Botany
A cycad with a
stout and cylindric trunk marked with prominent scars, usually
not growintg more than a meter in height. Leaves are numerous,
crowded, spreading, 1-1.5 meters long. Leaflets are numerous,
close, and linear; 18 cm long in the middle, 4 mm wide. Ovules
are hairy.
Distribution
Introduced. Now, cultivated
for ornamental purposes.
Parts utilized and preparation
Fruit, leaves.
Constituents
• Many cycads are toxic
because the stems, leaves and seeds contain high amounts of cycasin
alkaloids, macrozamin or methylazoxymethanol. Both cycasin and macrozamin
are harmful to the liver; cycasin and methylazoxymethanol are neurotoxic
and carcinogenic.
• Japanese study isolated a novel leptin from the leaves of CR. (source)
• Seeds have yielded B-N-methylamin-L-alanine (BMAA) used for
tonics and poultices. (Source)
• Study yielded a novel nonprotein amino acid, cycasindene.
(Source)
Properties
• Seeds of Cycas
species reported to be toxic and carcinogenic.
• Terminal shoot considered astringent and diuretic.
• Seed considered emmenagogue, expectorant, tonic.
Uses
Folkloric
• Like the palaspas, some albularyos have the leaves 'blessed'
on Palm Sunday and used for a variety of medicinal uses.
For suob, the leaves are dried and powdered, and added
to to the insenso kamanyan for the the ritual.
• In China, fruit used as expectorant
and tonic.
• Despite known toxicities, Cycad stems and seeds are used for
high blood pressure, headaches, congestion, rheumatism and bone pain.
• Leaves used in the treatment of cancer and hepatoma.
• In Japan's Kii Peninsula, a "tonic"
is made from the dried seeds of CR.
• In Bangladesh, the whole plant used for paralysis, indigestion, snake bites.
Others
• Palm Sunday: Leaves used for the ritual palms for Palm Sunday.
Studies
• Presence of aromatase inhibitors in cycads: One of five
species of cycas folia studied for inhibition of cytochrome P-450 aromatase
for use in the treatment of estrogen-dependent tumors.
• Lectin: Study isolated a novel lecting from the leaves of Cycas revoluta. The inhibition analysis of hemagglutinating activity and partial amino acid sequences of lysylendopeptic peptides show it to belong to the jacalin-related lectin family.
Toxcity
• Toxic / Caricinogenic: Seeds of Cycas
species reported to be toxic and carcinogenic. Many cycads are toxic
because the stems, leaves and seeds contain high amounts of cycasin
alkaloids, macrozamin or methylazoxymethanol. Both cycasin and macrozamin
are harmful to the liver; cycasin and methylazoxymethanol are neurotoxic
and carcinogenic.
• Cycasin / Toxins: Although all parts of the plant are toxic, it is the seed that contains the highest level of toxin cycasin. Cycasin causes gastrointetinal irritation with vomiting, diarrhea and may cause seizures, hepatotoxicity with jaundice, cirrhosis, ascites and liver failure. Other toxins are beta-methylamino-L-alanine and an unidentified toxin. Beta-methylamino-L-alanine is a neurotoxic amino acid known to cause ataxia in rat and neuro-manifestations in humans. The unidentified toxin may cause hindlimb paralysis in cattle from CNS axonal degeneration.
• Guam Disease: Beta-methylamino-L-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid, causes ataxia in rats and is implicated in Guam disease with symptoms similar to Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Lou Gehrig (ALS) diseases.
• Livestock: In cattle, an unidentified toxin may cause hindlimb paralysis, with axonal degeneration the CNS.
Availability
Ornamental cultivation. |
