 Botany
Mala-bawang is a plant with bulbs about 4 cm long, ovoid-oblong, and narrowed at both ends, the outer layers thin, and purple. Leaves are lanceolate, 3 tro 4 from each bulb, 30 to 50 cm long, 1.5 to 3 cm wide, narrowed at both ends, and plicate. Scapes are rather slender, as long as the leaves, and green. Spathes are 10 to 12 mm long, the outer two are green, the inner ones very much thinner, and greenish-white. Flowers are white, about 2 cm in diameter, with obovate spreading lobes.
Distribution
Introduced, now naturalized.
Occasionally in waste places about towns.
Sometimes, plantede for ornamental purposes.
Parts used
Bulbs.
Uses
Folkloric
Macerated buls applied on the stomach of children to relieve gas pains.
Decoction of bulbs used as diuretic.
In Thailand, the herb is one of ten herbal constituents of the prasaplai recipe, used in ancient gynecological practice for relieving dysmenorrhea and controlling mentruation.
Studies
• Cytotoxicity / Anti-Tumorigenesis: Study yielded 15 naphthalene derivatives, including 4 new glucosides, eleutherinosides B-E. Two of the compouns showed dose-dependent inhibittion of transcription of TCFB-catenin in SW480 colon cancer cells and seclective cytotoxicity against three colorectal cancer cell lines. Aberrant WntB-catenin signaling has recently been implicated in tumorigenesis.
• Radical Scavenging Activity / Antimelanogenesis: In a study evaluating medicinal plants from Kalimantan for antimelanogenesis, the bulbs of Eleutherine palmifolia showed DPPH radical scavenging activity and strongly inhibited the melanin production of B16 melanoma cels without significant cytotoxicity suggesting its potential as ingredient for skin whitening cosmetics.
• Prasaplia in Dysmenorrhea: E. palmifolia is one of 10 herbal constituents used in ancient Thai medicine for dysmenorrhea. Study showed Prasaplai caps have efficacy in relieving dysmenorrhea, although less than NSAIDs.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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