399

12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Quisqualis indica L.

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

Sp. pl. ed. 2, 1: 556 (1762).

Quisqualis glabra Burm.f. (1768), Quisqualis pubescens Burm.f. (1768), Quisqualis spinosa Blanco (1845).

Burma creeper, Chinese honeysuckle, Rangoon creeper (En). Indonesia: udani (Sumatra), bidani (Sundanese), cekluk (Javanese). Malaysia: akar dani, selimpas, udani (Peninsular). Philippines: niyog-niyogan (general, Tagalog), balitadham (Bisaya), tartaraok (Ilokano). Cambodia: dong preah phnom, vor romiet nhi. Laos: dok ung, khua hung, 'sa mang'. Thailand: cha mang (northern), thai-mong (Karen-Mae Hong Son), lep mue naang (central, peninsular). Vietnam: d[aa]y giun, qu[ar] giun, s[uwr] qu[aa]n.

Probably native to the Asian tropics and occurring throughout the Malesian region. Nowadays widely cultivated, mainly as an ornamental hedge plant, throughout the tropics. There is still doubt whether it is indigenous to east tropical Africa or was introduced there long ago.

The fruits and seeds of Quisqualis indica are well-known throughout Malesia as an anthelmintic, particularly to treat ascarids. In large doses they cause nausea, vomiting, hiccough and even unconsciousness. In Indonesia, a decoction of the root, seed or fruit is used as a vermifuge. In the Philippines, Quisqualis indica is used as a bechic or pectoral, the fruits and seeds to alleviate nephritis, and the seeds as anthelmintic. In Peninsular Malaysia, a decoction of the seeds is given to children to stop diarrhoea, the juice of the leaves is considered a remedy for boils and ulcers and the leaves are applied to the head to relieve ache caused by jungle fever. In Papua New Guinea, plants are eaten daily by men and women as a method of birth control. In Vietnam, the root is used to treat rheumatism and a concentrated decoction of the fruit is used as a gargle effective against toothache. In China, seeds macerated in oil are applied to parasitic skin diseases, boils or sores on children's faces, and when roasted are given to treat diarrhoea and fever. In Mongolia, the seeds and fruit are reported to sustain the spleen and cause obstructions to disappear.

A woody climber, young branchlets tomentose to sparsely pubescent; leaves 5-18.5 cm x 2.5-9 cm; upper receptacle 5-8 cm long, calyx lobes deltoid to triangular, 1-2 mm long, petals 10-20 mm long; fruit 2.5-4 cm x 0.7-1.3 cm. Quisqualis indica occurs in forest margins of undisturbed forest to very disturbed places, at low altitudes. Quisqualis indica is highly variable; in Indo-China 3 varieties have been recognized on the basis of the bract size and fruit shape: var. indica, var. pierrei (Gagnep.) O. Lecompte (synonym: Quisqualis pierrei Gagnep.), and var. villosa (Roxb. ex DC.) Kurz. Elsewhere still other varieties have been distinguished.

