Botany
Sabi is an annual erect, usually branched, nearly smooth herb, 20 to 40 centimeters high. Leaves are oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 5 to 10 centimeters long, variously lobed and toothed, often lyrate, and petioled, the upper ones being sessile or nearly so, the basal leaves wither by flowering. Racemes are long, and terminal, with many flowers at the tip. Flowers are small, yellow, and 2.5 to 3 millimeters long. Sepals are as long as the petals. Pod is spreading, slender, cylindric, straight or slightly curved, and 1 to 2 centimeters long.

Distribution
- In and about towns along drains, ditches, roadsides, etc., and in waste place, along streams, etc., throughout the Philippines in the more or less settled areas.
- Introduced.
- Also found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam.
- Naturalized in North and South America.

Constituents
- Study of dried plant materials identified 33 glucosinolates, more than 40 flavonol glycosides, and 18 other phenolic and common organic compounds. (5)
- Study yielded roripamine, a novel sylphonylalkyl amine from the whole herb. (6)
- Study of methanol extract of seeds yielded 25 phytochemical compounds. The major compound was 1-Chloro-1-methylcyclohexane (17.34%), followed by 5-{Ethoxycarbonyl}- N(1)-[2'-(N",N"-dimethylamino)ethyl]-pyrimido [1,2-a] benzimidazol-4(10H)-one (11.38%), 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol (7.77%) and 3-Butyl-1,1-difluoro-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane (6.63%). Root extract also yielded 25 compounds; the major compound was ethyl 4-Benzyloxy-2-[2-methyl-2(E)-butenyl]-2-[2(E),4-pentadienyl ]acetoacetate (14.80%). (7)

Properties
- Considered diuretic, stimulant, antiscorbutic, depurative, expectorant, hypoglycemic, cancer preventive, odontalgic, purgative and stimulant.

Parts used
Seeds, various plant parts.

Uses
Edibility
- Tender young leaves and stems eaten raw or cooked as vegetable.
Folkloric
- In Indo-China, plant used as diuretic, stimulant, and antiscorbutic.
- Used for toothaches, abscesses, scald burns, bronchitis.
- Seeds used as laxative.
- Chinese herb used to treat cough, diarrhea, and rheumatoid arthritis. Used as diuretic, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge, and to improve blood circulation. (5)
- Also used in the treatment of asthma, chronic catarrh, and pyorrhea.
- In Assam, India, juice of seeds mixed with milk used for kidney trouble.
- In Uttar Pradesh, India, juice expressed from fresh leaves with a teaspoon of honey used for asthma.   (8)
- In Nagaland, India, aerial parts are used for diarrhea and dysentery. (10)

Studies
• Floral Nectar Production: Study showed the nectar volume increased toward the night and decreased during the day. The amount of sugar in the nectar decreased with flower age. Sugar concentration was lower at night than daytime. (9)
• Glucosinolates: Study found the plant to be a rich source of glucosinolates, containing 24 new glucosinolates, and 14 previously identified glucosylated glucosinolates. (5)
• Defensin / Pesticidal / Aphid L. erysimi:Study reports on the expression and purification of a novel R. indica defensin (RiD) and its efficacy against mustard aphid Lipaphis erysimi. The LC50 against L. erysimi was 9.099 ± 0.621 µg/mL. RiD may play an important role in inhibiting nutrient uptake by aphids. (11)

Availability
Wild-crafted.