Gen info
- Lasianthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, consisting of tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees, inhabiting the understory of primary forests. The genus has about 180 species. The species for the genus is Lasianthus cyanocarpus.  (3)

Botany
• Shrubs, 1.5-3 m tall; branches and branchlets appressed pubescent or strigillose to glabrescent. Petiole 7-10 mm, densely pubescent or strigillose to strigose; leaf blade leathery, oblong to elliptic-oblong, 8.5-18 × 3.5-7 cm, glabrous adaxially, thinly pubescent or strigillose abaxially, base acute to broadly obtuse, margins usually undulate, often thinly revolute, apex acute or acuminate; lateral veins 7-9 pairs; nervules parallel; nerves and nervules elevated conspicuously abaxially; stipules generally persistent, triangular to narrowly triangular, 3-5 mm, densely puberulent to strigillose. Inflorescences subcapitate to congested-cymose, sessile; bracts absent or reduced. Flowers sessile to subsessile. Calyx subglabrous or puberulent; hypanthium portion campanulate to subglobose, 2.5-3 mm; limb 2-2.5 mm, truncate or minutely dentate. Corolla 10-12 mm, hirtellous to villous outside, villous inside; lobes 5, ovate. Fruit blue, ellipsoid, up to 10 mm in diam., strigillose to glabrescent, smooth; pyrenes 4 or 5. (Flora of China)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- In primary forests, mostly at low and medium elevation.
- In Babuyan Is., Batan, Batanes, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Isabela, Laguna, Mt. Province, Pampanga, Quezon, Rizal, Mindoro, Agusan del Norte, Negros, Palawan, Samar, Panay, Leyte. (2)
- Also native to Andaman Is., Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, India, Japan, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)

Constituents
- Phytochemical study of leaves isolated five undescribed iridoid glucosides, lasianosides A-E (1-5), together with three known compounds, lasianol (6), deacetyl daphylloside (7), and daphylloside (8).(see study below) (3)
- Study of leaves isolated a series of iridoid glycosides: a new iridoid glycoside, lasianoside F (1), and three new bis-iridoid glycosides, lasianosides G-I (2-4), together with four known compounds (5-8). (5)
- TLC screening of lipophilic extracts of stem bark and leaves showed presence of terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds and coumarins in the extracts. (see study below) (7)

Properties
- Study suggested antioxidant and herbicide properties.

Parts used
Stem bark, leaves.

Uses
Edibility
- No information found on edibility.
Folkloric
- Use for treatment of skin diseases and wounds.
- In Thailand, used as analeptic or restorative medicine.
- Used by Onges tribe as antidote. (6)

Studies
• Antioxidant / Leaves: Phytochemical study of leaves isolated five undescribed iridoid glucosides, lasianosides A-E (1-5), togethers with three known compounds (6-8). Isolated compounds were assessed for antioxidant activity by DPPH radical scavenging assay and cytotoxicity by MTT assay toward human lung cancer cell line (A549). Compounds 3 and 4 exhibited potent radical scavenging activities with IC50s of 30.2 and 32.0 µM, comparable to Trolox (29.3 µM). None of the compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against A549. Results suggest Lasianosides C,D, and E have potential as non-toxic safe antioxidant agents. (3)
• Bioherbicide Potential / Stem bark and leaves: Study evaluated chemical profile and bioactivity of lipophilic extracts of Lasianthus verticillaus for effects on seed germination and seedling growth of two weeds (Mimosa pigra and Cenchrus brownii) and on fungal pest (Collectotrichum gloeosporioides). TLC screening showed presence of terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds and coumarins in the extracts. One week after seed culture, the extract affected seed germination and seedling growth, and with increasing concentration, shoot and root lengths decreased significantly. Antifungal activity based on MIC value of stem bark and leaf extracts at 72 hr was 2.5 mg/mL. The two weeds treated with concentrations of stem bark lipophilic extracts less than or same as Acetochlor showed decreased seed germination and length of shoots and roots suggesting potential of extract as bioherbicide. (Note: C. gloeosporioides has an extremely broad host range, causing anthracnose disease on a variety of crops such as cereals and grasses, legumes, fruits, vegetablesd, perennial crops, and trees. Wikipedia) (7)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Lasianthus verticillatus / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Lasianthus verticillatus / Wikipedia
(3)
Lasianosides A–E: New Iridoid Glucosides from the Leaves of Lasianthus verticillatus (Lour.) Merr. and Their Antioxidant Activity / Gadah Abdulaziz Al-Hamoud, Raha Saud Orfali, Shagufta Perveen, Katsuyoshi Matsunami et al / Molecules, 2019; 24(21):  3995 / DOI: 10.3390/molecules24213995
(4)
Comparative phytochemical evaluation and biological control properties from Lasianthus verticillatus (Lour.) Merr. (Rubiaceae) extracts / Tiwtawat Napiroon, Keerati Tanruean, Sryunya Vajrodaya / Research Journal of Biotechnology, 2019; 14(10): pp 41-49
(5)
Lasianosides F–I: A New Iridoid and Three New Bis-Iridoid Glycosides from the Leaves of Lasianthus verticillatus (Lour.) Merr. / Gadah Abdulaziz Al-Hamoud, Raha Saud Orfali, Yoshio Takeda, Katsuyoshi Matsunami et al / Molecules, 2020; 25(12): 2798 / DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122798
(6)
Evaluating the Feasibility of Five Candidate DNA Barcoding Loci for Philippine Lasianthus Jack  (Lasiantheae: Rubiaceae) / Muhammad Jefte C Arshed, Marcos B Valdez Jr, Grecebio Jonathan D Alejandro / Pharmacogn. Mag, 2017 / DOI: 10.4103/pm.pm_1_17
(7)
Comparative phytochemical evaluation and biological control properties from Lasianthus verticillatus (Lour.) Merr. (Rubiaceae) extracts / Tiwtawat Napiroon, Keerati Tanruean, Srunya Vajrodaya /  Research Journal of Biotechnology, 2019; 14(10): pp 41-49

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