Chines Honeysuckle - Rangoon Creeper - Combretum Indicum - Quisqualis Indica - جھمکہ بیل

This is not only an ornamental plant/vine but it keeps a rich treasure of medicinal values in it. Rangoon Creeper a beautiful climber vine with lovely red, pink whitish bunches of flowers, refreshing the air with its frezzy type perfume smell. Its botanical name is Combretum indicum also known as Chines Honeysuckle, synonyms Quisqualis Indica. 

Mr. Akhlak Khan Kakar wrote a very informative research report on its medicinal values, am sharing here as he wrote on his facebook wall.

Quisqualis Indica: Rangoon Creeper: جھمکہ بیل :

جھمکہ بیل نہ صرف ایک خوبصورت پھولوں کی بیل ہے جو کہ اپنے خوبصورت سرخ، گلابی اور سفید پھولوں کی خوشبو سے ہوا کو اپنی بھینی بھینی خوشبو سے معطر کرتی ہے بلکہ بہت سارے طبی خواص کا مالک پودا بھی ہے۔ ورم گردہ، جڑ جوڑوں کے درد کوآرام دیتی ہے ،اسہال،دست، بخار، کھانسی کا علاج، پتے سر درد کا علاج، پتوں کا جوشاندہ پَیشاب کا تَکلیف کے ساتھ آنا ۔ پَیشاب کی نالی میں رُکاوَٹ ، زَخَم ، سوزاک یا بَد گوشت یا پَتھری میں پلایا جاتا ہے، پیٹ کے کیڑوں کو خارِج کرنے والی دوا ، اپھراو، ریاح ، گیس سے معدہ اور آنتوں کا پھیلاؤ، شکم کا اپھارا، نفخ شکم ،

Medicinal Uses of Rangoon Creeper:

• Flowers, seeds, Roots and Leaves are edible.

• Anthelmintic: Dried seeds preferable for deworming.

• Adults: Dried nuts-chew 8 to 10 small- to medium-sized dried nuts two hours after a meal, as a single dose, followed by a half glass of water. If fresh nuts are used, chew only 4-5 nuts. Hiccups occur more frequently with the use of fresh nuts.

• Children 3-5 years old: 4-5 dried nuts; 6 - 8 years old: 5-6 dried nuts; 9-12 years old: 6-7 dried nuts.

• Roasted seeds for diarrhea and fever.

• Plant used as a cough cure.

• Leaves applied to the head to relieve headaches.

• Pounded leaves externally for skin diseases.

• Decoction of boiled leaves used for dysuria.

• Ifugao migrants use it for headache.

• Ripe seeds roasted and used for diarrhea and fever.

• In Thailand, seeds used as anthelmintic; flowers for diarrhea.

• In India and Ambonia, leaves used in a compound decoction to relieve flatulent distention of the abdomen. Leaves and fruits are reported to be anthelmintic; also used for nephritis.

• In India and the Moluccas, seeds are given with honey as electuary for the expulsion of entozoa in children.

• In Indo-China, seeds are used as anthelmintic and for rickets in children.

• The Chinese and Annamites reported to use the seeds as vermifuge.

• In China, seeds macerated in oil are applied to parasitic skin diseases. Seeds are also used for diarrhea and leucorrheal discharges of children.

• In Amboina compound decoction of leaves used for flatulent abdominal distention.

• In Bangladesh, used for diarrhea, fever, boils, ulcers and helminthiasis.

Studies

• Polyphenols / Antioxidant: Flower extract yielded high polyphenol contents and showed strong antioxidant activity.

• Anti-Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor: Acetylcholine is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the central or peripheral nervous system. The methanolic extract of Q indica flower dose-dependently inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity.

• Fixed Oil Storage Effect: Study showed one year storage does not significantly affect the physical constants of the fixed oil.

• Larvicidal Activity / Aedes aegypti Mosquito: In a study screening 11 plant species of local flora against the IV instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, Quisqualis indica was one of the plants that showed some larvicidal activity against Ae aegypti, albeit, at comparatively higher doses.

• Antipyretic: Study evaluated the antipyretic activity of the methanolic extract of leaves of Q. indica in brewer yeast-induced pyrexia model in rat. Results showed significant dose-dependent antipyretic activity.

• Anti-Inflammatory: Study evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of a hydroalcoholic extract in Wistar rats. Oral administration of the extract showed dose-dependent and significant anti-inflammatory activity in acetic acid- induced vascular permeability and cotton-pellet granuloma model, comparable to Diclofenac. the anti-inflammatory activity was attributed to bradykinin and prostaglandin synthesis inhibition property of the polyphenols.

• Immunomodulatory: Study evaluated the immunomodulatory activity of a hydroalcoholic extract of flowers in Wistar rats in a cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression model. Results showed significant immunomodulatory activity.

• Phytochemicals / Anti-Inflammatory / Analgesic / Anticonvulsant / Antihyperglycemc / Antipyretic:Phytochemical studies floral volatiles and leaves were done. (See constituents above) Alcoholic extract showed remarkable anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticonvulsant and antipyretic effects. The isolated mucilage exhibited significant anti-hyperglycemic effect. Antimicrobial testing showed pronounced effects against most of the tested microorganisms.

• Intestinal Ascariasis / Comparative Study with Pyrantel Pamoate: In a comparative study of Q. indica and pyrantel pamoate in the treatment of intestinal ascariasis, 85% complete cure was seen with Quisqualis indica and 90% for Pyrantel pamoate. There was 15% and 10% decrease in ova count for Q. indica and P. pamoate, respectively. A second dose resulted in compete eradication. QI had 10% side effects compared to 55% with PP.

• Anti-Diarrheal / Leaves: Study evaluated a petroleum ether extract of leaves of Q. indica against experimentally induced diarrhea. The plant extracts showed dose-dependent significant anti-diarrheal effects in all treated groups, with results compared to loperamide PO and atropine sulfate IP.

• Analgesic / Anti-Inflammatory / Leaves: Study evaluated a methanolic extract of Q. indica leaves in rodents. Results showed significant anti-inflammatory and both central and peripheral analgesic activities.

• Hypolipidemic Effect/ Aerial Parts: Study evaluated the hypolipidemic effect of methanolic extracts of aerial parts and flowers on passive smoking induced hyperlipidemia in rats. Results showed significant concentration- and dose-dependent reduction of harmful lipid layer in blood serum. There was reduction of LDL, VLDL, cholesterol, and triglycerides with elevation of HDL.

• Antimicrobial Effect / Flowers: In a study of methanol extract of flowers of Q. indica, C. gigantea, P. tuberose, the dry flower extract of Quisqualis indica showed the best antimicrobial property of the flowers studied.

• Antimutagenic: Expressions from 17 plants, including Quisqualis indica, reduced the mutagenicity potential of mitomycin C, dimethylnitrosamine and tetracycline and exhibited antimutagenic effects.

Reference:

http://www.eijppr.com/may2012/15.pdf
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