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Family Lamiaceae
Suob kabayo
Hyptis suaveolens Poir.
BUSH-TEA-BUSH


Other name  Other name
Marrubium indicum Blanco  Amotan (Bik.) 
Ballota suaveolens Bangbangsit (Ilk.) 
  Bauing (Sul.) 
  Bawing (Sul.) 
  Kabling-kabayo (Tag.) 
  Kolongkogong (Bik.) 
  Litalit (Ilk.)
  Loko-loko (Bis.)
  Pansi-pansian (Tag.) 
  Pilodo (P. Bis.) 
  Suag-kabayo (Tag.) 
  Suob-kabayo (Tag.)
  Bush-tea-bush (Engl.)
  Pignut (Engl.)
  Wild spikenard (Engl.)

Description
· A coarse, erect, branched, more or less hairy aromatic annual ).5 to 2 m tall, with square stems.
· Leaves: ovate, opposite, 4-9 cm long, pointed at the tip, pointed to somewhat heart-shaped at the base, and toothed at the margins.
· Flowers: axillary, long-stalked. Calyx hairy, about 4 mm long, but soon enlarges in fruit to about 1 cm long, striate with erect, stiff teeth. Corolla blue, strongly zygomorphic, bilabiate; stamens 4, declinate, and about 8 mm long, with a limb 5 mm in diameter.
· Fruits: seeds are flat and mucilaginous.

Distribution
Very abundant in open, waste places at low and medium altitudes throughout the Philippines.

Parts utilized
Whole plant.
Collect from April to June.
Wash, cut in pieces and compress. Dry under the sun.

Constituents
• Study yielded essential oils in the fruiting stage. The principle constituents were spathulenol, 1,8-cineole, and (E)-caryophyllene. source

Properties
• Bitter, minty and aromatic.
• Considered analgesic, decongestant, and antipyretic, stimulates blood circulation.

Uses
Folkloric
· Fever associated with cold.
· Flatulence: Decoction of herb as tea.
· Boils: Crush leaves and apply on affected area.
· Headache: Crush leaves and apply on forehead or temples.
· Pounded fresh material applied as poultice may be used for treatment of snake bites.
· Decoction of fresh material may be used as external wash for dermatitis, eczema.
· Infusion of dried leaves is taken for fever or applied to the forehead for headaches and to boils. The juice of leaves, mixed with lime juice, is drunk for stomach aches.
· Juice of leaves used for athlete's foot, applied daily to interdigital areas.
• In India, leaf paste is applied on sores and fungal skin infections.
source
Others
Repellent: A bedbug repellant from the intense pungency of the leaves.

Hyptis oil: A high concentration of omega-6 lipids suggests hyptis oil to be an ideal product for dry, flaky skin.

Studies
Antimicrobial:
(1) Study of the volatile oil distilled from the overground parts of H suaveolens showed activity against bacteria and fungi. (2) Another study on leaf extracts showed highest antungal and antibacterial activity against Aspergillus niger and Micrococcus luteus.
Insecticidal Effect : (1) A comparative study showed that H suaveolens exerted better larvicidal and ovicidal effect than A indica and O gratissimum. (2) Study of the insecticidal activities of the petroleum ether extract of H suaveolens showed high toxicity on the second instar larvae of the Diamond back moth, Plutella xylostella.
Acaricidal Effect : A hydro-distillate of HS leaves showed the adult and nymphal stages of ticks of Hyalomma sp , Rhipicephalus sp, and Haemophysalis sp to be hight susceptible, favoring its use as an acaricide.
Larvicidal Effect : Study showed the essential oil of Hyptis suaveolens demonstrated high larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti compared to that Lantana camara . A synergistic effect with 100% mortality was obtained with the mixture of leaf essential oils of H suaveolens and L camara. It presents a promising source for natural larvicidal compounds.
Antinociceptive Effect : Study of HS aqueous leaf extracts showed dose-dependent nociceptive effects significantly antagonized by naloxone. No toxicity was found on doses of up to 5 g/kg p.o.
Antiinflammatory Effect : In a comparative study with the antiinflammatory activity of diclofenac sodium, Hyptis suaveolens leaf essential oil showed to have better antiinflammatory activity than the marketed formulation.

