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Botany:
:
A small tree, growing to a height of 40 feet. Leaves
are smooth, boradly ovate, peltate, up to 8 inches long, pointed at
the tip and rounded at the base with petioles up to 7 to 12 inches long.
The blade is 5- to 9-nerved. Inflorescence is terminal or at the axils
of the leaves, 4 to 8 inches long. Flowers are hairy, white and less
than half an inch diameter. Fruit is ellipsoid or rounded up to 1.25
inches in diameter with an inflated involucre.
Distribution
Found along the seashore, occasionally
extending inland on slopes, at low altitudes.
Parts
utilized
Leaves.
Chemical constituents
and properties
Leaves contain an alkaloid, 0.7 per
cent, resembling berberine.
Seeds contain an oil, containing stearin.
Bark and leaves are considered cathartic and depilatory.
Uses
Folkloric
The oil is used as a hair restorer;
also used for dandruff.
The root is chewed to counter the effects of eating poisonous crabs
or fish.
Leaves and seeds, when eaten, cause purging and dizziness.
In the Moluccas, the heartwood
at the base of the trunk used for treating hemorrhages.
Others
In the Dutch Indies, oil used to make candles.
Studies
• Twigs Constituents:
Fractionation of ethyl acetate extract of HO twigs isolated two new
naturally occurring aryltetralin lignans along with 8 known compounds.
Two exhibited significant inhibition of the transformation of murine
epidermal JB6 cells.
• Antitumor:
HO reported to possess alkaloid possessing inhibitory activity against
the Walker intramuscular carcinosarcoma 256 test system.
•
Seed Constituents / Lignans:
Study isolated a new lignan, hernolactone from the seeds of HO besides
six previously reported lignans.
• Deoxypodophyllotoxin / Anticancer: The seeds of HO contain 2.4% DPT (deoxypodophyllotoxin). DPT is a form of epipodophyllotoxin, a basic skeleton of the anticancer drug etoposide. HO presents a possible source for the mass production of etoposide.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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