2692

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Hypoestes polythyrsa Miq.

Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 852 (1858).

ACANTHACEAE

2n = unknown

Hypoestes psilostachyus C.B. Clarke ex S. Moore (1925).

Indonesia: trembuku, landep iju, lucung asu (Javanese).

Hypoestes polythyrsa occurs throughout Java, but seems endemic to this island.

In central Java, a decoction of young branches of Hypoestes polythyrsa mixed with flower heads of Artemisia cina Berg ex Poljakov (a well-known anthelmintic plant which is imported) has been recommended as a poultice to expel maggots and intestinal worms.
Some other Hypoestes species are used in traditional medicine in Africa, particularly Hypoestes forskaolii (Vahl) Sol. ex Roemer & Schultes and Hypoestes aristata (Vahl) Sol. ex Roemer & Schultes (these species are often confused under the name Hypoestes verticillaris), the roots of which are used internally to treat cough and meningitis. The leaves are used externally to treat swellings and sores. Hypoestes triflora (Forssk.) Roemer & Schultes is frequently used in Rwanda to treat hepatic diseases.
Some Hypoestes species are valued as ornamentals, particularly Hypoestes phyllostachya Baker, often with rose to pale lavender spotted leaves.

There is no information on the phytochemistry or pharmacological properties of Hypoestes polythyrsa.
The phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids hypoestestatins 1 and 2 have been isolated from Hypoestes forskaolii from East Africa; these are anti-neoplastic agents, which markedly inhibited the growth of murine P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia cell lines. Several fusicoccane diterpene ketones have also been reported in the aerial parts of this species. A hepatoprotective principle has been demonstrated in a water extract from the leaves of Hypoestes triflora from Rwanda; the compound responsible for the protective activity in tests with mice was benzoic acid.
Several diterpenoids have been isolated from extracts of the African Hypoestes rosea P. Beauv.: roseanalone, roseadione, roseatoxide, hypoestoxide and dihypoestoxide. Hypoestoxide showed anti-inflammatory activity in tests with mice and could be useful in treating various inflammatory diseases.
The diterpene serpendione has been isolated from Hypoestes serpens (Vahl) R.Br. from Madagascar; it exhibited relaxant activity on isolated rat aorta.

An erect herb up to 120 cm tall; stem thickened above the nodes, apically more or less densely short-hairy. Leaves opposite, simple and entire, elliptical-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 3—14 cm x 1—6 cm, pubescent below or on both surfaces, often with a pale blotch above; petiole 0.5—4 cm long; stipules absent. Inflorescence an axillary cyme with distant, spiciform ultimate branches. Flowers in pairs within an involucre, one flower of each pair rudimentary, involucre consisting of 2 narrow connate bracts up to 1.5 cm long, bisexual; calyx 5-fid; corolla 2—3 cm long, resupinate by torsion of the tube, 2-lipped, upper lip entire or 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, reddish-violet, sometimes white; stamens 2, inserted at the apex of the corolla tube, exserted; ovary superior, 2-celled, style shortly branched. Fruit a clavate capsule, c. 1 cm long, 1—4-seeded. Seeds flat, densely verruculose.
Hypoestes comprises approximately 120 species, and occurs in Africa, Madagascar, Asia from the Himalayas to Indo-China, China, Thailand, Malesia, and Australia. Perhaps a dozen species occur in the Malesian region. Hypoestes belongs to the tribe Justicieae, and has close affinities with Peristrophe and Dicliptera. It can be separated from other Acanthaceae on the combination of resupinate corollas with monothecous anthers and inelastic placental bases.

Hypoestes polythyrsa occurs in more or less shaded localities in open forest and shrub vegetation, up to 1500 m altitude, and is locally common, e.g. in central Java.

Hypoestes polythyrsa can be easily propagated by seed and cuttings.

No taxonomic study of Hypoestes has yet been made, which would confirm the endemic status of Hypoestes polythyrsa in Java. It might be endangered by the ever-increasing pressure on the forest in Java.

The use of Hypoestes polythyrsa seems limited and unimportant, and it is unlikely that this situation will change, unless future chemical research demonstrates interesting compounds, as has been the case for some African species.

[62]Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1964—1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1964) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
[334]Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
[491]Kloppenburg-Versteegh, J., 1934. Wenken en raadgevingen betreffende het gebruik van Indische planten, vruchten, enz. [Hints and recommendations on the use of East-Indies plants, fruits etc.]. G.T.C. van Dorp, Semarang, Surabaya, Bandung, Dutch East Indies. (5th Edition. 1978. Servire, Katwijk aan Zee, the Netherlands). 364 pp.

[39]Andriamihaja, B., Martin, M.T., Rasoanaivo, P. & Frappier, F., 2001. A new diterpene from Hypoestes serpens. Journal of Natural Products 64(2): 217—218.
[120]Burkill, H.M., 1985—2000. The useful plants of West tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. 5 volumes. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Vol. 1 (1985), Families A—D, 960 pp.; Vol. 2 (1994), Families E—I, 636 pp.; Vol. 3 (1995), Families J—L, 857 pp.; Vol. 4 (1997), Families M—R, 969 pp; Vol. 5 (2000), Families S—Z, 686 pp.
[121]Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co- operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I— Z) pp. 1241—2444.
[696]Ojo-Amaize, E.A. et al., 2001. Hypoestoxide, a novel anti-inflammatory natural diterpene, inhibits the activity of IkappaB kinase. Cellular Immunology 209(2): 149—157.
[736]Pettit, G.R., Goswami, A., Cragg, G.M., Schmidt, J.M. & Zou, J.C., 1984. Antineoplastic agents, 103. The isolation and structure of hypoestestatins 1 and 2 from the East African Hypoestes verticillaris. Journal of Natural Products 47(6): 913—919.
[950]Van Puyvelde, L. et al., 1989. The hepatoprotective principle of Hypoestes triflora leaves. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 26(2): 121—127.

R.H.M.J. Lemmens

Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2003. Hypoestes polythyrsa Miq.. 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