[55] Ameen, M.U. & Sultana, P., 1977. Biology of the bag-worm moth Eumeta crameri Westwood (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) from Dacca, Bangladesh. Journal of Natural History 11(1): 17-24.
[61] Anand, H., Roberts, P.J. & Lopez-Colome, A.M., 1985. Excitatory amino acids in the chick retina: possible involvement of cyclic guaniosine monophosphate. Neuroscience Letters 58(1): 31-36.
[75] Areekul, S. & Sinchaisri, P., 1988. Effects of Thai plant extracts on the oriental fruit fly (Darcus dorsalis) II. Repellency test. Witthayasan Kasetsart Sakha Witthayasat 22(1): 56-61. (in Thai)
[186] Brill, H.C. & Wells, A.H., 1917. The physiological active constituents of certain Phillipine medicinal plants. II. Philippine Journal of Science 12: 16-95.
[190] Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 edition. 3 volumes. Technical Bulletin 10. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines. Vol. 1 (1951) 590 pp., Vol. 2 (1954) 513 pp., Vol. 3 (1957) 507 pp.
[202] 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.
[245] Chen, K.K. & Hou, H., 1926. The alleged anthelmintic properties of Quisqualis indica with case reports. Annual Journal of Medical Science 172(1): 113-116.
[287] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948-1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.
[321] Davenporte, G.J., 1918. Quisqualis indica, a substitute for santonin. China Medical Journal (Shanghai) 32: 133.
[332] de Padua, L.S., Lugod, G.C. & Pancho, J.V., 1977-1983. Handbook on Philippine medicinal plants. 4 volumes. Documentation and Information Section, Office of the Director of Research, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, the Philippines.
[350] Dharma, A.P., 1981. Indonesische geneeskrachtige planten [Indonesian medicinal plants]. De Driehoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 168 pp.
[358] Divinagracia, G.G. & Ros, L.B., 1985. Note: diseases of selected medicinal plants in the Philippines. Philippine Agriculturist 68(2): 297-308.
[363] Doan Thi Nhu, Nguyen Thuong Thuc, Do Huy Bich & Vu Thuy Huyen (Editors), 1991. Les plants médicinales au Vietnam. Livre 1. Médicine traditionelle et pharmacopée [The medicinal plants of Vietnam. Volume 1. Traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia]. Agence de coopération Culturelle et Technique, Paris, France. 201 pp.
[368] Donzanti, B.A. & Uretsky, N.J., 1983. Effects of excitatory amino acids on locomotor activity after bilateral microinjection into the rat nucleus accumbens possible dependence on dopaminergic mechanisms. Neuropharmacology 22(8): 971-981.
[391] Eisikowitch, D. & Rotem, R., 1987. Flower orientation and color change in Quisqualis indica and their possible role in pollinator partitioning. Botanical Gazette 148: 175-179.
[403] Exell, A.W., 1954. Combretaceae. In: van Steenis, C.C.C.J. (General editor): Flora Malesiana. Series 1, Vol. 4. Noodhoff-Kolff N.V., Djakarta, Indonesia. pp. 533-589.
[405] Fang, S.D., Xu, R.S. & Gao, Y.S., 1981. Some recent advances in the chemical studies of Chinese herbal medicine. American Journal of Botany 68(2): 300-303.
[454] Gabriel, B.P. & Balatibat, J.B., 1985. Preliminary studies on arthropod pests of some medicinal plants. In: Pest Control Council of the Philippines (Editor): Proceedings of the thirteenth anniversary and annual convention of the Pest Control Council of the Philippines. College, Laguna, the Philippines. p. 67.
[464] Gallo, V., Suergiu, R., Giovannini, C. & Levi, G., 1987. Glutamate receptor subtypes in cultured cerebella neurons: modulation glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid release. Journal of Neurochemistry 49(6): 1801-1809.
[467] Ganesan, T., 1994. Antifungal properties of wild plants. Advances in Plant Sciences 7(1): 185-187.
[469] Ganguly, S. & Khan, E., 1991. Association of Xiphinema americanum (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) with root-tip galls of rangoon creeper (Quisqualis indica Linn.). Current Nematology 2(2): 183-184.
[531] Gutierrez, H.G., 1980-1982. An illustrated manual of Philippine materia medica. 2 volumes. Natural Research Council of the Philippines, Tagig, Metro Manila, the Philippines. Vol. 1 (1980) pp. 1-234, Vol. 2 (1982) pp. 235-485.
[580] 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.
