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 Botany:
· Erect, much branched, smooth, herbaceous,
or half-woody plant 25 to 80 cm in height.
· Leaves: opposite and whorled, lanceolate to elliptic
or oblanceolate, 0.5 to 2 cm long, pointed at both ends and narrowed
below the short stalk, and toothed in the margins.
· Flowers: while, small, very numerous, and in pairs;
their stalks slender, and 1 cm long or less. Sepals 4 or 5, imbricate,
corolla rotate, 4-fid, the throat bearded, lobes subequal, white
stamens 4, subequal.
Distribution
Ubiquitouos weedIn throughout
the settled areas in low to medium altitudes; along roadsides,
sides of ditches, and other more or less shaded and moist places.
Parts
utilized:
· Whole plant.
· Collected from April to June.
· Wash, cut into pieces, dry under the sun.
Properties
and Constituents
• Sweet and has cooling nature.
• Considered antipyretic, diuretic, analgesic, antiinflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial,
• Considered by some as aphrodisiac.
Constituents
• Study yielded diterpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, triterpenes, hexaconasol, b-sitosterol, ketone, dulcitone and amellin.
• Triterpene and mannitol isolated from the roots; dulcitol from
aerial parts. (Source)
• Phytochemical studies revealed acacetin, amellin, amyrin, apigenin, benzoxazin, benzoxalinone, betulinic acid, daucosterol, dulcidion . . among others. Also isolated were a flavone glycoside and a diterpene. (source)
Uses
Folkloric
· Cold and fever, enteritis,
diarrhea, beriberi, edema, difficulty in urination: Use decoction of
15 to 30 gms dried material.
· Miliaria: Rub the squeezed juice from fresh plant.
· In India, China
and Southeast Asia, used for pain, fever,
dysentery, diarrhea, cough, bronchitis, hypertension, piles and insect
bites.
· In Vietnam, used
for snakebites and antidote for cassava intoxication. Also, for pimples,
impetigo, ulcers and eczema.
· In India, used
for gonorrhea, to induce labor, and diabetes.
· In China, used
for herpes.
· In Burma and
India, herb infusion used
as mouthwash for infected gums.
· In Brazilian folk medicine, used for bronchitis, gastric disorders, hemorrhoids, insect bites, skin wounds..
Others
· In Trinidad's
santowah ceremony, sweetbroom is used to sprinkle holy water.
Studies
• Antioxidant: (1) Free Radical
Scavenging Activity of Scoparia dulcis Extract: Study showed
strong antioxidant acitivity corresponding to the reduction of hydroxyl radical generation, a possible rationale for the weeds observed therapeutic effects. (2) Study showed significant decrease in TBARS and hyperperoxides formation in the brain of rats suggesting a role in protection against lipid peroxidation induced membrane damage. Results suggest, in addition to its antidiabetic effect, SD possess antioxidant potential.
• Antihyperglycemic / Anti-Diabetes: (1)Effect of an
aqueous extract of Scoparia dulcis on blood glucose, plasma insulin
and some polyol pathway enzymes in experimental rat diabetes:
Study showed SD was effective in attenuating hyperglycemia in rats,
possibly due to the decreased influx of glucoxe into the polyol pathway with increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and plasma insulin and decreased activity of sorbitol dehydrogenase. (2) Study showed the aqueous extract of Scoparia dulcis exhibited antihyperglycemic effect by attenuating biochemical alterations in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
• Cytoprotective / Insulin-Secretagogue Activity: Study showed significant decrease in blood glucose with significantly increased plasma insulin level with use of aqueous extract of S dulcis in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Other results showed its insulin secretagogue activity and protection against STZ-mediated cytotoxicity. The glucose lowering effect was associated with potentiation of insulin release from the pancreatic islets.
• Anti-Ulcer: Study showed water extracts of S dulcis showed dose-dependent inhibition of indomethacin-induced gastric damage in rats validating its use in traditional medicine as an antacid and anti-ulcer agent.
• Antioxidant: Protective role of Scoparia dulcis plant extract on
brain antioxidant status and lipidperoxidation in STZ diabetic male
Wistar rats. Study showed levels of peroxidation markers in the brain were significantly a role in protection against lipidperoxidation-induced membrane damage.
• Antimicrobial / Antifungal:
Phytochemical and antimicrobial study of an antidiabetic plant: Scoparia
dulcis L.: Study of isolated fractions showed significant antimicrobial and antifungal activity against all tested organisms – S typhii, S aureus, E coli, B subtilis, P aeruginosa, P vulgaris and fungal strains (C albicans, A niger and F oxysporum).
• Antitumor: Scopadulcic acid B (SDB), a tetracyclic diterpenoid
isolated from S dulcis, inhibited the effects of a tumor promoter, inhibited phopholipid synthesis and suppressed the promoting effect of TPA on skin tumor formation. Its potency is stronger than other natural anti-tumor promoting terpenoids.
• Antihyperlipidemic:
Effect of Scoparia dulcis (Sweet Broomweed)
in Streptozotocin Diabetic Rats: Study showed antidiabetic
and antihyperlipidemic activity in normal and experimental diabetic
rats.
• NGF Activity: Acetylated Flavonoid Glycosides Potentiating NGF Action
from Scoparia dulcis: Three new acetylated flavonoid glycosides
were isolated, two of which showed enhancing activity of nerve growth
factor-mediated neurite outgrowth.
• Cytotoxicity: Study isolated four new diterpenes. Crude extracts and pure diterpenes suggested cytotoxicty.
• Beta-glucoronidase Inhibitor: Study isolated three labdane-type diterpene acids: scoparic acid A, B and C. Scoporic acid A was found to be a potent beta-glucoronidase inhibitor.
• Hepatoprotective / Antioxidant: Study isolated showed the hydroalcoholic extract of S dulcis exhibits significant hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in rats, an activity attributed to free radical scavenging activity.
• Anti-Trypanosomal Immunosuppression / Immunological Boosting: Previous findings suggest T. brucei is immunosuppressive. Study showed Scoparia dulcis provides a measure of immunological boost during experimental T. brucei infection in rabbits.
• Sympathomimetic Effects / Catecholamines: Study yielded both noradrenaline and adrenaline in the plant extract. The catecholamines may be responsible for the hypertensive and inotropic effects after parenteral administration of S dulcis extracts.
• Anti-Urolithiasis: Study investigating the inhibition of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate mineralization by five medicinal plants – A aspera, P leschenaultii, S amplexicaulis, Scoparia dulcis and A lanata – showed that increased intake of the fruit juices and seed extracts of the test plants would be helpful in urinary stone prophylaxis. The sequestering of the insoluble calcium salts by the fruit juices may be due to single or mixed ligand chelation by the hydroxyl acids present in them.
• Anti-Inflammatory / Analgesic: Study results indicate that the extract of S dulcis possess analgesic effects probably related to its antiinflammatory activity, effects probably attributable to the presence of glutinol and flavonoids.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Powders, extracts in the cybermarket.
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