Herbs from Distant Lands

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Pilea trinervia - Pohpohan

Polska wersja

PLANT PROFILE

Pilea trinervia is a tropical, perennial semi-succulent subshrub from Urticaceae family. It grows naturally in mountainous regions of India, Sri Lanka, Indo-China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia. It's leaves are eaten as a vegetable, but except for Indonesia it is not commonly known as such and if so, than usually it is just gathered from it's wild state by villagers. In Indonesia, especially in Java, Sumatra and Bali, it is so much appreciated that it is also cultivated in vegetable gardens, on small scale farms, and often sold on local vegetable markets.
Pilea trinervia has a high reputation for it's unique aroma, good nutritious value and health benefits. That is why, although it is not very popular as other vegetables in the region, in last years it get some attention from scientific world. And few studies has been made in Indonesia to evaluate best techniques for it's commercial, big scale cultivation, and to test it's potential as a medicinal plant. Pilea trinervia is also occasionally planted as ornamental or hedge plant.
It's most popular common name used in Indonesia and Malaysia is Pohpohan, but Popongan and Seureuh Leuweung are also used in Java. It's other vernacular names include : Thuy Ma La Mua (Vietnam), Narali (Malayalam), Dongorbhori (Telugu), Chang Xu Leng Shui Hua (Chinese), Melastome Clearweed (English), Schwarzschlundige Kanonierblume (German).
Pilea trinervia is still often known as Pilea melastomoides, but it's other synonyms like Urtica melastomoides, Urtica trinervia are nowadays out of use.

CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

Pilea trinervia is perennial subshrub with succulent young stems and semi-succulent leaves. It is usually less than 1m height but can reach even 2m, and it's leaves are 5-15cm long. It naturally grows in tropical, mountainous regions at elevation 700-2200m, in wet shady places in forests, near streams or lakes. It like wet but well drained rich compost soils, but can even grow on rocks with very little organic matter and withstand even very severe, long term droughts.
P. trinervia can be easily propagated by cuttings or layerings or from seeds. But the species is dioecious, which means that you have to have both male and female plants in order for pollination take place.
It was observed that Pohpohan plants are more susceptible to diseases if it grows in dry areas, and less in humid areas. Also that plants that grows in shade are even five times larger than those under full sunshine, and of course it produce more juicy and crispy vegetable parts.
Because of it's preference for shade, it is probably much more suitable for indoor pot cultivation than most of perennial, tropical, sun loving vegetables.
Pohpohan leaves can be harvested of it's own, but whole young stems are usually harvested. As it is more convenient, retain it's freshness better, plus tops of the stems are tender and juicy and can be consumed just like the leaves. It can be harvested all year round.

CULINARY USES

Pilea trinervia is quite popular wild vegetable in Java, Sumatra and Bali, where it is called Pohpohan. The leaves or whole young tender stems tops are mostly eaten raw as a salad, especially as a part of Lalapan dish (which is meat or fish, vegetables and sambal - sauce or paste made from chili that can have added ginger, shallots or shrimps for example), or rolled with chili paste inside. It is also steamed (to be a side dish for rice meal or other), boiled in soups and stews, or fried in tempura (for example with shrimp filling).
P. trinervia leaves have quite strong aroma for which it is highly appreciated, as most of people find this smell as nice, but some people call it too intense. Probably that is why I found one report stating that in India this plant is used more as a seasoning than a vegetable. But other source states that it is one of the wild edible plants that are important constituent of traditional diets in the Meghalaya.
I myself really like Pohpohan's distinguish refreshing aroma, but the leaves are for me too astringent, tart to be good as a leafy vegetable to be eaten fresh in quantities. It might be though that my plants had too much sun, and maybe it would have milder taste, if it would grow in shade and in softer compost instead of clayish one.
Since I much like good astringent teas like black Camellia sinensis or Persimon leaf tea, I get an idea to make a tea from Pohpohan leaves (although I didn't found anywhere any, even vague information about P. trinervia infusions or decoctions used as a beverage or even just as a cure). And the result is that I have another herbal tea on the list of my favorite beverages. The tea made from fresh chopped Pohpohan leaves has mild taste, with moderate astringency and quite strong, wonderful aroma unique to this herb. When it is dried and storaged carefully, the infusion made from crushed dried Pohpohan leaves taste just the same as the one from fresh leaves, without any loss of intensity of it's very pleasant aroma.

