents
- Soft parts of the dried berries contain 5% saponin.
- Pods have yielded several saponins including kinmoonosides A-C, triterpenoidal prosapogenols names concinnosides A, B, C, D and E with four glycosides, acaciaside, julibroside A1, albiziasaponin C and their aglycone, acacic acid lactone.
- Phytochemical screening of the plant yielded flavanoids, saponins, terpenoids and tannins.
Properties
Pod is acid, bitter, and singularly pungent; considered deobstruent, astringent and detergent.
Parts used
Fruit.
Uses
Folkloric
Pods used as deobstruent in cases of jaundice and other biliary derangements.
Decoction of pods used for biliousness and as purgative.
Fruit pods, leaves and bark are dried, powdered and made into paste to make a hair cleanser.
In India, decoction of pods used for washing the hair to promote hair growth and remove dandruff.
In Thailand, dried pods use as laxative, antidandruff, antitussive and for skin diseases.
Others
Cosmetic: Ingredient in many cosmetic products.
Studies
• Antidermatophytic: Study pod extracts showed antidermatophytic activity against Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, T. violaceum, Microsporum nanum and Epidermophyton floccosum.
• Immunological Adjuvant Activity / Vaccine Adjuvant: Study of methanolic fractions showed Th1 and Th2 helper cell activity. At dose of 40 ug it can be used as a vaccine adjuvant to increase immune responses.
• Hepatoprotective: An ethanolic extract of pods of Acacia concinna showed significant protective activity in a CCl4-induced liver damage model.
• Antifungal : Study of extracts was done against 35 isolates of dermatophytes and isolates of C. albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Penicillium marneffei. Results showed antifungal effectiveness.
• Antibacterial: The benzene, methanol and aqueous etracts of fresh pods of A. concinna showed maximum activity against K. pneumonia, B. subtilis, E. coli.
• Contraceptive: Study in female rats fed with fraction of AE of Acacia concinna showed arrest in the diestrus stage, reduction in pregnancy and implantation, depletion in FSH, LH and estrogen levels. Results showed the acerone fraction of aqueous extract of Acacia concinna can be used as herbal contraceptive without any undersirable side effect.
• New Cytotoxic Saponins /: Study yielded three saponins, kinmoonosides A-C together with a monoterpenoids from a methanolic extract. The three kinmoonosides showed significant cytotoxicity against human HT-11080 fibrosarcoma cells.
• Studies: Studies
• Studies: Studies
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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