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Family Marantaceae
Bamban
Donax canniformis (G.Forst.) K. Schum.

COMMON DONAX
Zhu Ye Jiao

Scientific names  Common names
Actoplanes canniformis (G.Forst) K.Schum. Alaro (Bis.) 
Actoplanes grandis (Miq.) K.Schum. Aratan (Gad.) 
Actoplanes ridleyi K. Schum. Baban (Chab.)
Arundastrum benthamianum Kuntze Bamban (Bik., Ilk., Tag., Sul., Buk.)
Arundastrum canniforme (G.Forst) Kuntze Banban (Tag., Bik., Bis., Ibn.)
Arundastrum grande (Miq.) Kuntze Bankolid (Mbo.)
Clinogyne canniformis (G.Forst) K.Schum. Baras-barasan (Tag.)
Clinogyne grandis (Miq.) Benth. ex Baker Bonbon (Tag.)
Donax arundastrum Lour. Buaban (Bag.)
Donax canniformis (G.Forst.) K.Schum. Daromaka (Ilk.)
Donax grandis (Miq.) Ridl. Darumaka (Ilk.)
Donax parviflora Ridl. Garomaka (Ilk.)
Ilythuria canniformis (G. Forst.) Raf. Lankuas (Ilk.)
Maranta arundastrum (Lour.) M.R.Almeida Mamban (Bik., S. L. Bis.)
Maranta grandis Miq. Manban (Tag.)
Maranta tonchat Blume Matalbak (Tag.)
Phrynium canniforme (G. Forst.) Korn. Matapal (Isn.)
Phrynium canniforme (G. Forst.) Schrank Mini (Ig.)
Thalia canniformis G.Forst. Nini (Ig.)
  Ninik (Iv.)
  Common donax (Engl.)
Donax canniformis (G.Forst.) K.Schum. is an accepted name. The Plant List

Other vernacular names
BRUNEI: Bamban, Bamban batu.
CAMBODIA: Daem run.
CHINESE: Zhu ye jiao.
INDONESIA: Bamban, Bangban, Bemban, Moa, Wuwu, Jemban.
MALAYSIA: Bemban, Bemban ayer, Bemban gajah, Buluh leck.
THAI: Klah, Blah, Klum.
VIETNAMESE: Dong s[aaj]y.

Gen info
- Donax is a genus of plants that contains only one recognized species: (12)

Botany
Bamban is a rhizomatous shrub with stems up to 2 to 3 meters tall, several growing in a cluster, smooth, and widely branched. Leaves are short-petioled, thin, smooth, ovate, 15 to 18 centimeters long and 9 centimeters wide. Petioles are about 1 centimeter long. Panicles are loosely- and few-branched. Calyx tube is about 1 centimeter long, with lanceolate segments which are acute and ribbed. Corolla lobes are white, linear to oblong, and longer than the tube. Staminodes are obovate and large, with the tip smaller, obovate and clawed. Anther, filament and lobe are linear. Fruit is globoid to ellipsoid, slightly hairy, about 1 centimeter in diameter, and whitish. Seeds are oblong, grooved and strongly wrinkled.

Distribution
- Very common in secondary forests, especially along streams, at low and medium altitudes from the Batanes Island and northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao, in all or most of the islands and provinces.
- Abundant in the Bicol region, especially Camarines Norte.
- Also occurs in Java and Borneo, to New Guinea, the Aru and Admiralty Islands, New Hebrides, and the Marianne Islands.

Constituents
- Phytochemical screening of crude extracts yielded phenolic compounds, alkaloids, tannins, phytosterols, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, steroids, saponins, and flavonoids. (see study below) (5)
- Study of methanolic extract from different plant parts of D. grandis for total phenolic content (mg GAE/g plant extract) and antioxidant activity (IC50 mg/ml) were: Fruits 0.65±0.01 and 16.52±0.15, leaves 0.53±0.11 and 16.76±0.53, roots 0.29±0.04 and 14.86±0.06, stems 0.18±0.01 ad 21.85±0.04, respectively. (see study below) (5)

Parts utilized
Roots, stems, leaves.