MEDICINAL USES

As a medicinal plant Pilea trinervia belongs to those shady herbs about which little is known, only few traditional claims of unknown genesis and scarce modern science data. But growing interest in medicinal properties of this well appreciated vegetable, might make this plant one day a widely used herbal cure, as it's high potential is already clear to see.
Just a few ethnobotanical reports contain scarce information that P. trinervia leaves are consumed as a treatment for cancer and stomachache in Bali, and cough, diabetes, stomach pain and post pregnancy in West Java. It is also said that Pohpohan leaf effectively increase body stamina. And there is one report from India, that - '' The leaves of the plant are used to cure allergies at the time of child birth. ''

Laboratory tests proved that Pohpohan is effective in lowering blood sugar level. Also it's strong antioxidant properties and antimicrobial actions was scientifically proved. Tests results shown that Pilea trinervia extracts are effective against Gram positive bacteria, but not effective for Gram negative bacteria. Tests on essential oil extracted from aerial parts of Pilea trinervia proved it to be antibacterial, antifungal and anti-candida (The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values of Pohpohan essential oil are : against Staphylococcus aureus 2.52 µg/mL, Bacillus subtilis 5.04 µg/mL, Escherichia coli 322.5 µg/mL, Candida albicans 20.16 µg/mL, Aspergillus niger 1.26 µg/mL, and Microsporum gypseum 5.04 µg/mL).
From my own experience, I would add that it also an astringent and diuretic herb, certainly good for respiratory tract and stomach infections.

As the laboratory tests results has shown that Pilea trinervia is effective against Microsporum gypseum, fungus that can be the cause of ringworms, and Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria that is common cause of many minor skin infections such as pimples, impetigo, boils, cellulitis, folliculitis, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome and abscesses. I think that use of poultice of smashed fresh Pohpohan leaves for those kinds of skin diseases, might be very helpful.
In Indonesia Pohpohan leaves are used for generations to heal burns. Test has shown that gel with Pohpohan leaf extract has burns healing activity.

Pilea trinervia leaves contains : flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, luteoin, apigenin, anthocyanins), alkaloids, steroids, polyphenols, tannins, monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids (including sulfur containing sesquiterpene - mintsulfide), chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, phenol and quinone compounds.
It have high content of proteins and available carbohydrates, also contains good amounts of calcium, potasium, magnesium, copper, beta-carotene, vitamin C, B1 and alpha-tocopherol (type of vitamin E).
Pilea trinervia aerial parts essential oil contains mainly : 2(10)pinene (14.85%), 1R-alpha-pinene (12.95%), Sabinene (12.66%), o-menth-8-ene (8.33%), germacrene-D (5.00%), beta-phellandrene (4.86%), 2-beta-pinene (3.91%), cis-ocimene (3.54%), cyclosativene (3.40%), zerumbone (2.95%), beta-elemene (2.81), 1,3,6-octarienene,3,7 dimethyl (2.78%), full list here.

Although there are no reports about any side effects of Pilea trinervia, either from Indonesia where a lots of people consume it regularly as a vegetable for generations, or from elsewhere. And laboratory tests results indicate that it is non toxic and safe for developed as pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. The scientific data about this herb and it's folk use reports are still quite limited, and there is a risk that there might be some contraindications for it's uses. Therefore I would advice moderation in Pohpohan consumption for those which health condition is poor and can not be compromise.

PILEA BENGUETENSIS C.B.Rob.

Pilea benguetensis is a species endemic to the Philippines, that can be found only on damp shaded cliffs, ravines, etc., at high elevations (1300-2000m) in the mountains of Luzon. And these are the only information about this rare species, that can be found in literature and internet.
I have found it growing only in one area, on rocky, seasonally dry, river bed on outskirts of Baguio, Benguet. It get my attention due to resemblance to both Elatostema and Pilea species, as many species of those genus and even in whole family of Urticaceae it both belongs to, are edible and medicinal plants. And when I saw that it is actually very closely related to Pilea plataniflora (used in Traditional Chinese Medicine) and to Pilea trinervia, I decided to test it's potential edibility. With my own high cautiousness, safety protocol : first smell it, if smells good tear the leaf and lick the edge, if it tastes good and I feel good then after some time I take tiny bite to chew and spit out, if it tastes good and feel good then next day I can chew and swallow small bite, and if that caused no harm or unpleasantness then following day I can try bigger bit, and so on.
So now I can say that for healthy individuals like myself Pilea benguetensis can be probably as good as a vegetable/potherb as Pilea trinervia. I eat regularly few fresh leaves of P. benguetensis and I like it even more than leaves of P. trinervia. As it is less astringent and more aromatic than trinervia. I would say that it's aroma is more pungent, very herbal, hard to describe but with somewhat rosemary character. It is definitely worth species to be tested for it's possible medicinal value, that might be just like it's aroma even stronger than that of Pilea trinervia.

