 Botany
Bikas is a smooth vine. Leaves are long-petioled, deltoid-ovoid or ovate heart-shaped, 4 to 10 cm long, with pointed tip, rounded, heart-shaped, or truncate base, and toothed margins. Heads are 4-flowered, cylindric, 6 to 9 mm long, borne in compound inflorescences. Achenes are smooth, glandular, linear-oblong, and 2.5 to 3 mm long. Pappus is composed of one series, whitish or salmon colored.
Distribution
In thickets at low and medium altitudes, ascending to 1,600 meters, in most islands and provinces, from northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao.
Parts used
Leaves, leaf juice.
Constituents
- Yields stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, sesquiterpene dilactones, mikanolide, dihydromikanolide, scandenolide.
- Phytochemical screening yielded flavonoids, steroids, alklaloid, tannin, gum and saponin.
Properties
Root considered anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and adaptogenic.
Uses
Edibility
In some places, leaves used as soup vegetable.
Folkloric
In southern Nigeria, decoction used for coughs; leaf juice used as remedy for sore eyes.
In East Africa, the Tongas used the plant as remedy for snake and scorpion bites.
Infusion of plant given for affections of the stomach and intestines.
Leaves used by the Malays by rubbing it onto the body for itches.
In Java, leaves used for poulticing circumcision wounds and other wounds.
In India, leaves used for itchiness and as wound plaster.
In Bangladesh, decoction used for treatment of gastric ulcer.
In southern Africa, leaves applied to wounds.
Others
Used as cover crop to prevent erosion.
Used as cattle fodder.
Studies
• Anticarcinogenic Biological Response: Study showed the intracellular contents of active intermediates of various xenobiotics including chemical carcinogens would be reduced by specific enhancement of drug-detoxifying enzymes in the liver of rats treated with the plant extract.
• Essential Oil : Essential oil of the leaves of Mikania cordata yielded four majors constituents: a-pinene (20%), germacrene D (19.8%),beta-pinene (8.7%) and alpha-thujene (7.1%).
• Anti-Inflammatory: Study of the methanolic fraction of M. cordata root extract showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in exudative, proliferative and chronic phases of inflammation and also showed an antipyretic activity.
• CNS Changes: Study showed root extract induces profound behavioral changes, especially the disappearance of aggressive behavior. It also showed strong narcotic effects and analgesic effects.
• Anti-Stress Activity: Study on stress-induced alterations in central neurotransmitters showed pretreatment with M cordata root extract prevented decreases in adrenaline and noradrenaline and increases in 5-HT, while dopamine was further increases. Dose-depended biochemical responses may be the possible mechanism of the anti-stress activity of this plant extract.
• Analgesic / Antioxidant: Study of a hydromethanol extract of the leaves of Mikania scandens showed strong analgesic and antioxidant effects.
• Anti-Ulcer: Study of alkaloidal fraction from M. cordata on diclofenac-induced gastric ulcer showed the bioactive principles of M. cordata have anti-ulcerogenic effects. Results validate the use of the plant in Bangladesh for treatment of gastric ulcer.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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