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Botany
· A glabrous, smooth branched shrub 1-2 m high.
· Leaves: opposite, elliptic-ovate, 2-6 cm long, narrowed
and pointed at both ends, shining and short peticled. Stipulate.
· Flowers: large and very fragrant, occurring singly in
the upper axil of the leaves. Calyx green, with funnel-shaped
tube and about 1.5 cm long, 5-angled, or winged and divided into
linear lobes about as long as the tube. Corolla usually double,
white but soon turning yellowish and 5-8 cm wide. Stamens as
many as the corolla lobes. Anthers linear, sessile. Ovary 1-celled,
style stout, clavate, fusiform, or 2-cleft, ovules numerous on
parietal placentae.
· Fruits: ovoid or ellipsoid, 2.5 to 4.5 cm long, 1.5
to 2 cm in diameter, yellow, with 5 to 9 longitudinal ridges.
Maturing about the month of November.
Properties and constituents
• Antiophthalmic, emollient,
emetic, stimulant, diuretic, antiperiodic, cathartic, anthelmintic,
alterative, antispasmodic, antiseptic, febrifuge.
• Study of chemical constituents in fruits isolated nine compounds: imperatorin, isoimperatorin, crocetin, 5-hydroxy-7,3',4',5'-tetrainethoxyflavone, 2-methyl-3,5-dihydroxychromone, sudan III, geniposide, crocin and crocin-3.
Distribution
A common garden plant. Only the double-flowered form occurs in the Philippines.
Parts
utilized
· Parts utilized: roots, leaves, fruits.
· Collect fruits during August to October.
· Roots: rinse, section into pieces, sun-dry.
· Fruits: sun-dry after stemming.
Uses
Folkloric
· Decoction
of leaves and flowers used for dyspepsia, flatulences, nervous disorders
and abdominal pains.
· Decoction of bark (50-55 g) used for fevers. dysentery and
abdominal pains.
· Decoction of flowers used as wash for inflammed eyes.
· Poultice of leaves for swollen breasts; may be mixed with vioileta
and other herbs.
· Jaundice, hepatitis
· Fruit is antiseptic; used for tootaches, foul sores.
· Cough, fever.
· Bacillary dysentery.
· Nephritic edema
· Epistaxis, painful outgrowth at the tongue
· Mastitis, furuncle
· Lymph node tuberculosis
· Dosage: use 30 to 60 gms dried roots, 60 to 120 gms dried fruits
in decoction. Fruits may be pulverized and applied to regions with furuncle,
sprains, lymph node tuberculosis with water or alcohol.
• In China, extract
used traditionally to treat diabetes.
• In Oriental medicine, fruit has been used for inflammation, jaundice, headache, fever, liver disorders and hypertension.
Studies
• Antioxidant:
Crocin is a water soluble carotenoid found in the fruits of gardenia
(Gardenia jasminoides) and seems to possess moderately strong antioxidant
activity
• Diabetes / Genipin: Study
discovered "genipin" from the Gardenia extract. Genipin blocks
the the UCP2 enzyme (uncoupling protein 2) that inhibits pancreatic
insulin secretion. It suggests a potential for genipin-related compounds.
• Antiangiogenic Activity:
The n-butanol fraction of the ethanol extract of gardenia fruit was found to be most effective in the antiangiogenic assay.
• Anti- Cerulein Pancreatitis Protective Activity:
Study showed Gardenia jasminoides pretreatment ameliorated the severity of cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.
• Alzheimer's Disease / Amyloid Beta Peptide:
The brains of Alzheimer's disease patients have large depositis of amyloid beta peptide known to increase free radical production in nerve cells leading to cell death. The study of extract of G jasminoides suggest it can reduce the cytotoxicity of amyloid beta peptide in PC 12 cells, possibly by reducing oxidative stress.
• Immunosuppressive Iridoids:
Study yielded a new iridoid, gardaloside and a new safranal-type monoterpene, jasminoside G, with 10 other known compounds from the fruits of G jasminoides. Four of the compounds showed significant inhibition of IL-2 secretion and anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody co-stimulated activiation of human peripheral blood T cells.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Common garden plant.
Cultivated for ornamental use.
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