[597] Holdsworth, D.K., 1977. Medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea. Technical Paper No 175. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 123 pp.
[694] Kajima, M., Tanaka, T. & Yonemasu, Y., 1987. Epileptogenic properties of quisqualic acid: microinjection into the unilateral amygdala in cats. No To Shinkei 39(10): 971-976. (in Japanese)
[728] Kiang, P.C., 1923. Chinese drugs of therapeutic value to western physicians. China Medical Journal (Shanghai) 37: 742-746.
[734] Kim Byeung Gie, 1995. Anticoccidial effect of herb extracts against Eimeria tenella. Korean Journal of Veterinary Clinical Medicine 12(1): 123-128.
[802] Kyi Thein et al., 1995. Preliminary screening of medicinal plants for biological activity based on inhibition of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. International Journal of Pharmacognosy 33(4): 330-333.
[831] Lecompte, O., 1969. Combretaceae. In: Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. (Editor): Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêtnam [Flora of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. Vol. 10. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. 119 pp.
[913] Mathad, M.C. & Nalwadi, U.G., 1989. Rooting ability of some important ornamental climbers. South Indian Horticulture 37(5): 307-308.
[922] McCaslin, P.P. & Morgan, W.W., 1987. Cultured cerebella cells as an in vitro model of excitatory amino acid receptor function. Brain Research 417(2): 380-384.
[1003] Nakajima, T., Nonoto, K., Ohfune, Y., Shiratori, Y., Takemoto, T., Takeuchi, H. & Watanabe, K., 1985. Effects of glutamic acid analogs on identifiable neurons, sensitive to beta-hydroxy-L-glutamic acid, of an African giant snail (Achatina fulica Ferrusac). British Journal of Pharmacology 13(7): 665-672.
[1035] Nguyen Van Duong, 1993. Medicinal plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mekong Printing, Santa Ana, California, United States. 528 pp.
[1126] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
[1128] Pételot, A., 1952-1954. Les plantes médicinales du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [The medicinal plants of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. 4 volumes. Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques et Techniques, Saigon, Vietnam.
[1176] Quintana, E.G., Saludez, J.D., Batoon, M.P. & Generalao, M.L., 1982. Agricultural production of selected medicinal plants: propagation to postharvest handling. PCARRD [Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development] Monitor 10(4): 8-10.
[1178] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
[1287] Saralamp, P., Temsiririrkkul, R., Chuakul, W., Riewpaiboon, A., Prathanturarug, S., Suthisisang, C. & Pongcharoensuk, P. (Editors), 1996. Medicinal plants in the Siri Ruckhachati Garden. 2nd Edition. Siambooks and Publications Co., Bangkok, Thailand. 263 pp.
[1303] Science Education Center, University of the Philippines, 1971. Plants of the Philippines. M. & L. Licudine Enterprises, St. Michael Village, Las Piñas, Metro Manila, the Philippines. 512 pp.
[1333] Shinazaki, H., Hirate, K. & Ishida, M., 1987. Modification of drug-induced tremor by systematic administration of kainic acid and quisqualic acid in mice. Neuropharmacology 26(1): 9-18.
[1359] Silverstein, F.S., Chen, R. & Johnston, M.V., 1986. The glutamate analogue, quisqualic acid in neurotoxic in strianum and hippocampus of immature rat brain. Neuroscience Letters 71(1): 13-18.
[1508] van Steenis-Kruseman, M.J., 1953. Select Indonesian medicinal plants. Bulletin No 18. Organization for Scientific Research in Indonesia, Djakarta, Indonesia. 90 pp.
[1567] Wickens, G.E., 1973. Combretaceae. In: Polhill, R.M. (Editor): Flora of Tropical East Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 99 pp.
[1586] Womersley, J.S. (Editor), 1978. Handbooks of the flora of Papua New Guinea. Vol. 1. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Australia. 278 pp.
[1598] Wu, K.M., 1962. Chemical analysis and animal experimentation on Quisqualis indica. National Medical Journal of China 12: 161-170.
[1639] Zaczek, R. & Coyle, J.T., 1982. Excitatory amino acid analogs: neurotoxicity and seizures. Neuropharmacology 21(1): 15-26.

N.O. Aguilar

Aguilar, N.O., 1999. Quisqualis indica L.. 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