Sources

'' Flora and Vegetation of Bali Indonesia: An Illustrated Field Guide '' - Edgar Heim,
BoD Books on Demand 2015

'' World Spice Plants: Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy '' - Johannes Seidemann, Springer Science & Business Media 2005

'' World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition '' - John H. Wiersema, Blanca Leon,
CRC Press 2016

Efforts to develop the potential of minor vegetables - AFRILIA TRI WIDYAWATI, TRY ZULCHI, PROS SEM NAS MASY BIODIV INDON Volume 5, Nomor 1, Maret 2019

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil from Aerial Parts of Pohpohan (Pilea Trinervia (Roxb.) Wight). - Diki Prayugo Wibowo1, and Ria Mariani2

Isolation and identification of chemical compounds from ethyl acetate fraction of Pohpohan (Pilea trinervia L.) leaves - Yoppi Iskandar, Resmi Mustarichie

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN BUTANOL FRACTION OF POHPOHAN (PILEA TRINERVIA ROXB.) LEAVES - Resmi Mustarichie and Yoppi Iskandar

Diversity of Indonesian Medicinal Plant in The lowland Forest, Bodogol and Its Surrounding of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java - S Susiarti, M Rahayu and Rugayah

The potential of understorey plants from Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park (West Java, Indonesia) as cervixs anticancer agents - YANIETA ARBIASTUTIE, DJOKO MARSONO, MAE SRI HARTATI, RISHADI PURWANTO

Acute Toxicity Study And Antioxidant Activities Of Pohpohan Leaves (Pilea trinervia (Roxb.) Wight) and Kenikir (Cosmos caudatus) - Himmi Marsiati, Susi Endrini, Arif Ashari, Fazleen Izzany Abu Bakar, and Mohd Fadzelly Abu Bakar

Antioxidant activity and anticarcinogenic properties of “rumput mutiara” {Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam.} and “pohpohan” {Pilea trinervia (Roxb.) Wight} - Susi Endrini

UJI AKTIVITAS ANTIDIABETES INFUSA DAUN POHPOHAN (Pilea trinervia Wight.) PADA MENCIT PUTIH JANTAN GALUR SWISS WEBSTER - Nur Rahayuningsih

Uji aktivitas gel ekstrak daun pohpohan (Pilea trinervia W.) terhadap penyembuhan luka bakar pada kelinci (Oryctolagus cuniculus) - Via Fitria, Rafiki Fahrul Arifin, Nia Kurniasih

Agronomy, Utilization and Economics of Indigenous Vegetables in West Java, Indonesia - Edi Santosa, Utami Prawati, Sobir Sobir, Yoko Mine

Flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of vegetables from Indonesia - Nuri Andarwulan, Ratna Batari, Diny Agustini Sandrasari, Bradley Bolling, Hanny Wijaya

Antibacterial Activities Ekstract Pohpohan Leaves (Pilea trinervia W.) Against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus - Abdulloh Khudry, B.Boy Rahardjo Sidharta, P. Kianto Atmodjo

Nutritional analysis of some selected wild edible plants consumed by the tribal people of Meghalaya
state in India - Tapan Seal, Kausik Chaudhuri

https://dreamytable.com/flavors-indonesia-cooking-class/
https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Melastome%20Clearweed.html
https://vietherb.com.vn/herbs/2038/
https://www.philippineplants.org/Families/Urticaceae.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/filibot/8100968279/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/filibot/8045152893/

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Gynura bicolor - Okinawan Spinach

