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Botany
Dikit-dikit is an erect or ascending,
half-woody branched plant, usually about 1 meter high. Stems are slender,
somewhat angular and grayish-hairy. Leaves are simple, on petioles of 1.5 to
2 centimeters long, oblong-ovate, 6 to 13 centimeters in length and 3.5 to 7 centimeters
wide, hairy beneath, with rounded bases and pointed tips. Flowers
are numerous, white, purple or lilac, 4 millimeters long, borne on lateral and terminal,
slender racemes, up to 30 centimeters long. Pods are numerous, somewhat curved
and crowded, 1.5 to 3 centimeters long, 3 millimeters wide, clothed with minute,
hooked hairs.
Distribution
- In thickets and
open secondary forests and waste places throughout the Philippines.
- Also reported in India, Himalayas, Ceylon, the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, China, and tropical Africa.
Constituents
- Contains a principle
that gives a marked reaction with alkaloidal reagents.
- Yields a yellow resin.
- Contains flavone and isoflavonoid glycosides.
- Roots yield gangetin, gangetinin, desmodin, N,N-dimethyl tryptamine, hypaphorine, hordenine, candicine, N-methyl tyramine and B-phenyl ethyl amine.
Properties
- Root is considered bitter, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, aphrodisiac, constipating, diuretic, cardiotonic, expectorant, astringent, antidiarrheal, carminative, antiemetic, febrifuge and anti-catarrhal.
Parts
used
Leaves, roots, bark.
 Uses
Folkloric
- In Java, decoction of leaves
for stones of the gall bladder, kidneys and bladder.
- Malays use a decoction of root for diarrhea and as sedative for fretful children.
- Malays apply the root to the gums for toothaches, and the leaves externally
for headaches.
- Decoction of roots used for fevers.
- In India, used for piles,
typhoid, inflammation, asthma, bronchitis and dysentery. Root decoction used as antipyretic, and for cough and asthma. Roots considered anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and aphrodisiac.
- Root is used for snake bites and scorption stings.
- In west tropical Africa,
bark is used as laxative, leaf and root for kidney ailments and as diuretic,
root used as abortifacient, antidotes for venomous stings, pain killer,
tumors and cancers.
- In southern Nigeria, leaf used for urinary problems. Root considered astringent and diuretic; used for abdominal tumors, asthma, diarrhea, fever, nasal polyps. Also used as anti-catarrhal and febrifuge, for dysentery and worms.
Others
- Root of D. gangeticum is chief of ten ingredients of a famous Ayurvedic preparation Dashamoola kwaatha, considered antipyretic, alterative, and bitter tonic; and used for typhoid, biliousness, as a diuretic and aphrodisiac.
- Root are an ingredient of the Unani preparation "Arq dasmul" which is considered curative for leucorrhea and pains associated with colds.
Studies
• Antileishmanial
/ Immunomodulatory:
19 compounds of various classes were identified. A new compound was
identified – aminoglucosyl glycerolipid, which exhibited antileishmanial
and immunomodulatory activities, enhanced nitric oxide production and
showed resistance to protozoan Leishmania donovani in macrophages. Another,
glycosphingolipid, a cerebroside, also showed antileishmanial and immunomodulatory
properties, in vitro.
• Diabetes Treatment: Effect
of Desmodium gangeticum extract on blood glucose in rats and on insulin
secretion in vitro: The study suports
the traditional use of D. gangeticum in the treatment of diabetes, probably
partly from pancreatic cell stimulation for insulin secretion.
• Antioxidant / Free Radical Scavenging:
(1) Methanol extract of Desmodium gangeticum roots preserves mitochondrial
respiratory enzymes, protecting rat heart against oxidative stress induced
by reperfusion injury: Study of methanolic extracts
showed that D. gangeticum has the ability to scavenge free radicals
during ischemia and ischemia reperfusion with the end result of cardioprotection. (2) Aqueous extract of D gangeticum studied in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats was studied for radical scavenging activity and hypocholeterolemic effect. (3) Study of D. gangeticum extract showed potent antioxidant activity.
.• Anti-ulcer: Study
of Indian medicinal plants suggests an antiulcer activity for D. gangeticum.
A reduced acid output indicateds the extracts protective mechanism on
gastric mucosa and an inhibition of gastric secretion. The antiulcerogenic
effect of DG is mainly due to cytoprotective effect rather than antisecretory
effect.
• Phenolics / Antioxidant:
(1) Study in rats indicates antioxidant properties of DG under arthritic
conditions. (2) Study of ethanolic extract showed excellent antioxidant activity attributed to the presence of flavanoids and phenolics.
•Antiinflammatory / Antioxidant:
Study in carrageenan-induced inflammed rats suggests
the flavonoid fraction of DG possesses potent antioxidant activity.
• Antiamnesic / Anti-dementia: Effects
of Desmodium gangeticum in Mice:
DG might be a promising candidate for improving memory and a worthwhile
study for dementia and Alzheimer disease.
• Anti-Inflammatory / Antinociceptive: Water decoction of root and aerial parts of Desmodium gangeticum showed dose-dependent inhibition of carrageenin-induced swelling. Results validates the traditional use of the water decoction of DG in Indian system of medicine.
• Antioxidant / Myocardial Ischemia-Protective: Study evaluating the antioxidant potential of an ethyl acetate extract of DG root showed myocardial protection against ischemia-reperfusion-induced damage i rats. The effect may be related to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation.
• Insulin Plus D. gangeticum Extract / Myocardial Ischemia-Protective: Study in rats showed hyper insulin prior to myocardial ischemia can exacerbate myocardial ischemia perfusion injury. Significant cardio protection was noted in rats administed insulin mixed with DG.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
