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Botany
Tukod-langit is a rhizome, growing a foot or more in moist ground. Rhizomes are short and creeping,
Stipes are erect, 15 to 30 cm long. Fronds grow singly from the underground rhizomes, and the appearance is characteristic. Leaf blade spreads ourt almost horizontally, resembling an umbrella, hece the common name. It has three segments, each of which may be divided into two to five parts. Ultimate segments are 7 to 15 cm long, and 2 to 4 cm wide, and lanceolate. Mature leaves have a spike, 7 to 20 cm long, that extends upward from the leaf stalk, roughly following the latter in length. Upper portion of the spike contains the spores.
Distribution
In open bushy places near sea
level, on damp ground or along the banks of streams.
Often found in thickets, around bamboo clumps.
New fronds usually initiated at the beginning of the rainy
season.
Occurs from the Himalayas to Queensland and New Caledonia, Malay Peninsula.
Parts
utilized
· Rhizome.
· Wash and dry under the sun.
Cultivation
Use rhizomes for propagation; preferably
in shaded and moist area.
Constituents
Studies yieled stilbenes and flavonoids with antioxidant activities.
Properties
Expectorant, good antidote for snakebites,
antiasthmatic.
Studies yieled stilbenes and flavonoids with antioxidant activities.
Uses
Nutrional
Young leaves popular as salad vegetable.
Excellent source of phosphorus and iron; a fair source of calcium.
Folkloric
· For coughing due to tuberculosis,
asthma, poisonous snakebites: boil 6 to 10 gms dried drug in a cup of
water and drink the decoction.
· For snakebites: crush the fresh plant and poultice the wound.
· Rhizome is chewed with betel for whooping cough.
· In India, used
in Kerala in treatment of hepatic disorders; rhizome also used for curing
impotency; rhizome is chewed with areca for whooping cough.
· In Malaysia, rhizome
used as a tonic. Decoction of leaves used as tonic after childbirth. Rhizome mixed with Piper betle for cough and venereal diseases.
· In Java, used
for dysentery, catarrh, phthisis.
· In the Moluccas,
used to relieve constipation.
Studies
• Hepatoprotective:
Study of ethanolic extracts of rhizomes of HZ showed significant hepatoprotective
effect against CCl4-induced damage liver damage in rats and presents
scientific rational for its folkloric use in liver diseases.
• Antioxidants:
(1) Study yielded eight flavonoids, ugonins E-L (1-8) from the rhizomes
of HZ. Compounds 6, 7 amd 8 showed significant antioxidant activity.
(2) Study yielded three new cyclized stilbenes, ugonstilbene A,. B and
C which exhibited moderate antioxidant activity.
• Neuroprotective:
Study has isolated Ugonin K, a flavonoid from the rhizomes of H zeylanica. Results suggest ugonin K has neuroprotective activity through activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K?Akt signal pathways which protects against H2O2-induced apoptosis.
• Anti-Inflammatory / Flavonoids:
Study isolated 8 new prenylated flavonoids, ugonins M-T together with five known compounds, ugonins J−L (9−11), 5,4′-dihydroxy-4′′,4′′-dimethyl-5′′-methyl-5′′H-dihydrofurano[2′′,3′′:6,7]flavanone, and quercetin. Some compounds showed inhibition of superoxide anion generation and elastase release by human neutrophils in response to FMLP/CB.
• Aphrodisiac:
Administration of a methanol extract of H. zeylanica rhizome to male mice significantly stimulated the sexual behavior as shown by increase in number of mounts, mating and reproductive performance.
• Antioxidant Flavonoids:
Eight flavonoids, ugonins E-L were isolated from the rhizomes of Helminthostachys zeylanica. Compounds 3-8 were evaluated for their antioxidative activity in a DPPH assay. Compounds 6,7 and 8 were more active than Trolox.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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