Polska wersja

PLANT PROFILE

Gynura bicolor is a perennial tropical, half-succulent plant from Asteraceae family of East-Asian origin. It can grow as a small dense bush, high groundcover or climbing plant. It is often called Okinawan Spinach as for years it was used in Japan, Taiwan, China and some South-East Asian regions, as a leafy vegetable. In the last decade it's humble popularity expanded outside of those Asian countries, reaching USA and Australia, but generally worldwide this plant still remain a rarity. Alongside it's culinary values it's health benefits are also highly appreciated, and in the last decade it's medicinal actions and phytochemistry has been tested sporadically.
The other names of Gynura bicolor include : Hong Feng Cai (Chinese), Sambung Nyawa Ungu (Malay). Edible Gynura and Okinawan Lettuce (English).
There is a lots of misinformation on Internet as this plant is very often called mistakenly by amateurs as Gynura crepioides. This name obviously derived as a distortion of a name Gynura crepidioides, which is in fact old, nowadays out of use synonym for Crassocephalum crepidioides. Crassocephalum crepidioides plant is quite closely related to Gynura bicolor, and share few of it's culinary and medicinal uses, but is less safe for consumption as it contain more pyrrolizidine alkaloids than G. bicolor (so it can be harmful to human liver even in not so huge doses). C. crepidioides also differs much in appearance from G. bicolor, so no serious gardener can mistake both plants.
Authentic Gynura bicolor plants are also sometimes mislabeled as Gynura divaricata, Gynura pseudochina or Gynura procumbens. Gynura procumbens is actually the closest relative to Gynura bicolor, it's leaves has more smoothely toothed-lobbed edges, and downside of it's leaves is green and not purple, but both species growth habit, general outlook and flowers are the same. Also taste of both is quite the same (I think G. bicolor tastes just bit more nutty-herbal), and it's nutritional and medicinal values are very similar to.

CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

Gynura bicolor is generally a perennial vine but it's stems are quite thick, straight and stiff, so with regular cutting of stems tops this plant can grow like a small shrub. If left to grow, it's stems can get around 4m long, crawling on the ground or climbing on a tree, fence etc. It's leaves and young stems are subsucculent, older stems are becoming half-woody. Due to water storage in it's tissues it can survive serious drought, but it thrive in wet compost soil and humid tropical climate. In nature it grows usually in wet meadows, forests outskirts, on river banks and near lakes, but not on swampy ground, as waterlogged soil is causing Gynura's roots rotting. I was experiencing this problem every year in my garden in north of the Philippines during the rainy season, one week of constant rains in flat area and all Gynura plants was gone dead rotten. Hence, I've started to plant new Gynura plants only on slopes, where water can't retain. As a tropical plant it also can not withstand any frost, but I've read interesting claim that it '' Grows all year round in warm climates, and will die back in winter in the cooler climates – generally will reshoot in spring.''
Gynura likes full sun and partial shade, in strong shade it's growth is slow and disturbed. It starts to flower after some period of water scarcity, mostly during dry summer months. So if you grow your Gynura in pots indoor and you would like to see it flowering - don't cut it's stems for some time (you can still pick few leaves leaving some on stems) and gradually stop watering it until the soil will be very dry. If the plant has enough sunlight you should see flower buds appearing shortly after. G. bicolor is generally easy to grow indoors and just like in gardens it can be quite ornamental, due to it's nice shape and purple young stems and downside of the leaves. The flowers although rather small, comes in clusters of few and have a nice looking, vivid orange-red colour. And it is followed by also attractively looking white puffs of seeds.
Gynura bicolor can be propagated by seeds, but stems cuttings grow roots very easily and quickly, and the layering is easy too, as the stems that touch the soil usually grow roots soon. Compare to other leafy vegetables it is relatively pest and diseases resistant, but sometimes it can be affected too, for example by snails or fungus.
Although Okinawan Spinach can cope with any type of soil, for best harvest it should grow in rich well drained, wet compost soil in high temperature. The leaves and tender tops can be harvested all year round, but if plants are still young and small it is better to pick leaves only and always leave enough on plant to not slow it's further growth. G. bicolor leaves have still soft skin and flesh and are crispy even when already old, but are more nutritious, contain less water and store for longer without wilting, than the young underdeveloped leaves. Of course it is the best to pick the leaves or tops straight before eating, as the level of it's antioxidants content drops every with every minute after picking. But if you have to storage it for few days and your plants are already big, then cut whole long stems and keep in such form until consumption time, when you can remove leaves and tender tops from tough stem. This is the best way to keep it fresh even for a week in room temperature or cooled. But for really long storage purposes it can also be dried.

