Botany Abaniko is an erect and tufted perennial herb with a thick creeping rootstock, growing to a height of 0.5 to 1.5 meters. Leaves are 2-ranked, strongly imbricated, narrow lanceolate, sword-shaped, 40 to 60 centimeters long, 2.5 to 4 centimeters wide, and overlapping at the base. Inflorescence is dichotomously branched, terminal and erect. Spathes are ovate to ovate-lanceolate, about 1 centimeter long. FLOWERS are numerous and pedicelled, opening 1 or 2 at a time, 4 to 6 centimeters across. Perianth-tube is very short, and the segments narrowly elliptic, spreading, yellowish outside, reddish-yellow inside with reddish spots. Capsules are obovoid, membranous and loculicidal. Seeds are nearly spherical in shape, with lax and shining testa. Distribution - Planted for ornamental purposes, FLOWERING most of the year. - Nowhere naturalized. - Native of southeastern Asia. - Now cultivated in most warm countries. Parts utilized Rhizomes. Properties - Rhizomes are bitter and acrid. - Traditionally considered aperient, purgative, antipyretic, diuretic, expectorant, deobstruent, carminative and resolvent. - Pulp considered stomachic. Constituents - Study yielded two major isoflavonoid glucosides: iridin and tectoridin. (1) - Study of ethanol extract of rhizomes yielded three compounds: isorhamnetin, hispidulin and dichotomitin. From the n-BuOH extract, iridin, tectoridin, daucosterol, vittadinoside or stigmasterol-3-O- glucoside. - Ethyl acetate extract of roots isolated 18 compounds: (1), dausterol (2), quercetin (3), kaemferol (4), shikimic acid (5), gallic acid (6), ursolic acid (7), betulin (8), betulonic acid (9), betulone (10), tectoridin (11), irisflorentin (12), 4′,5,6-trihydroxy-7-methoxyisoflavone (13), tectorigenin (14), irilins A (15), iridin (16), irigenin (17), and iristectongenin A (18). (14) Uses Folkloric - Rhizomes used as expectorant. - Used for purifying the blood, for liver and pulmonary complaints. - In Malaya, used as a remedy for gonorrhea. - In Malabar, used as alexipharmic. - In Cochin-China (Vietnam), roots used for aperient and resolvent properties. - Used as antidote to snakebites. - In traditional Chinese medicine, used for pharyngitis, tonsillitis, cough, wheezing, bronchitis and mumps, blood purification, tumors of the face and breast. Studies • Phenolic Content / Rhizomes / Anticancer: Three new compounds were identified– belalloside A, belalloside B and belamphenone along with other compounds resveratrol, iriflophenone, irisflorentine, tectoridin, among the 13 others. Results showed two isolates to have proliferation stimulatory activity against human breast cancer cell lines. (2) • Antifungal: A study on the antifungal activity of Belamcanda chinensis isolated a compound identical to tectorigenin (5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxy phenyl)-6-methoxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one). This compound showed marked antifungal activity against dermatophytes of the genera Trichophyton. (3) • Phytoestrogens / Anticancer: Study demonstrated a role for tectorigenin and irigenin in regulating the number of PROSTATE CANCER cells by inhibition of proliferation through cell cycle regulation. (4) • Hepatoprotective / Antioxidative: Study of tectorigenin and tectoridin isolated from BC rhizomes was shown to have antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities in CCl4-intoxicated rats. (5) • Aldose Reductase Inhibition / Tectoridin / Antidiabetic: Aldose reductase is the key enzyme in the polyol pathway, and plays an important role in diabetic complications. Study isolated 12 phenolic compounds from the rhizomes of B. chinensis, with tectoridin and tectorigenin exhibiting the highest aldose reductase inhibitory potency. Administered in STZ-induced diabetic rats, it showed significant inhibition of sorbitol accumulation in the lens, RBC and SCIATIC NERVES. (6) • Irigenin / Anti-Inflammatory: Study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of six flavanoids isolated from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis. Irigenin exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition of LPS-induced NITRIC OXIDE (NO) and prostaglandin (PGE2) production. (8) • Tectorigenin / PROSTATE CANCER: Study of showed who tectorigenin and other compounds extracted from B. chinensis can significantly rectify the aberrant expression of genes involved in PROSTATE CANCER. Irigenin from the rhizomes presents as a leading compound for anti-inflammation. (7) • Isoflavonoids / Antioxidant / Antimutagenic: Isoflavonoid fractions from a methanolic extract of BC rhizomes inhibited chemically induced mutations in S typhimurium TA98 and TA100 and also showed capability to scavenge free radicals. Results suggest additional value of the plant as a phytoestrogenic and chemopreventive agent. (9) • Phytoestrogens / Regulation of Steroid Receptors and Co-Factors in PROSTATE CANCER Cells: BCE showed beneficial effects on PROSTATE CANCERand rectifies the expression of key elements in hormone-refractory prostate cancer affecting tumor cell viability and proliferation. (13) • Antitumor Activities / Roots: Study of ethyl acetate extract of roots isolated 18 compounds. Shikimic acid, betulin, betulonic acid and betulone showed potent cytotoxic activities against tumor cell lines. Compound 7 suggested a mechanisms of growth inhibition via induction of tumor cell apoptosis. (See constituents above) (14) • Hypoglycemic: Study of Bc leaf extract on normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats showed significant lowering of fasting blood glucose levels. Results suggest the isoflavone glycosides, not polysaccharides, to be the active fraction of BCL in DIABETES TREATMENT. (15) • Antitumor / Antioxidant: Various extracts of BC root were studied for in vitro antitumor activity against PC3, Bcap-37, and BGC-823 cell lines. Results showed an ethyl acetate extract and isolated fractions to have significant antitumor activity against the three cell lines. It also showed moderate DPPH free radical scavenging effects. (16) • α-Glucosidase Inhibiting Isoflavones / Leaves: Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors antagonize the activity of α-glucosidase, delaying absorption of carbohydrates and preventing the sharp increases in blood sugars after meals. Study evaluated the α-glucosidase inhibitory effect of BCL. Thirteen isoflavones were isolated. Six of the thirteen (swertisin, 2-O-rhamnosylswertisin, genistein, genistin, mangiferin and daidzin) showed strong α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro. Swertisin was the most abundant of the isoflavones and may be the principal component responsible for the α-glucosidase inhibition. (17) • Anti-Inflammatory / Inhibiting Isoflavones / Leaves: Study screened Formosan plants and Chinese herbs for anti-inflammatory activity. B. chinensis was found to be one of the active species. Study isolated two new isoflavone derivatives, 5-hydroxy-3′-methoxy-6,7:4′,5′-bis(methylenedioxy)isoflavone (1) and 5,7-dihydroxy-6,3′-dimethoxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxyisoflavone (2), along with 8 known compounds (3-10). Compound 9, isotectorigenin, exhibited potent inhibition of elastase release by human neutrophils in response to fMet-Leu-Phe/Cytochalasin B. (18) • Tectorigenin Monohydrate / Isoflavone: Study isolated a tectorigenin monohydrate, an isoflavone, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4- hydroxyphenyl)-6-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one monohydrate, which showed to have antimicrobiotic and anti-inflammatory effects. (19) Availability Cultivated.
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 02:27:02 +0000
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