Essential Oils: Study on the composition of essential of H suaveolens showed 1,8-cineole and (E)-caryophyllene to be the principal constituents. Latitude seems to be the most important environmental factor.
Antioxidant / Antifungal / Essential Oils: Study on the essential oil of H suaveolens showed time and concentration dependent antioxidant effect. Results showed antifungal potential more pronounced than antibacterial properties.

Toxicity Concerns and Studies
Hepatotoxicty: Animal study suggests that the use of extracts of H suaveolens in high doses may be accompanied by weight loss and toxic effects on the liver.
Chronic Toxicity Study: A study of water extract of HS for 6-month chronic toxicity in Wistar rats at five treatment doses failed to produce any dose-related changes or significant toxic effects based on hematologic, biochemical, and histopathologic parameters.

Availability
Wild-crafted. 


Last Update October 2010

Photo © Godofredo Stuart / StuartXchange
OTHER IMAGE SOURCE / Flowers / GNU Free Documentation / File:Hyptis suaveolens (Vilayti Tulsi) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 0113.jpg / J M Garg / 20/09/08 / Wikimedia Commons

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AND PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM HYPTIS SUAVEOLENS / International Society for Horticultural Science
(2)
Comparative Assessment of InsecticidalEffect of A indica, H suaveolens and O gratissimum on Sitophilus zeamais and C maculatus
(3)
Antimicrobial activity of the leaf extracts of Hyptis suaveolens (L.) poit / DOI: 10.4103/0250-474X.36946 / Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Year : 2007 | Volume : 69 | Issue : 4 | Page : 568-569
(4)
Evaluation of Hyptis suaveolens hydro-distillate as an acaricide / Journal of Veterinary Parasitology Year : 2006, Volume : 20, Issue
(5)
Biological Control of Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) usiing Leaf Extract of Chan (H suaveolens) and Hedge Flower (Lantana camara) / School of Biology, Inst of Science, Suranaree Univerisity of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, 30000, Thailand / Email: korakod@ccs.sut.ac.th
(6)
Effects of Aqueous Extracts of HS on Liver Function in an Experimental Rabbit Model / Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances 5(1): 27-29,2006
(7)
Antinociceptive effect and acute toxicity of the Hyptis suaveolens leaves aqueous extract on mice / Fitoterapia ISSN 0367-326X / 2007, vol. 78, no5, pp. 333-336
(8)
Comparison of antiinflammatory activity of diclofenac sodium with leaf essential oil of Hyptis suaveloens poit. / The Antiseptic. 2001 Mar.; 98(3): 90
(9)
Essential oil chemotypes in Hyptis suaveolens from Brazilian Cerrado / N R Azevedo et al / Biochemical Systematics and Ecology • Volume 30, Issue 3, March 2002, Pages 205-216 / doi:10.1016/S0305-1978(01)00075-8 |
(10)
Chronic toxicity study of Hyptis suaveolens (L) Poit in rats / Aimmanas Attawish et al / Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol., 2005, 27 (5): 1027-1036/
(11)
Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Hyptis suaveolens Essential Oil / Witayapan Nantitanon et al /
Sci Pharm. 75, 35-46 (2007)
(12)
The Insecticidal Activity of Petroleum Ether Extract of Hyptis suaveolens Poit (Labiatae) Seeds on Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera:Y ponomeutidae) / S S Keila, B A Umoetok and J G Smith / Agricultural Journal
Year: 2006 | Volume: 1 | Issue: 1 | Page No.: 11-13 / DOI: 10.3923/aj.2006.11.13


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