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Botany:
· An erect or ascending, slightly branched
shrub, 0.5 to 1.5 m high, the stems round, greening with a pair
of short, sharp spines at the base of each petiole.
· Leaves: rigid, coriaceous, green and shining, oblong
to oblong-lanceolate, 9 to 14 cm long, sinuate-toothed, the teeth
spinous, petioles 1 cm long or less.
· Flowers: about 4 cm long each, subtended by an ovate,
green, closely appressed bracts 7 to 8 mm long and two similar
but smaller bracteoles. Sepals green, 10 to 12 mm long, 4, outer
two opposite, two inner ones smaller. Corolla tube 1 cm long,
the lower lip pale-blue, spreading or recurved, about 3 cm long,
2.5 cm wide, pubescent within. Stamens 4, in two pairs, shorter
than lip; filaments short, ovary 4-ovuled. Spikes terminal, dense
or interrupted.
· Fruits: capsules, 2 to 2.5 cm long, 4-seeded.
Distribution
In low wet lands near the sea,
subject to the influence of salt water, throughout the Philippines
along tidal streams, swamps, mangrove, etc.
Parts
utilized:
· Roots
· Gathered the year round.
· Rinse, section into slices, sun-dry.
Chemical constituents
and properties
Cooling, mildly salt-tasting.
Antiphlogistic, anticontusion, expectorant.
Galactagogue, expectorant, carminative.
Powdered leaves yield soft resins and a fatty matters colored with chlorophyll.
Leaves considered emollient.
• Study yielded: acancifoliuside, a new coumaric acid derivative
and six known compounds:acteoside, isoacteoside, acanthaminoside among
others.
Uses
Folkloric
Decoction of 30-60 g of dried material
used for acute and chronic hepatitis, swelling-enlargement of the liver
and spleen, swelling and enlargement of the lymph nodes, gastralgia,
asthma.
Decoction of rrots and leaves used for asthma; also, to aid expectoration.
Root boiled in milk used for leucorrhea.
Tender shoots and leaves used for snake bites.
Leaves are high in mucilage and used as emollient fomentation in rheumatism.
Young leaves used as an antidote for snake venom.
In Malaysia, leaves used
for rheumatism, neuralgia, and poison arrow wounds.
In Thailand, decoction
of whole plant used for kidney stones.
Ground fresh bark is used as antiseptic.
Decoction of leaves for pain and as blood purifier.
Other
Plant is used in the manufacture of
soap.
Studies
• Anti-Cancer:
Study showed the aqueous leaf extract prevented hepatic DNA alterations
and chromosomal damage in tumor-bearing mice. and lengthened survival.
It suggests A. ilicifolius may be a potential chemoprotector against
hepatic neoplasia.
• Anticarcinogenic / Tumour Reducing:
The study found AI extract to be effective against tumor
progression and carcinogen induced skin papilloma in mice.
• Antioxidant and hepatoprotective
effect of Acanthus ilicifolius: An alcoholic extract
of AI inhibited the formation of oxygen derived free radicals in vitro
and reduced induced hepatotoxicity in rats.
• Anti-osteoporotic: Chemical
constituents of Acanthus ilicifolius L. and effect on osteoblastic MC3T3E1
cells: The study yielded a new coumaric
acid derivative, acancifoliuside and six other known compounds. Tested
on osteoblastic cells, it concludes that A. ilicifolius may help prevent
osteoporosis.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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