|
Botany
Erect, branched
small tree, growing 3-5 meters, the trunk bearing many prop roots.
Leaves are spirally crowded toward the ends of the branches,
linear lanceolate, slenderly long-acuminate, up to 1.5 meters
long, 3-5 cm wide, the margrins and midrib armed with sharp spiny
teeth pointing toward the apex of the leaf. The male inflorescence
is fragrant, pendulous, up to 0.5 meter long. Fruit is solitary,
pendulous, ellipsoid to globose-ellipsoid, about 20 cm long,
composed of 50-75 obovoid, angular, fibrous and fleshy drupes,
4-6 cm long, narrow below and truncate at the apex.
Distribution
In thickets along
seashores throughout the Philippines.
Parts utilized
Leaves and roots.
Constituents
and characteristics
Essential oil, alkaloids,
glycosides and tannin.
Blossoms yield an essential oil.
Keora oil contains diterpene, d-linalool, phenylethyl acetate, citral,
phenylethyl alcohol ester, ester of phthalic acid, fatty acids and steroptene.
The prop roots possess diuretic properties.
Oil and attar considered stimulant and antispasmodic.
Uses
Folkloric
Diuretic: Take decoction of fresh or dried prop root as tea.
Headache, arthritis, stomach spasms: Decoction of leaves. Poultice of
fresh leaves mixed with oil also used for headaches.
Wound healing: Pulverized dried leaves used to facilitate wound healing.
Poultice of mash of cabbage of plant, mixed with salt and juice of Citrus
microcarpa, for abscesses.
Decoction of roots believed to have aphrodisiac and cardiotonic properties.
Also used for arthritis and to prevent spontaneous abortion.
Chewing the roots strengthens the gums.
Decoction of roots combined with sap of banana plant for urethral injections
for variety of urinary complaints.
In Ayurveda, leaves used for leprosy, smallpox, scabies, syphilis and
leukoderma.
In traditional Indian systems, used for filarial disease, leucorrhea and as emmenagogue.
Anthers of male flowers used for earaches and headaches.
Culinary
An aromatic leaf used to perfume
rice dishes.
Studies
• Anti-Inflammatory / : Fresh juice of the aerial root of Pandanus tectorius produced i34.5 % nhibition of carrageenin-induced edema.
• Intestinal Motility / Uterine Stimulant: Study in rats suggest stimulant property on gastrointestinal motility and uterine stimulant action.
• Antibacterial: Study results indicate that Pandanus tectorium have antibacterial effects on B subtilis but not on E coli, P aeruginosa, C albicans or S aureus.
Availability
Wildcrafted.
Small scale commercial production. |
