| Varieties
Amaranthus hypochondriacus
Lady bleeding, love-lies bleeding. pliewort, prince's feather, red cockscomb,
spleen amaranth, flower velure, floramor, velvet flower
Botany
· A stout, erect,
smooth, branched herb, 0.4 to 1 m high. Stems with slender axillary
spines. The presence of spines differentiate it from kolitis (Amaranthus
viridis).
· Leaves: glabrous, long-petioled, oblong to oblong ovate, or
elliptic-lanceolate, 4 to 10 cm long, obtuse, alternate.
· Flowers: very numerous, stalkless, green or greening-white,
about 1 mm long and born in dense, axillary clusters and in elongated
terminal axillary spikes. Sepals, 5 or 1-3, ovate to linear, often aristate.
Petals, scarious. Bracts, linear, bristle-pointed and as long as the
sepals or longer.
· Fruits: utricles, wrinkled, nearly as long as the sepals. 
· Seeds, minute, black and shining.
Distribution
Found throughout
the Philippines at lowlands and low altitudes.
A common weed on roadsides and wastelands.
Parts
utilized
· Roots,
stems and leaves.
· Harvest the root at any time of the year.
· Wash thoroughly, cut into pieces and sun-dry.
· The plant can be eaten as a vegetable.
Constituents, Characteristics
and Pharmacological Effects
· Slightly sweet-tasting,
mildly refrigerant in nature. A good expectorant. Antifebrile, an effective
astringent especially in stopping liquid bowels.
· Locally, it has been reported that a decoction of the root
can cure gonorrhea and relieve one's breathing from acute bronchitis.
• Considered antidote, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, emollient, febrifuge.
• Leaf contains anthraquinone derivatives, cardiac glycosides and saponins.
Uses
Nutritional
Plant , especially the
young leaves, can be used as vegetable, as a
spinach substitute.
Folkloric
· Decoction of
roots has been used for treatment of gonorrhea.
· Bacillary dysentery, diarrhea, acute and chronic gastroenteritis,
urinary tract inflammation.
· Fever, bronchitis.
· Lactation.
· Bruised leaves for skin eczema.
· Snake bites.
· Bleeding in piles.
· Dosage: Use 30 to 60 gms of dried material or 60 to 120 gms
of fresh material, as infusion or decoction. For external application,
employ decoction of fresh material as wash for ulcers and sores. Decoction
also used as gargle for sore throat.
· Bleeding hemorrhoids: Uray can be combined with Verbena officinalis
and boiled into decoction. To the decoction, add a small amount of vinegar
and drink. Bleeding should cease the following day.
• Poultice of seeds used for broken bones.
· All amaranths are recommended for coughs.
• In Pakistan, roots are used for
menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema, colic and as lactagogue. Leaves and
roots used as laxative, on boils and as poultice for abscesses.
• In the traditional medicine of Taiwan and China,
used for diabetes.
• In China, poultice of seeds used for broken bones; used internally for bleeding, diarrhea and menorrhagia.
• In Nepal, used as abortifacient.
• In Nigeria, ashes from burnt plant
used for sores; juice from plant used as eye wash. source
Others
Plant yields yellow and green dyes.
Studies
• Antifertility:
Study that included the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of A spinosus
roots was studied for anti-fertility effects. The results showed alcholic
extract use in day 1 to day 5 of pregnancy showed significant pregnancy
interruption, more likely with the alcohol than aqueous extracts.
• Antimalarial:
Study tshowed the efficacy ofr AS extracts
against Plasmodium falcifarum supporting its traditional use for anti-parasitic
activity.
• Immunomodulatory:
Study assessed the immunomodulatory effects
of AS water extract and results suggested a heat-labile anti-apoptotic
component.
• Hepatoprotective
/ Antioxidant: Study results strongly indicated potenty hepatoprotective
activity in experimental hepatic damage in animals. Study suggests the
protective mechanism to be from the presence of flavonoids and phenolics.
• Anti-diabetic
/ Spermatogenic: Study showed methanolic extract of AS significantly
decreased blood glucose, comparable to glibenclamide. It also showed
hypolipidemic effects and accelerated spermatogenesis by increasing
sperm count and accessory sex organ weights. Results supports it folkloric
use for diabetes.
• Anti-Inflammatory:
Study of methanol extract of AS leaves showed
antiinflammatory activity probably through inhibition of prostaglandin
biosynthesis.
• Immuno-Modulatory / B-Lymphocyte Proliferation: Study of A spinosus water extracxt exhibited immuno-stimulating activity through direct stimulation of B-lymphocyte activation in vitro and suggests possible subsequent T cell proliferation in vitro. Results suggest a potential for future nutraceutical and immuno-pharmacologic use for AS.
• Adverse Hematologic Effects: Study of ethanol extract in pigs showed significant reduction of PCV, RBC and hemoglobin of pigs. Results suggest caution of in use to avoid probably toxic effects.
• Anti-Diarrheal / Anti-Ulcer: Study of ethanol extract of the whole plant of AS significantly inhibited travel time of a charcoal meal. Anti-ulcer effects were noted with differing degrees of protection with extract and with cimetidine.
• Phytochemicals / Betalains: Study of phenolic profile yielded betalains - amaranthine and isoamaranthine. Extracts were found to contain hydroxycinnamates, quercetin, kaempferol glycosides.
• Immunomodulatory: Study of water extract of AS inhibited the spontaneous and dexamethasone-induced apoptosis of splenocytes. Results suggest a potentially valuable substance for future nutraceutical and immunopharmacological use.
• Antinociceptive / Anti-Inflammatory: Study of 50% water extract of AS showed significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity and central and peripheral analgesic activity.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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