 Gen info
- Aerva is a genus of plants in the family Amaranthaceae.
- Etymology: The genus name Aerva is a Latinized
Arabic name for the plant, Ay-er-va. The specific epithet sanguinolenta derives from Latin, meaning "full of blood".
Botany
• Climbing Wool-Plant is a perennial herb, frequently woody below, prostrate to erect or frequently scrambling, 0.4-1 m. Stems are branched from the base and usually also above, upper branches commonly long and slender. Stem and branches are round, channeled, densely velvety with whitish or yellowish hairs. Leaves are broadly to narrowly ellipitic or elliptic- lanceolate or elliptic-ovate, narrowed to flat at the base, pointed to long-pointed at the tip, densely whitish-woolly on both surfaces, about 1.5-18 x 0.8-6 cm, leaf-stalk up to 2 cm long. Branch and inflorescence leaves gradually reduce upwards. Flowers arise in stalkless spikes, forming a lax raceme or terminal panicle, 0.5-8 x 0.4-0.6 cm, cylindrical (conical when young), silky, white to pale pink or pale brown. Bracts are 1-1.5 mm, deltoid-ovate. All are tepals densely woolly dorsally. Stamens are delicate, at anthesis attaining about half the length of the style. Capsule is about 1 mm. Seed 0.8-1 mm, kidney-shaped, black, shining. Climbing Wool-Plant is found in the Himalayas, at altitudes of 150-1400 m, and also in the Western Ghats. (Flowers of India)
 • Herbs perennial. Stem erect or slightly stoloniferous, simple or branched. Leaves ovate-elliptic, oblong, or lanceolate, 1.5-8 × 0.5-3.5 cm. Inflorescences white or purple sericeous. Bracts, bracteoles, and tepals densely white lanose or puberulous abaxially. Tepals white or pink. Pseudostaminodes triangular. Utricles ovate, glabrous. Seeds reniform. (Flora of China)
Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Also native to Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sulawesi, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, West Himalaya. (1)
- In abandoned fields, brushwood and hedges. at elevations 200 to 2,000 m.
Constituents
- Plant is rich in phytoconstituents such as tannins, flavonoids, terpenoid, sphingolipids, polyphenolic compounds and betacyanins.
- Studies have isolated
various phytoconstituents: Ameroterpene, bakuchiol, from dried leaves; Sphingolipids ASE-1 from ethanolic extract of leaves; and acylated and simple betacyanins: amaranthine (1), isoamaranthine (2), and celosianin I and celosianin II (3) from inflorescence. (4)
- Phytochemical analysis of petroleum ether (PE), chloroform (C), methanol (M) and aqueous (A) extracts of leaf and stem macerates
showed: saponins (PE++, C+, M++), flavonoids (PE+++, C+++, M++, A++), terpenoids (PE+++, C++, A++), cardiac glycosides (PE++, C++, M+), tannins (PE+,C+, M++) and alkaloids (PE+++, C+, M+++, A++).(see study below) (9)
Properties
- Studies have suggest antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antibacterial, diuretic, hepatoprotective, anti-cariogenic biofilm demineralization, antimicrobial, anti-leishmanial, anticancer properties.
Parts used
Whole plant, leaves, flowers, shoots.
 Uses
Edibility
- No studies found on plant edibility.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
-
In Bangladesh, whole plant used as tonic and sedative; also used for dermatitis. Decoction from young branches drunk for treatment of hematuria and irregular or painful menstruation. Roots used for dysentery; paste applied externally for headaches. Paste of leaves applied to cuts and wounds. (2)
- Leaves and flowers used for wound healing and for rheumatic arthritis and muscle pains. Whole plant used as diuretic and demulcent. Decoction of tender shoots used as galactagogue by nursing mothers. Decoction of whole plant use to expel intestinal worms. Paste of leaves and roots applied to areas of body pains. (2)
- Dried leaves and flowers used for treatment of bronchitis, asthma and jaundice.
