Botany
Kabal is a tree growing about 6 meters or more in height. Leaves are opposite, very leathery, oblong ovate or ovate, 15 to 33 centimeters in length, 8 to 18 centimeters in width, rounded or somewhat heart-shaped at the base, and pointed at the tip. Stipules form a cup around the stem on which the leaves are borne. Flowers are borne in clusters on terminal inflorescences which are often 20 to 30 centimeters in length. Corolla is white, funnel-shaped, about 2.5 to 3 centimeters in diameter, with 5 promient lobes. Fruit is a broadly ovoid or rounded berry, about 1 centimeter in diameter, containing many seeds and borne in good sized bunches.
Distribution
- In primary forests at low and medium altitudes.
- Common in Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Camarines, Albay, and Sorsogon Provices in Luzon; and in Mindanao, Palawan, Balabac, Polilo, Biliran, Samar, Sibuyan, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Mindanao and Basilan.
- Also occurs in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, throughout most of the Malaysian area, to norhtern Australia.
Properties
Antidote, febrifuge, tonic.
Parts used
Bark, flowers, leaves, roots.
Uses
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, bark and flowers are used as antidote for snake bites.
- Decoction of roots used as tonic after fever, for pains in the loins, and for coughs.
- Compound of decoction of leaves with santol leaves (Sandoricum koetjape), drunk as a tonic.
- Pounded roots used for poulticing ulcerations in the nose.
- Decoction of leaves used as medicinal bath for fevers in children.
- Boiled leaves used for dropsy.
- Leaf formentation used for rheumatism.
- Bark used as application for pains associated with miscarriages.
- In India, root-bark used as febrifuge.
- In Malaysia, preparation of fresh roots used to relieve pain.
Studies
• Fagraeoside / Anti-Inflammatory: Study of stem bark isolated a new terpene alkaloid, fagraeoside, along with secologanoside. Fagraeoside inhibited the production of PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) in murine fibroblasts. It also showed low to moderate activity in anti-acetylcholinesterase screening.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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