• Scoparia dulcis • {dan~ta.thu.hka.}
compiled by U Kyaw Tun, U Pe Than, and staff of TIL. Not for sale.
Family: Scrophulariaceae
1 entry
•
Scoparia dulcis • {dan~ta.thu.hka.}
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Synonyms: Scoparia grandiflora, Scoparia ternata, Capraria dulcis, Gratiola micrantha
Burmese-Myanmar transcript names:
• Agri.Dept.2000 31-825:
{dan~ta.thu.hka.}
• FAO : NL
• Lè-seik-shin 219:
{dan~ta.thu.hka.}
• KS-TMN 206: Danta-thukha; Thagya-bin; Mann-lay
• Nagathein 2-081:
{da-na.thu.hka.} /
{dan~ta.thu.hka.} /
{hkaN~Ða.thu.hka.} /
• UHM : NL
Myanmar-Script Spelling :
•
Official Myanmar Dictionaries :
{dan~ta.thu.hka.}
{dan~ta.thu.hka.} -
--
TravPo-M-Dict 155
{dan~ta.thu.hka.} - n. parasitic herb used for treating toothache - Myan-Engl-Dict 215
UKT: The description "parasitic herb" given by Myan-Engl-Dict is not appropriate.
Hindi:
भूहिधन्य {Bu-hi.-Da.nya} --
Nagathein (UKT: Nagathein's Burmese-Devanagari is NOT {Bu-hi.-Da.ña})
Sanskrit:
English common name used in Myanmar :
• Agri.Dept.2000 31-825: Sweet broom weed
• FAO : NL
• Lè-seik-shin 219: Sweet broom weed
• KS-TMN: Sweet Broom weed
• Nagathein 2-081: NG
• UHM : NL
English name:
• Vassourinha, sweet broom, licorice weed -- www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
Picture :
• Leader: left -- Nagathein; right --
www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
• Photos:
left --
habit with flowers and fruits;
right -- habit with fruits.
Click on the pictures to enlarge. -- KS-TMN
Plant identification characters :
• An annual erect herb; profusely branched, the younger stems 5-to 6-angled, glabrous. Leaves 3-nately whorled, simple; exstipulate; petioles short or subsessile; laminae broadly elliptic to oblanceolate, the bases attenuate, the margins serrate, the tips acute, unicostate, reticulate, the surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences axillary cymes, 1-to 2-flowered. Flowers ebracteate, ebracteolate, pedicellate, bisexual, actinomorphic, tetramerous, hypogynous. Calyx aposepalous, the sepals 4, imbricate in bud, persistent. Corolla synpetalous, 4-fid, rotate, the tubes short, throat densely bearded, the lobes obtuse, subequal, white. Androecium polyandrous, stamens 4, didynamous, epipetalous, the filaments filiform, attached at the base of corolla tube, exserted, the anthers dithecous, subsagittate, dorsifixed, introrse, dehiscence longitudinal. Pistil 1, ovary ovoid or globose, 2-carpelled, syncarpous, 2-loculed, the placentation axile, the ovules numerous on the enlarged placentae, the style subclavate, the stigma bifid. Fruit a septicidal capsule, globose, valves membranous, the margins inflexed; seeds many, obovoid, endosperm fleshy. Flowering period: October - December. Fruiting period: November - January -- KS-TMN
• Vassourinha is an erect annual herb in the foxglove family that grows up to 1/2 m high. It produces serrated leaves and many small, white flowers. It is widely distributed in many tropical countries in the world and is found in abundance in South America and the Amazon rainforest. It can be found as far north as the Southern United States, including Texas, Florida and Louisiana. The plant is called escobilla in Peru, vassourinha in Brazil and in here in the U.S. the plant is known as sweet broomweed or licorice weed. In many areas, the plant is considered an invasive weed. -- www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
Distribution in Myanmar
• A common weed, throughout Myanmar -- KS-TMN
Part used and uses:
• Root -- Menorrhagia; Leucorrhoea. Leaf-- Febrifuge; Emesis; Tooth-ache -- KS-TMN
• Leaves, bark, roots. Main Uses: 1. for menstrual problems (pain, cramps, premenstrual syndrome [PMS], to promote and normalize menstruation): 2. for upper respiratory bacterial and viral infections; 3. to relieve pain of all types (arthritis, migraines and headaches, stomach aches, muscle pain, etc); 4. to tone, balance, and strengthen heart function (and for mild hypertension); 5. for venereal diseases and urinary tract infections. Main actions: kills viruses, kills leukemia cells, inhibits tumors, kills germs, reduces inflammation, relieves pain, reduces spasms, expels phlegm, promotes menstruation, reduces blood pressure, supports heart. Other actions: kills bacteria, kills fungi, reduces fever, heals wounds, lowers blood sugar, lowers body temperature. Standard Dosage: Whole herb, Infusion: 1 cup twice daily, Capsules: 2-3 g twice daily. Properties/Actions Documented by Research: analgesic (pain-reliever), anti-inflammatory, antitumorous, antibacterial, anticancerous, antifungal, antileukemic, antispasmodic, antiviral, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens heart function), central nervous system depressant, diuretic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), sedative -- www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
