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12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Phytolacca acinosa Roxb.

This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Phytolacca in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.

Hort. bengal.: 35 (1814).

Phytolacca esculenta van Houtte (1848).

Indian poke (En). Vietnam: th[uw][ow]ng l[uj]c nh[or].

Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan; introduced in Vietnam, occasionally cultivated elsewhere, e.g. in the Philippines.

The roots are used in traditional medicine in Vietnam, both internally and externally; they are commonly used in Chinese medicine. In Japan, the entire plant is used as a diuretic, while in India, it is used to alleviate body pain. Young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Phytolacca acinosa is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental.

A perennial herb up to 2(-3) m tall, often with purplish stems; leaves elliptical to ovate, up to 35 cm x 16 cm; flowers in racemes generally shorter than leaves, bisexual, stamens 7-15 (often 10), sometimes in 2 whorls, carpels 6-9 (often 8), free in fruit. The roots of Phytolacca acinosa taste bitter-sour and pungent.

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[1057] Nowicke, J.W., 1969. Palynotaxonomic study of the Phytolaccaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 55(3): 294-364.
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[1545] Wang, H.B., Zheng, Q.Y., Qian, D.H., Fang, J. & Ju, D.W., 1993. Effects of Phytolacca acinosa polysaccharides I on immune function in mice. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 14(3): 243-246.
[1627] Yeung, H.W., Feng, Z., Li, W.W., Cheung W.K. & Ng, T.B., 1987. Abortifacient activity in leaves, roots and seeds of Phytolacca acinosa. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 21(1): 31-36.
[1631] Yi, Y.H. & Dai, F.B., 1991. A new triterpenoid and its glycoside from Phytolacca esculenta. Planta Medica 57(2): 162-164.
[1632] Yi, Y.H. & Wang, C.L., 1989. A new active saponin from Phytolacca esculenta. Planta Medica 55(6): 551-552.
[1660] Zhu, X. & Hu, Z., 1989. Preparation of the antiviral protein from pokeweed seeds and assay of its toxicity. Acta Botanica Yunnanica 11(4): 440-448.

Razali Yusuf

Yusuf, R., 1999. Phytolacca acinosa Roxb.. In: de Padua, L.S., Bunyapraphatsara, N. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea