2403

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Aquilaria cumingiana (Decne.) Ridley

Journ. Straits Br. Roy. As. Soc. 35: 80 (1901).

THYMELAEACEAE

2n = unknown

Gyrinopsis cumingiana Decne. (1843).

Indonesia: giba kolano (Halmahera). Philippines: palisan (Tagalog), bago (Manobo), binukat (Aklan Bisaya).

Aquilaria cumingiana occurs in the Philippines, southern Borneo (Sampit region) and the Moluccas (Morotai and Halmahera).

In the Philippines the bark and roots of Aquilaria cumingiana are applied to wounds to stop bleeding, whereas bark, wood and fruits are used as a substitute for quinine.
Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk (synonym: Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) is more commonly used medicinally. However, its most important product is the famous agar wood: resin-containing heartwood produced from old and diseased trees, which is highly esteemed as incense for ceremonial purposes. The incense is also used against cancer, especially of the thyroid gland, and in China as a sedative against abdominal complaints, asthma, colics and diarrhoea, and as an aphrodisiac, carminative and insect repellent. Grated wood enters into various preparations used especially during and after childbirth, and to treat rheumatism, smallpox and abdominal pains. It is used as a blood and heart tonic in Thailand. Wood of Aquilaria crassna Pierre ex H. Lecomte is considered to be stomachic and tranquillizing in traditional medicine in Vietnam, and is prescribed as a powder, aqueous preparation or tincture against gastralgia, nausea, vomiting and anxiety.

No information is available on phytochemistry or pharmacological properties of Aquilaria cumingiana.
A benzene extract of Aquilaria malaccensis wood showed neuroleptic properties in tests with mice; jinkoh-eremol and agarospirol were identified as the active principles. Tests with rats suggest that an aqueous extract inhibits the immediate hypersensitivity reaction by inhibition of histamine release from mast cells. A hot water extract of the wood exhibited smooth muscle relaxant activity on acetylcholine and histamine induced motility activities.
Cytotoxic compounds have also been demonstrated in the bark and wood of Aquilaria malaccensis. A wood extract exhibited significant activity in the Eagles' carcinoma of the nasopharynx test system. A bark extract showed distinct activity in the P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia system in vitro, but was inactive against the same system in vivo; the cytotoxic compounds from the bark were identified as 1,3-dibehenyl-2-ferulyl glyceride and 12-O-n-deca-2,4,6-trienoylphorbol-13-acetate. An alcoholic extract of the wood has been reported to exhibit mild cardiotonic activity. Decoctions of the wood of Aquilaria malaccensis are said to have antimicrobial properties, e.g. against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Shigella flexneri.

A shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall; bark grey, mottled, smooth, bast consisting of silky fibres; young branches initially densely pubescent but glabrescent. Leaves alternate, simple and entire, oblong-lanceolate to elliptical-oblong or ovate-oblong, 14—18 cm x 5.5—8.5 cm, usually cuneate at base, acute or acuminate at apex, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, usually glabrous, pinnately veined with 12—18 pairs of veins; petiole 4—6 mm long; stipules absent. Inflorescence usually axillary, often simple and umbelliform; peduncle c. 5 mm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, usually 5-merous, 13—16 mm long, whitish; pedicel c. 3 mm long, articulated at base; calyx tube cylindrical, puberulous, lobes 2—3 mm long; petaloid appendages usually 10, united into a ring and inserted near apex of the calyx tube; stamens usually 10, inserted near petaloid appendages, sessile; ovary superior, short-stiped, 2-loculate, style short, stigma capitate. Fruit a globose to ellipsoid loculicidal capsule, protruding laterally from the split floral tube, c. 2 cm long, orange-red, 1—2-seeded. Seeds broadly ovoid, plano-convex, c. 1 cm long, with a short appendage.
Aquilaria consists of approximately 15 species and occurs in tropical and part of subtropical Asia. It is most closely related to Gyrinops, which differs in its 5 stamens.

Aquilaria cumingiana occurs in primary forest at low and medium altitudes.

The extremely high prices paid for high quality agar wood and for the essential oil and the indiscriminate felling of diseased and healthy trees threaten natural stands of several Aquilaria species including Aquilaria malaccensis with extinction. Aquilaria malaccensis is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).Aquilaria cumingiana with its shrubby habit does not seem to be exploited for this purpose, but its preference for lowland primary forest and the high pressure on this type of habitat in its area of distribution warrant attention for protection measures.

Research is needed to confirm the reputed medicinal properties of Aquilaria cumingiana. This seems worthwhile in the light of the pharmacological activity demonstrated in other Aquilaria species.

[247]Flora Malesiana (various editors), 1950—. Foundation Flora Malesiana. Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, the Netherlands.
[760]Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.

[300]Gunasekera, S.P., Kinghorn, A.D., Cordell, G.A. & Farnsworth, N.R., 1981. Plant anticancer agents. XIX. Constituents of Aquilaria malaccensis. Journal of Natural Products 44(5): 569—572.
[482]Kim, Y.C. et al., 1997. Effect of the aqueous extract of Aquilaria agallocha stems on the immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 58(1): 31—38.
[671]Nguyen Van Duong, 1993. Medicinal plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mekong Printing, Santa Ana, California, United States. 528 pp.
[699]Okugawa, H., Ueda, R., Matsumoto, K., Kawanishi, K. & Kato, A., 1996. Effect of Jinkoh-eremol and agarospirol from agarwood on the central nervous system in mice. Planta Medica 62(1): 2—6.
[711]Oyen, L.P.A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung (Editors), 1999. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 19. Essential-oil plants. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands. 277 pp.
[1058]Zhou, Y.B., 1988. Pharmacological actions of Lignum aquilariae resinatum (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) on the smooth muscle of intestines. Chung Yao T'ung Pao 13(6): 40—42.

Cheksum S. Tawan

Tawan, C.S., 2003. Aquilaria cumingiana (Decne.) Ridley. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J. and Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea