|
Botany
Stems densely tufted, 4 to 15 cm long, branched nearly to the
base; leaves of the lower plane crowded, ovate, with a distinct
cusp, bright green, rigid, serrulate on both margins; the leaves
of the upper plane are nearly as long, ovate lanceolate, cuspidate;
the sporophylls are keeled.
Distribution and Preparation
• Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Bontoc, Zambales, Pampanga, Rizal, Batangas,
Laguna, Quezon.
• The whole plant may be collected throughout the year. Wash thoroughly,
cut off the roots and sun-dry. This may also be processed into charcoal
form by heating it with small glow until it turns black, sprinkle with
some clean water and redry under the sun. Rhizome or the trunk-like
portion of the main axis used for propagation. Preferably transplant
collected living plants.
Properties and constituents
• Considered astrigent and hemostatic.
Uses
Nutrition
Edible: leaves; young shoots (cooked).
Folkloric
Hemoptysis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hematosuria, excessive menstrual
flow.
Prolapse of the rectum: boil the drug material to a concentrated decoction
and drink.
To stop external bleed of any cause: powder or dress the wound with
granulated drug materials.
Selaginella plus Thuja: For hematochezia due to a boil in the anal region
(patient cannot sit) or for an extra-menstrual bleeding uterus. Selaginella
preparation plus Thuja leaf preparation: Grind into powder, add warm
water. Drink the resulting infusion.
In China, used for trachiitis and tumors.
Other Uses in Asia
Called Keoun Back in Korea, Selaginella
tamariscina is a traditional medicinal plant
for therapy of advanced cancer patients in the Orient. It is thought
to modify gene expression and cytokine production. It also lowers blood
sugar and lipid peroxide levels. The biflavones isolated from related
Selaginella species exert both tumoricidal effects against human tumor
cell lines and anti-mutagenic activity. There is ongoing study for its
chemopreventive effects in stomach cancers.
Studies
• Biflavonoids isolated
from Selaginella tamariscina regulate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase
in human skin fibroblasts.
• Anti-mutagenic
/ tumoricidal: Called Keon in Korea, S
tamariscina is a traditional medicinal plant
for therapy of advanced cancer patients in the Orient. It is thought
to modify gene expression and cytokine production. It also lowers blood
sugar and lipid peroxide levels. The biflavones isolated from related
Selaginella species exert both tumoricidal effects against human tumor
cell lines and anti-mutagenic activity. There is ongoing study for its
chemopreventive effects in stomach cancers.
• Anti-fungal / Isocryptomerin / Amentoflavone: (1) Study isolated isocryptomerin, a biflavoinoid, which exerted antifungal activity in an energy-independent manner without hemolytic effects.
The antifungal activity may be through
a membrane-disruption mechanism. (2) Study isolated amentoflavone from the ethyl acetate extract of the whole plant. It exhibited potent antifungal activity against several pathogenic fungal strains presenting a great potential to be a lead compound for the development of antifungal agents.
• Antimetastatic: Study demonstrated that Selaginella tamariscina extract could be a candidate antimetastatic agent against lung cancer.
• Cell apoptosis: Cell apoptosis is important
in cellular homesotasis and anticarcinogenesis. Study suggests oxidative stress may be involved in the cytotoxicity of ST and that ST-induced
apoptosis of HL-60 cells is primarily mediated by the caspase activation
pathway.
• Vasorelaxation: Study
yielded an active biflavonoid, amentoflavone and results suggest it relaxes smooth muscle via endothelium-dependent nitric oxide-cGMP signaling, with possible involvement of K and Ca channels.
• Anti-gastric
cancer: Study results suggest that Selaginella tamariscina could be a candidate chemopreventive agent against gastric cancer.
• Candidiasis: S-Phase Accumulation
of Candida albicans by Anticandidal Effect of Amentoflavone Isolated
from Selaginella tamariscina: Study suggests amentoflavone
has a potential for treatment of candidiasis.
• Chemical Constituents: Study isolated four compounds from the n-BuOH fraction of water extracts: tamariscinodise B, adenosine, guanosine and arbutin.
• Anti-Allergic: Study of the ethanol extract of ST showed it could inhibit mouse systemic anaphylactic shock and dose-dependently block passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and skin reactions caused by exogenous histamine and serotonin. Results suggest EST inhibits mast cell-dependent, immediate allergic reactions and suggests ST and one of its active flavonoids present a potential remedy for allergy-related diseases.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