Ethnobotany (Worldwide use):
Use in India; for diabetes, dysentery, earache, fever,
gonorrhea, headaches, jaundice, snake bite, stomach problems,
toothache, warts --
www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
• Main Actions (in order):anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial,
analgesic (pain-reliever), antispasmodic, anticancerous
Vassourinha has long held a place in herbal medicine in every
tropical country where it grows, and its use by indigenous peoples is well
documented. Indigenous tribes in Ecuador brew a tea of the entire plant to
reduce swellings, aches, and pains. The Tikuna Indians make a decoction for
washing wounds, and women drink the same decoction for three days each month
during menstruation as a contraceptive and/or to induce abortions. In the
rainforests of Guyana, indigenous tribes use a leaf decoction as an antiseptic
wash for wounds, as an anti-nausea aid for infants, as a soothing bath to treat
fever, and in poultices for migraine headaches. Indigenous peoples in Brazil use
the leaf juice to wash infected wounds, and place it in the eyes for eye
problems; they make an infusion of the entire plant to use as an expectorant and
to soothe and soften the skin. Indigenous tribes in Nicaragua use a hot water
infusion and/or decoction of vassourinha leaves (or the whole plant) for stomach
pain, for menstrual disorders, as an aid in childbirth, as a blood purifier, for
insect bites, fevers, heart problems, liver and stomach disorders, malaria,
venereal disease, and as a general tonic.
Vassourinha is still employed in herbal medicine throughout
the tropics. In Peru a decoction of the entire plant is recommended for upper
respiratory problems, biliary colic or congestion, menstrual disorders, and
fever; the leaf juice is still employed externally for wounds and hemorrhoids.
In Brazilian herbal medicine the plant is used to reduce fever, lower blood
sugar and blood pressure, and as an expectorant for coughs and lung congestion.
A tea is prepared from the leaves or aerial parts of the plant for fevers and
urinary tract diseases, upper respiratory disorders, bronchitis, coughs,
menstrual disorders, and hypertension. The leaf juice or a decoction of the
leaves is also employed topically for skin ulcers and erysipelas. In Ayurvedic
herbal medicine systems in India a leaf tea is widely used for diabetes.
Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:
abortive, antimalarial, cough suppressant, antivenin, contraceptive,
decongestant, detoxifier, emollient, expectorant, febrifuge (reduces fever),
hepatotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the liver), insecticide, menstrual
stimulant, refrigerant (lowers body temperature), tonic (tones, balances,
strengthens overall body functions), vermifuge (expels worms), wound healer. --
www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
Main Preparation Method: decoction, infusion or capsules
Traditional Preparation: The reported therapeutic dosage generally
used in South America is 2-3 g twice daily or 1 cup of a standard infusion twice daily.
Cautions: Use with caution in combination with barbiturates and
antidepressants. It has hypoglycemic effects.
Contraindications:
• The traditional use as an abortive and/or childbirth aid warrants that
vassourinha should not be taken during pregnancy.
• Avoid combining with antidepressants or barbiturates unless under the
supervision of a qualified health care practitioner (see drug interactions below).
• A vassourinha extract recently demonstrated hypoglycemic activity,
significantly lowering blood sugar levels in rats. This plant is probably
contraindicated in people with hypoglycemia. Diabetics monitor their blood
glucose levels closely if they use vassourinha to monitor these possible effects.
