2952

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Typhonium Schott

Wiener Zeitschr. Kunst 1829(3): 732 (1829).

ARACEAE

x = 8, 9, 10, 13

Typhonium comprises about 40 species, and occurs in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate regions from Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka, through Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, southern and eastern China, southern Japan, Thailand and the whole of the Malesian region, to the Caroline and Mariana Islands, and northern and eastern Australia. It is naturalized in tropical America, Africa and Madagascar. Mainland South-East Asia and Australia are richest in species, whereas the genus is more poorly represented in Malesia, with probably only 3 endemic species (2 in Peninsular Malaysia, and 1 in Sumatra and Java).

In South-East Asia, usually the tuber of Typhonium is used to treat wounds, abscesses, eczema, snakebites, gastric ulcers, cough, asthma and nausea. Typhonium flagelliforme is applied to treat different types of malignancy in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
In the Philippines the tubers of Typhonium (possibly Typhonium blumei Nicolson & Sivadasan) have been used as rubefacient. Typhonium blumei, native in China and Japan, but introduced in the Philippines, is used in traditional medicine in China in a tincture to treat internal injuries (leaves), as a resolvent and styptic (flowers), as an expectorant and rubefacient (tuber), and as an antidote and energetic (whole plant). The tubers of Typhonium giganteum Engl. are used medicinally in China, e.g. to treat flatulence, rheumatism and as an expectorant.

A crude extract of Typhonium produced a concentration-dependent decrease in proliferation of human leukaemia cell lines in tests in Malaysia. Crude extracts of Typhonium flagelliforme caused significant reduction of [3H]-thymidine incorporation by a murine lymphoid cell line. In another test in Malaysia, a hexane extract showed weak cytotoxic activity against P388 murine leukaemia cells. Methyl esters of hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, 9-octadecanoic acid and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, and several common aliphatics were isolated, none of these known to have cytotoxic activity. The fatty acid benzenetridecanoic acid and its methyl ester have also been isolated from Typhonium flagelliforme.
Tests in India indicated that powder from Typhonium tubers showed distinct nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita in tomatoes.
In the essential oil from Typhonium giganteum tubers, N-phenyl benzenamine is the most abundant component, accounting for 47% of the total. Tests on expectorant properties showed negative results, but a water extract of Typhonium giganteum rhizomes exhibited a tranquillizing effect.

Small to medium-sized herbs, with subglobose or irregular tuber, sometimes rhizomatous or stoloniferous. Leaves alternate, few to several together, usually sagittate to hastate, sometimes narrowly lanceolate to elliptical or cordate; petiole with rather short sheath at base; stipules absent. Inflorescence a spadix, shorter to much longer than the enclosing spathe, female zone at base separated from the male zone higher up by a rather long sterile zone, apex with conoid to filiform-subulate appendix usually long exserted from the spathe; spathe constricted between tube and blade, blade eventually bending backwards, usually purple, tube persistent. Flowers unisexual, without perianth; male flowers with 1(—3) stamens; female flowers with superior 1-celled ovary, stigma sessile. Fruit an ovoid berry, usually orange-red, sometimes green or white, 1(—2)-seeded, densely packed and usually enclosed by the persistent spathe base. Seed globose to obnapiform, testa usually minutely rugulose, strophiolate, albuminous.
Typhonium belongs to the tribe Areae, together with e.g. Arum and Biarum, both from temperate regions. The 3 species treated here are frequently confused, and it is often not clear to which species uses mentioned in the literature should be referred. They are variable, especially in leaf characters, and differ mainly in floral characters which are often obscure in herbarium specimens.

Typhonium usually occurs below 1000 m altitude in more or less open localities varying from grassland to open forest, often in humid localities, sometimes also as a weed along roadsides, in gardens and fields.

A high frequency of shoot-bud regeneration was obtained from leaf and petiole explant-derived callus of Typhonium on modified Murashige and Skoog medium.
In Vietnam the tubers are washed after harvesting from the wild, and then dried in the sun or in an oven. Before use, they are soaked in a solution of alum and a maceration of ginger, sliced, and subsequently impregnated with a decoction of liquorice and lightly roasted on a fire.

Typhonium flagelliforme, Typhonium roxburghii, as well as Typhonium trilobatum are widespread and locally common, although they often occur scattered. They are not in danger of genetic erosion.

Typhonium is commonly used in local medicine throughout tropical and subtropical Asia, often for similar complaints. Some interesting properties have been recorded including anti-cancer activity. More research on phytochemistry and pharmacological activity is desirable to confirm the claimed efficacy of these plants, which are also easy to cultivate.

[41]Anthony, S.H.H. & Mohd. Saifulaman, M.S., 1997. Potential cytotoxic activity of the crude extract of Typhonium divaricatum. Paper presented at the 13th Seminar of Natural Products, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, Malaysia.
[146]Chattopadhyay, P.R. & Mukhopadhyaya, M.C., 1989. Comparative studies on the nematicidal properties of Typhonium trilobatum and Melia azedarach. Indian Journal of Nematology 19(1): 5—9.
[680]Nicolson, D.H. & Sivadasan, M., 1981. Four frequently confused species of Typhonium Schott (Araceae). Blumea 27(2): 483—497.

Wongsatit Chuakul, Noppamas Soonthornchareonnon & Orawan Ruangsomboon

Typhonium flagelliforme
Typhonium roxburghii
Typhonium trilobatum

Chuakul, W., Soonthornchareonnon, N. & Ruangsomboon, O., 2003. Typhonium Schott. 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

The following species in this genus are important in this commodity group and are treated separatedly in this database:
Typhonium flagelliforme
Typhonium roxburghii
Typhonium trilobatum