- In Pakistan, decoction, powder, extract, and poultice used for treatment of hemorrhoids, snakebites and jaundice, and given to pregnant women during childbirth. (9)
- In Indonesia, leaf decoction drunk for treatment of muscle aches. (13)
Others
- Veterinary: In Bangladesh, Bhoxas tribals of Dehradun tie a twig of the plant on the neck of a sick cattle with the belief it will relieve the malady. (2)
- Dye: A red-violet dye can be extracted from leaves. (see study below) (12)
 Studies
• Antidiabetic / Aerial Parts: Study of ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts of aerial parts exhibited mild antidiabetic activity. (2)
• Antidiabetic / Antioxidant / Leaves: Study plant extract showed potent inhibition of two key enzymes linked to type-2 diabetes viz. α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Extract also showed substantial DPPH radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, nitric oxide radical scavenging, and superoxide radical scavenging activity. (3)
• Antibacterial / Ameroterpene / Dried Leaves: Studies have isolated various phytoconstituents: Ameroterpene, bakuchiol, from methanol extract of dried leaves, which inhibited the growth of Streptococcus mutans (MTCC497), Actinomyces viscosus (ATCC 15987), and Streptococcus sanguis (ATCC 10556) with MIC of 0.98 µg/mL for each strain. (see constituents above) (4)
• Diuretic / Anti-Inflammatory: Study for diuretic activity showed extract increased urine volume with significant increase in the cationic concentration at each increased dose. The Na+/K+ ratio indicates a dose-dependent response with comparable doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg with reference standard drug. (4) An aqueous extract showed significant diuretic activity at dose of 400 mg/kbw evidenced by increase of total urine volume, K+ and Cl- ions in urine. Extract also showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. (7)
• Hepatoprotective Against Paracetamol Induced Liver Toxicity / Leaves: Study evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of ethanolic extract of Aerva sanguinolenta leaves by oral route to adult male Wistar albino rats fed 200 and 400 mg/kbw of extract and 25 mg/kbw of silymarin for 16 days. Results showed ethanolic extract has hepatoprotective activity comparable to silymarin. The activity of ethanolic leaves extract may be due to presence of polyphenolic compounds. (4)
• Anti-Leishmanial: Study evaluated the anti-leishmanial activity of Aerva sanguinolenta extracts against L. donovani field isolate by cytotoxicity assay. Extract showed promising anti-leishmania activity with IC50s between 0.1 µg/ml to 1 µg/ml. Treated cells showed loss of outer cell membrane integrity, and disappearing metabolites upon cell death. Results suggest potential for the treated of Leishmaniasis. (5)
• Effect on Biofilm-Induced Human Enamel Demiineralization / Invitro Study: Study evaluated the invitro role of Aerva sanguinolenta ethanolic extract on biofilm-induced microbial human enamel demineralization. Prepared enamel sections were immersed in 0.2% ethanolic extract of A. sanguinolenta, 0.12% chlorhexidine, and distilled water for 2 minutes before subjecting to culture media of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The amount of biofilm formation was moderate and the among of demineralization was least among study groups. Results showed enamel exposed to 2 ml of 0.2% solution of A. sanguinolenta could fairly inhibit formation of biofilm and positively inhibit underlying demineralization in cariogenic environment. (6)
• Anti-Inflammatory / Leaves: Study evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential and mechanism of action of leaf extracts of Aerva sanguinolenta using acute, subacute, and chronic models of inflammation. A new cerebroside, 'trans',ASE-1, was isolated from the ethanol extract (ASE). Results showed the ASE at 400 mg/kg caused significant reduction of rat paw edema, granuloma, and exudative inflammation , while inhibition of mouse paw edema and exudative inflammation by ASE-1 (20 mg/kg) was comparable to standard drug indomethacin (10 mg/kg). Both ASE and ASE-1 showed significant inhibition of expressions of iNOS2 and COX-2, and down-regulation of expressions of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α in LPS-stimulation macrophages via inhibition of COX--2 mediated PGE2 release. Results validates the traditional use of leaves in treatment of inflammation. (8)
• Antimicrobial / Antioxidant / Leaves: Study evaluated leaf and stem parts for antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains. Highest zone of inhibition was seen with petroleum ether (PE) extract with 52.5 mm against S. aureus followed by methanol (M) 40.5 mm against P. aeruginosa. Stem showed highest ZOI 37 mm in methanol against S. aureus. Stem showed 37mm ZOI by PE against Aspergillus niger. For antioxidant activity by DPPH assay, leaf extract exhibited highest activity at 92.60 in PE. Leaf extract showed highest total antioxidant activity (TAA) 3.20 mg inn PE solvent. (9)
• Anticancer / Ehrlich's Ascites Cell Induced Mice / Aerial Parts: Study evaluated the effects of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of A. sanguinolenta by intraperitoneal route to Ehrlich ascites tumor bearing Swiss albino mice. Acute toxicity testing showed LD509 of 2250 mg/kbw via i.p. route. Ethanol extract produced remarkable reduction in number of viable cells (p<0.01) and increased percentage of life span. Results suggest the ethanolic extract has potent dose-dependent antitumor activity, comparable to vinblastine. (10)
• In Vitro Antileishmanial Activity: Leishmania donovani, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis, is transmitted to humans by sandfly vector. It is caused by obligate intra-macrophage protozoan parasite Leishmania. which has two phases of development: intra-macrophage 'amastigote' form and in sandfly as 'promastigote' form. Study evaluated the anti-leishmanial potential of A. sanguinolenta whole plant ethanolic extract against L. donovani promastigotes (Dd8, WHO strain). Results showed significant anti-leishmanial activity evidenced by significant ICS0 levels and decrease in acid phosphatase, arginase, and protein levels compared with medium alone and Amphotericin-B. There was increased nitric oxide levels, indicating oxidative stress in parasites. Results suggest A. sanguinolenta has good anti-leishmanial potential, and further studies were suggested to evaluate parasite clearance in an intra-macrophage model. (11)
• Eco-Friendly Natural Dye: Study reports on the eco-friendly extraction of a natural dye from Aerva sanguinolenta leaves using biomordant tannin from bark of Peltophorum pterocarpus to bind the dye to the yarn. Results showed the presence of betalain as pigment that gives reddish color. The dye from A. sanguinolental leaf can be successfully used as alternative to harmful synthetic dyes. (12)
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
.jpg)
.jpg)