Uses
Edibility
• In India and Martinique, cultivated for the starch obtained from rhizomes. Rhizomes are edible; sometimes used for making confectionery. (8)
- Used as herb and spice.
Folkloric
• Roots, brewed in decoction, are used as antidote for snake bites and for blood poisoning.
Ayta communities from Porac, Pampanga use the plant for the treatment of pasma. (9)
• In Macassar, paste of young stems with ginger and cinnamon bark is taken for biliousness.
• In Malaysia, the Temuans use the raw fruit orally for boils and abscesses. (4)
• Juice from young curled up leaves used for sore eyes.
• Juice from crushed roots used for fungal infections.
• Infusion of young shoots drunk for treatment of fever.
Malays use the sap from shoots to treat conjunctivitis.(2) Rhizomes used to treat shingles. Decoction of leaves and roots used as cooling baths for fever. Poultice of leaves and stem used as eye refreshment. (5)
• In Vanuatu, used postpartum to draw placental fragments: right side of the leaf blade is squeezed into a glass of water to drink. (1)
• In Papua, New Guinea, used for ear ache and ear infections. (7)
• In Indonesia, used for abscesses. (11)
• Root decoction drunk to relieve body heat.
Others
- Basketry: Dried split stems are used for basket weaving, making fish traps and hats, and for sewing nipa shingles.
It's importance as weaving material increased as rattans became scarcer. Products are considered generally of lesser quality than those made of rattans. (8)
- Paper making: Pith of stems used for paper making. In New Guinea, leaves are uses as cigarette paper. (8)

Studies
Antioxidant / Radical Scavenging Activity:
Various extracts of leaves, fruits, stems and roots of Donax grandis were evaluated for antioxidant activity. Fruits yielded the highest saponins (2.39 wt%). All parts of plant samples showed high phenolic content (0.18 to 0.65 mg GAE/g). Three solvent fractions showed strong radical scavenging activity from DPPH, ranging from 14.86 to 21.85 mg/mL. Results showed potential use as antioxidant and antiproliferative agent. (see constituents above) (5)
• Anti-Inflammatory: Study evaluated three medicinal plants from North Kalimantan, Indonesia for anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced paw edema. All three showed potential as source of anti-inflammatory drugs. C. buchananii showed strongest activity. Donax canniformis showed significant (p<0.001) inhibition. (10)

Availability
Wildcrafted.

Updated May 2022 / May 2019 / June 2017 / January 2016

PHOTOS / ILLUSTRATIONS
Photo © Godofredo Stuart / StuartXchange
IMAGE SOURCE: / Photo / Marantaceae : Donax canniformis / Fruiting shoot / Copyright © 2012 by Ravan Schneider (contact: pieter.pelser@canterbury.ac.nz) [ref. DOL55584] / Non-Commercial Use / click on image to go to source page / Phytoimages.siu.edu /

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Maternity and medicinal plants in Vanuatu I. The cycle of reproduction / G Bourdya and A Walterb / 'Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Centre ORSTOM, B.P. A5, Noumda (New Caledonia) and bCentre ORSTOM. B. P. 76, Port Vila (Vanuatu)

(2)
Traditional medicinal plants of the Dusun Tobilung of Kampong Toburon, Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia.
/ Farlex / Free Library
(3)
Donax canniformis (G. Forster) K. Schumann / Vernacular names / GLOBinMED
(4)
Ethno-medicinal Resources Used by the Temuan in Ulu Kuang Village / M A Azliza, H C Ong et al / EthnoMed,6(1):17-22(2012).
(5)
Phytochemicals Screening and Antioxidant Activities of Malaysian Donax Grandis Extracts
/ Jamaludin Mohd Daud, Husna Hawa Mohd Hassan, Ridzwan Hashim, Muhammad Taher / European Journal of Scientific Research, 2011; Vol 61, No 4: pp 572-577
(6)
Donax canniformis (G.Forst) K. Schum / Synonyms / The Plant List
(7)
An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea /
Michael Koch, Dickson Andrew Kehop, Boniface Kinminja, Malcolm Sabak, Graham Wavimbukie, Katherine M. Barrows, Teatulohi K. Matainaho, Louis R. Barrows and Prem P. Rai / Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine201511:79 / DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0065-8
(8)
Donax canniformis (PROSEA) / Pl@ntUse
(9)
Useful Plants of Selected Ayta Communities from Porac, Pampanga, Twenty Years after the Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo / Elena M. Ragragio, Cynthia Neri Zayas and Jasper John A. Obico / Philippine Journal of Science , 142: 169-181, Special Issue
(10)
Anti-inflammatory activities of ethnomedicinal plants from Dayak Abai in North Kalimantan, Indonesia / Swandari Paramita, Khemasili Kosala, D Dzulkifii et al / Biodiversitas: Journal of Biological Diversity, 2017; 18(4) / DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d180434
(11)
Uras: Medicinal and Ritual Plants of Serampas, Jambi Indonesia / Bambang Hariyadi and Tamara Ticklin / Ethnobotany Research & Applications
(12)
Donax canniformis / Wikipedia

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)

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