Drug Interactions: One human study
documented that an ethanol extract of vassourinha inhibited radioligand binding
to dopamine and seratonin. Another study reported that a water extract given
intragastrically to rats potentiated the effects of barbiturates. As such, it is
possible that vassourinha may enhance the effect of barbiturates and selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants. --
www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
Constituents:
• Chemical screening of vassourinha has shown that it is a
source of novel phytochemicals in the flavone and terpene classification, some
of which have not been seen in science before. Many of vassourinha's active
biological properties, including its anticancerous properties, are attributed to
these phytochemicals. The main chemicals being studied are scopadulcic acids A
and B, scopadiol, scopadulciol, scopadulin, scoparic acids A, B, and C, and betulinic acid.
The antitumorous activity of scopadulcic acid B was
demonstrated in a 1993 study, and antitumor activity against various human
cancer cell lines was reported again in 2001. This chemical and another compound
named scopadulin demonstrated antiviral properties in several studies,
including against Herpes simplex I in hamsters. Betulinic acid is another
phytochemical that has been the subject of much independent cancer research
(beginning in the late 1990s). Many studies report that this phytochemical has
powerful anticancerous, antitumorous, antileukemic, and antiviral (including
HIV) properties. This potent phytochemical has displayed selective cytotoxic
activity against malignant brain tumors, bone cancer, and melanomas (without
harming healthy cells).
Vassourinha's main plant chemicals include: acacetin, amyrin,
apigenin, benzoxazin, benzoxazolin, benzoxazolinone, betulinic acid, cirsimarin,
cirsitakaoside, coixol, coumaric acid, cynaroside, daucosterol, dulcinol,
dulcioic acid, friedelin, gentisic acid, glutinol, hymenoxin, ifflaionic acid,
linarin, luteolin, mannitol, scopadiol, scopadulcic acid A & B, scopadulciol,
scopadulin, scoparic acid A thru C, scoparinol, scutellarein, scutellarin,
sitosterol, stigmasterol, taraxerol, vicenin, and vitexin.
In addition to its tested anticancerous chemicals, a methanol
extract of vassourinha leaves also showed toxic actions against cancer cells
(with a 66% inhibition rate) by Japanese researchers. These findings fueled more
research on the chemicals in this plant and their activities that is still ongoing today.
Some of vassourinha's other uses in herbal medicine have also
been validated by western research. In early research, vassourinha demonstrated
a cardiotonic effect in animals. More than 40 years later, researchers
reconfirmed its blood pressure lowering properties in rats and dogs (while
increasing the strength of the heartbeat). It also demonstrated
anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and pain relieving activity in animal studies
with rats, mice, and guinea pigs. A single chemical called scoparinol was
identified by scientists as being responsible for the pain relieving effects.
Another researcher, in a 2001 study, again documented significant pain relieving
and anti-inflammatory effects in laboratory animals - and also indicated
scoparinol demonstrated diuretic and barbiturate potentiation activity. These
documented actions could certainly explain its traditional use as a natural
remedy for pain of all types (including menstrual pain and cramps as well as
during childbirth). In 2002, researchers in India verified vassourinha's
antidiabetic and blood sugar-lowering effects in rats. In other in vitro
laboratory tests, vassourinha demonstrated antioxidant actions, as well as,
active properties against bacteria and fungi (which could explain its sustained
use for respiratory and urinary tract infections).
Scientists have been trying since the mid-1990s to synthesize
several plant chemicals found in vassourinha, including scopadulcic acid B and
betulinic acid, for their use in the pharmaceutical industry. Herbalists and
natural health practitioners have used and will continue to use the plant as an
effective natural remedy for upper respiratory problems and viruses, for
menstrual problems, and as a natural pain reliever and antispasmodic remedy when
needed. Water and ethanol extracts given to mice at up to 2 grams per kilogram
of body weight showed no toxicity. --
www.rain-tree.com/vassourinha.htm
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Contents of this page
Entry format: Botanical name / Family / Ref. Burmese-Myanmar
transcripts (• Agri.Dept.2000 :
• FAO :
• Lè-seik-shin :
• KS-TMN:
• Nagathein :
• UHM :/ Myanmar-Script Spelling (•
Official Myanmar Dictionaries : - TravPo-M-Dict - Myan-Engl-Dict - Myan-Ortho
/ Hindi /
Sanskrit / English common name used in Myanmar / Picture /
Plant identification characters / Distribution in Myanmar / Part
used and uses / Constituents /
End of TIL file