Botany
Hugas is a rambling shrub with longitudinally furrowed branches. Leaves are stalked, ovate-lanceolate, 3.5 to 7.5 cm long, pointed at both ends, and obscurely toothed at the margins. Heads are numerous, less than 1 cvm across, and clustered on the branches of rounded corymbs. Involucral bracts are lanceolate. Achenes are compressed and 4-angled, with the reddish pappus about 3 mm long, or much longer than the minute achenes.
Distribution
- In thickets, chiefly at medium altitude and ascending to 1,500 meters, in Bontoc and Benguet Subprovinces, and Nueva Viscaya in Luzaon; and in Negros and Mindanao.
- Also occurs in India to China and Malaysia.
Parts used
Leaves, root, root bark.
Uses
Folkloric
Folkloric uses
Decoction of roots used for stomachache.
Leaf decoction used for colds.
In the Gold Coast, plant used for enema to cure fever in babies.
In Liberia, used as a remedy for cough.
In West Africa, powdered root used as snuff to relieve colds.
In West Tropical Africa, juice of root, passed through fine linen, used as eyedrops.
Juice of warmed leaves applied as remedy for ringworm of the scalp.
Tea-like infusion used for fever with headache; also used as inhalant or fumigant to cause sweating.
Decoction is taken by women in labor.
In Tanzania, decoction of root and root bark used for epilepsy. Compresses soaked in root decoction applied to heal wounds of incised abscesses. Root juice applied to the eyes for cataracts. Leaf applied to inside of nose, in man and cattle, to treat coryza.
Used for yellow fever, dropsy and backwater fever.
In Africa, M. pyrifolia is used for malaria.
In Cameroon, leaves of Microglossa pyrifolia, softened in fire, eaten as vermifuge.
In Ghana used for the treatment of dermal infections and wounds.
In Rwanda used for cough, elephantiasis and wounds.
In Ethiopia, leaves of M. pyrifolia used for mastitis.
Studies
• Triterpenoids / Dihydrobenzofurans: Study of roots of Microglossa pyrifolia yielded seven dihydrobenzofurans and seven triterpenoids.
• Herbal Hand Antiseptics: In a study of plant species used as herbal antiseptics, Microglossa pyrifolia showed inhibitory against E coli.
• Anticonvulsant / Sedative: In a study of plants for anticonvulsant and sedative activity using animal models, M pyrifolia protected 50% to 100% of mice against convulsions and also exerted sedative activity by increasing duration of sleep induced by diazepam.
• Antiplasmodial: In an in vitro study of 13 Rwandan medicinal plants, the leaf extract of M pyrifolia was one among those that showed good results on antiplasmodial activity, active against chloroquine sensitive and resistant strains.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
|