CULINARY USES

Gynura bicolor leaves and young tender shoots has a mild taste with nutty-herbal aroma. It is very juicy and crispy, bit mucilaginous, and can be used fresh or cooked in any possible way that leafy vegetables are. It can be added to salads or sandwiches, juices or smoothies, steamed or boiled like spinach, added to soups, stir-fries, omelettes or turned into tempura.
Reddish purple colour of downside of Gynura bicolor leaves can make your salad more colourful, but when boiled the colour is getting darker and less attractive. To avoid it becoming slimy pulp, the leaves should be cooked only for short time.
Okinawan Spinach is a vegetable of cooling character and so in Chinese cuisine it is usually cooked with warming ingredients like ginger, sesame oil or rice wine. In Japan, the leaves are eaten flavoured with a sauce of saki, shoyu and vinegar. In Taiwan it is very popular as an ingredient in vegetarian cuisine. It is highly regarded for it's original taste and nutritive values also in some regions of South-East Asia, but it is rather not well known veggie.
The leaves, stems and roots of the plant can also be made into tea by boiling with water.

MEDICINAL USES

Gynura bicolor popularity as a medicinal plant is just as small as it's availability. It's health benefits are well known probably to everyone that consume it as a vegetable in Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia or other South-East Asian countries. But even in those places it is rather less known plant. And very few books or websites about Asian medicinal plants has any information about G. bicolor in it. But it seems to be getting more popular nowadays in East Asia, and even starts to be known elsewhere, in USA, Australia or Russia. As it attracted more attention in last decade, a small number of scientific studies has been conducted to tests G. bicolor phytochemistry and medicinal actions, mainly in Japan, China, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Gynura bicolor is traditionally consumed a a folk remedy to help in conditions like : hypertension, diabetes, cancer, constipation, inflammations, herpes simplex virus, rashes, pimples, rheumatism, kidney diseases, migraines, dysmenorrhea, post-labor recovery, hemoptysis, to improve blood circulation and stop bleeding, to alleviate swellings and to detoxify body. Fresh smashed leaves are applied as poultice on skin diseases and wounds.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine Gynura bicolor is described as cold herb, good for treatment of diseases caused by excessive heat in the body. In terms of Western Herbalism this plant is described as : antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, immuno-enhancing and chelating (cleaning body from heavy metals).
One study results showed that the ethyl acetate extract of G. bicolor possessed cytotoxicity and induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death in human colon carcinoma cells (HCT 116 and HTC 15), and the other, that this herb could induce apoptosis in HL60 leukemia cells.

Gynura bicolor is rich in flavonoids (anthocyanins, quercetin, kaempferol), glycosides (quercitrin, isoquercitrin, rutin) and polysaccharides, it also contain : terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, terpenes, phenols, caffeic acid and β-carotene. It is also a good source of iron, potassium, calcium and Vitamins A and C.
G. bicolor leaves was found to contain : 5-p-trans-coumaroylquinic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, kampferol-3-O-rutinoside, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, kampferol-3-O-glucoside, guanosine and chlorogenic acid, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2ʹ-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), 3,4-O-dicaffeoyl-quinic acid, 3,4-dihydroxylbenzoic acid, 3-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde and megastigmane-type norisoprenoids.
The stems was found to contain : ethyl caffeate, esculetin, dihydrocaffeic acid, 3,4-O-dicaffeoyl-quinic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethane, p-hydroxyphenylpropionic methyl ester, methyl dihydrocaffeate.

Essential oil obtained from leaves Gynura bicolor consist mainly of (E)-β-caryophyllene (31.42 %), α-pinene (17.11 %) and bicyclogermacrene (8.09 %), while the main components of the stem extracted essential oil are α-pinene (61.42 %), β-pinene (14.39 %) and myrcene (5.10 %).

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Despite it's content of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (of which many has potential to damage human liver cells), Gynura bicolor has been proved in laboratory tests to be safe for consumption. There are also no reports about acute side effects or long term negative health impact of eating G. bicolor from any of the countries that hosts a lots of Okinawan Spinach regular consumers. Despite this, moderation is advised when it comes to consumption of Gynura bicolor, esspecially for people with weak liver, as many reports state that big amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in diet over prolonged period of time can cause liver damage.