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Alibangon, one of the local names for Commelina benghalensis, shared a confusing phonetic similarity with (1) Aligbangon, Tradescantia rufa, and (2) Alikbangon, Commelina diffusa.

Family Commelinaceae
Bias-bias
Commelina benghalensis Linn.
BENGHAL DAYFLOWER
Fan bao cao

Scientific names Common names
Commelina benghalensis Linn. Alibangon (Tag.)
Commelina polygama Blanco Bias-bias (Tag., Pamp.)
Commelina cavaleriei H. Leveille Kabilau (Bis.)
  Kuhasi (Iv.)
  Kulkul-lasi (Ilk.)
  Sabilau (Bis.)
  Sambilau (Bis.)
  Uligbongon (Tag.)
  Benghal dayflower (Engl.)
  Tropical spiderwort (Engl.)
  Whiskered commelina (Engl.)
  Fan bao cao (Chin.)

Botany
Bias-bias is a perennial mucilaginous plant, slender, creeping or ascending, branched, up to 70 cm and usually pubescent. The stems root at the nodes. Leaves are oval, 4 to 7 cm long and pointed at both ends. The spathes are 1 to 3 together, green, funnel-shaped, compressed, about 1.5 cm long and wide. The flowers are blue, with long stalks in antheis, fascicled, several in each spathe, with the petal 3 to 4 mm long. Capsules are 4 to 5 mm long.

Distribution
In open grasslands and waste places in the settled areas, at low and medium altitudes.

Constituents
Anthocyanins, dammarane triterpene, sterols, campesterol.

Properties
Considered febrifugal, anti-inflammatory, demulcent, emollient, hypotensive, CNS depressant, diuretic, refrigerant, laxative and astringent.

Part utilized
Entire plant.

Uses
Nutrition
Leaves are edible.
A famine food in India.
Folkloric
No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
The entire plant, in decoction, is used as an emollient collyrium.
Also used to combat strangury.
In Cameroon, stem used for probing wounds.
In Kenya, used in conjunctival problems associated with measles.
In India, used in treatment of leprosy and nervous system disorders. Also, reported use for mouth thrush, conjunctival inflammation, psychosis, epilepsy, insanity and exophthalmia.
In China, used as diuretic, febrifuge and anti-inflammatory.
In Africa and India, leaves and stems cooked as vegetables.
In Southern Africa, used to combat infertility.
In Bangladesh , used for otitis media, suppurative sores, snakebites, swelling and burns. Also used for conjunctivitis, cataracts, night blindness, pain (headaches and toothaches), skin diseases (eczema, abscesses, acne, scabies, warts), respiratory tract disorders.
Ethnoveterinary
Mastitis: External application of poultice of stems of Wattakaka volubilis and leaves of Commelina benghalensis ovber the affected udder.
Others
• Grazing feed for goats with its high moisture and protein content; in Africa and India, used as feed for livestock.

Studies
Carotenoid Composition:
In a study to determine the carotenoid compositionn of green leafy vegetable, Chenopodium album, C benghalensis and Solanum nigrum were found to contain higher levels of both lutein and beta carotene.
Antibacterial: Studies have shown antibacterial activity agaiinst Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, E coli and B subtilis and supports its use in formulations for ethnoveterianry use for mastitis.
Analgesic: Study showed C benghalensis possesses significant analgesic action probably through inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, antioxidant activity and a central analgesic mechanism. Results provide a scientific basis for it folkloric use for pain treatment.
Anti-Cancer: Study showed the methanolic extract of CB contains bioactive compounds that may be beneficial in the treatment of malignant growths, probably through an antineoplastic activity consequent to dysregulated expression of apoptosis-responsive genes.

Availability
Wild-crafted. 


Last Update July 2010

IMAGE SOURCE / Public Domain / File:ARS - Commelina benghalensis.jpg / Herb Pilcher / Tropical spiderwort (Commelina benghalensis) / Wikimedia Commons

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Carotenoid composition and vitamin A activity of medicinally important green leafy vegetables / Marisiddaiah Raju et al / Food Chemistry • Volume 101, Issue 4, 2007, Pages 1598-1605
/ doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.04.015
(2)
ETHNOVETERINARY MEDICAL TRADITIONS AND METHODOLOGY FOR THEIR DOCUMENTATION, ASSESSMENT AND PROMOTION / M N B Nair / Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions
(3)
Kaua-kaini (Commelina benghalensis Linn.) / Pankaj Oudhia
(4)
Studies on Grazing Behavior of Goats in the Cook Islands: TheAnimal-Plant Complex in Forage Preference/PalatabilityPhenomena / INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE & BIOLOGY / 1560–8530/2006/08–2–147–153
(5)
Mokgotho M.P., Masoko P., Mbazima V.G., Sibuyi N. and Mampuru L.J. (2009). The acetone extract from dried materials of Commelina benghalensis have enhanced effect on the cancerous Jurkat T cells. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines 6(2):486
(6)
Mokgotho M.P., Masoko P., Mbazima V.G., Lebogo K.W. and Mampuru L.J. (2009). Wil-2 NS lymphoma cell line shows apoptotic features when treated with traditional medicine Commelina benghalensis. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines 6(2):394-395

(7)
Alteration of Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio modulates the anticancer activity of methanolic extract of Commelina benghalensis (Commelinaceae) in Jurkat T cells / Vusi G Mbazima et al / African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 7 (20), pp. 3569–3576, 20 October 2008
(8)
Analgesic Activity of the Different Fractions of the Aerial Parts of Commelina benghalensis Linn / S M Raquibul Hasan et al / Int. J. Pharmacol., 6: 63-67. / DOI: 10.3923/ijp.2010.63.67
(9)
DPPH free radical scavenging activity of some Bangladeshi medicinal plants / S M Raquibul Hasan et al / Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 3(11), pp. 875-879, November, 2009
(10)
A Comparative Analysis of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Healers in Three Districts of Bangladesh and Inquiry as to Mode of Selection of Medicinal Plants / Ariful Haque Mollik et al / www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/vol8/i1547-3465-08-195.pdf


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