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Botany
Botoncillo is an erect, branched, pubescent annual,
the branches more or less thickened and often purplish at the
nodes. Leaves are opposite, petioled, oblong acute or obtuse,
7 to 11 centimeters long. Flowers are numerous, densely crowded in globose heads,
the heads are white, pink or purple, solitary, peduncled, 1.5
to 2 centimeters in diameter, subtended by 2 bracts. Bracteoles are 8
to 10 millimeters long, enclosing the flowers, lateral, keeled. Sepals,
pubescent, 5, lanceolate, cleft at the tip, usually without staminodes.
Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled; style short or long, stigmas 2. Fruits are utricles, compressed, and indehiscent.
Distribution
- In settled areas throughout
the Philippines.
Constituents
- Plant yield flavones and flavonoid glycosides, gomphrenol.
- Flower yields ß-cyanins, gomphrenin I, II, and III.
- Leaves yield methylenedioxyflavonol-gomphrenol.
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Study yielded a triterpenoid saponin (gomphrenoside-1), an new hopane
derivative along with known compounds.
- Phytochemical screening yielded saponins, alkaloids, reducing sugars and coumarins. (7)
- Phytochemical evaluation of aerial parts yielded one new triterpenoid saponin (gomphrenoside) and one new hopane derivative (hopan-7ß-ol) along with known compounds, ß-sitosterol-ß-D-glucoside and 1-triacontanol. (11)
- Phytochemical screening of various extracts yielded
flavonoid, saponin, tannin galat, steroid/triterpenoid, essential oil, and coumarin. Pharmacognosy of the flower yielded water content 8.17%, total ash 9.11%, acid-insoluble ash 1.50%, acid-soluble ash 6.43%, water-soluble extract 10.79%, ethanol-soluble extract 3.51%, and dry content 10.19%. (see study below) (17)
- Phytochemical screening of ethanol and aqueous extracts of whole plant yielded proteins (E), tannins (EA), phenols (EA), alkaloids (E), steroid (E), saponin (EA), with no flavonoids, quinones, terpenoid, and cardioglycosides. (19)
- Study of ethanolic extract of flowers yielded sterols, triterpenoid, tannins, phenols, and flavonoids.
GC-MS analysis yielded 11 photochemical compounds with major bioactive compounds of docosanoic acid, docosyl ester (25.404%) and hexatriacontane (24.324%). (21)
- Study of crude methanolic extract of Gomphrena globosa whole plant yielded three compounds: stigmasterol, ß-sitosterol, and isochavicinic acid. (22)
- Qualitative phytochemical analysis of flowers yielded carbohydrates, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, quinones, glycosides, terpenoids, phenols, coumarins, steroids, and phytosteroid, and absence of alkaloids, phlobatannins and anthraquinones. (see study below) (23)
Properties
- Sweet tasting, antitussive, antiasthmatic.
- Studies have suggested antioxidant, hypoglycemic, anticancer, cytotoxic properties.
Parts utilized
· Flowers.
· Collect the head inflorescence during May to October, during
the flowering season.
· Sun-dry.
Uses
Edibility
- Flowers mixed with various kinds of tea or steeped alone.
- Knob petals can be eaten as vegetable.
Folkloric
- Decoction of dried material or 10 inflorescences used for bronchial asthma, acute and chronic
bronchitis, whooping cough.
- Decoction of fresh plant used to wash sores.
- Flower decoction used for inflammation of the eyes, difficulty urinating, headaches, and dysentery.
- In Trinidad and Tobago,
used for diabetes and for high blood pressure, jaundice, oliguria and
other kidney problems and as heart tonic. (3)
- In Myanmar, decoction
of plant used for cough.
- In the Guianas, whole plant infusion of the white-flowered variant used as diabetes remedy. Warm infusion of leaf used as sudorific.
- In Bangladesh, used for hypertension, cough, diabetes, oliguria, heat and empacho. (15)
Studies
• Betacyanins: Rapid Identification
of Betacyanins from Amaranthus tricolor, Gomphrena globosa, and Hylocereus
polyrhizus: Natural betacyanins are studied for its
potential as food colorants and antioxidants. Fourteen free and acetylated
betacyanins were identified. (1)
• Antihypertensive / Low Cytotoxicity: Study of ethanol extract of leaves showed low cytotoxicity in the brine shrimp bioassay and no antimicrobial activity. It promoted a hypotensive effect by significant reduction in arterial blood pressure without change in heart rate. (7)
• Antioxidant / Cytotoxicity: Crude methanol extract of G. globosa showed significant free radical scavenging activity. Its hexane soluble fraction showed highest activity. On brine shrimp lethality assay, the chloroform soluble fraction of the crude methanol extract showed highest lethality. (8)
• Hypoglycemic / Cytotoxicity: In a study of various fractions, an n-hexane soluble fraction showed significant lowering of blood glucose level in a mice model. Glibenclamide was used as standard drug. (9)
• Antioxidant / Flowers: In a study of various extracts of flowers, a methanol extract showed a high content of phenols and flavonoids. It showed potent free radical scavenging activity in the H2O2 and DPPH assays. (10) Study evaluated the phytochemicals, HPTLC finger print profile and in vitro antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of G. globosa flowers. HPTLC confirmed the presence of flavonoid quercetin. Among different concentrations, 300 µg/ml showed highest antioxidant activity in all models (total antioxidant capacity, reducing power assay, and DPPH radical scavenging activity). (see constituents above) (23)
• Anticancer / Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma / Acute Toxicity Study / Aerial Parts: Study investigated the anticancer activity of chloroform extract of aerial parts of GG against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) induced solid tumor. Results showed a significant anti-cancer activity restoring hematological and biochemical parameters toward normal, with histological evidence of significant reduction of tumor volume. Acute toxicity study showed the extract was non-toxic up to 2000 mg/kbw. (13)
• Antidiarrheal: Study evaluated a methanolic extract for anti-diarrheal activity in a castor oil-induced diarrhea model in mice. Results showed statistically significant anti-diarrheal activity at a dose of 400 mg/kbw. Loperamide was the standard anti-diarrheal drug. (14)
• Antioxidant / Cytotoxicity / Antimicrobial: Study evaluated a crude methanolic extract and various fractions for antioxidant, brine shrimp lethality and antimicrobial screening. An n-hexane fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 13.17 ± 3.08 µg/ml and highest phenolic content with 57.12 ± 0.265 mg GAE/gm of extractives. A chloroform soluble fraction showed significant cytotoxicity with LC50 of 0.331 ± 0.029 µg/ml. A carbon tetrachloride soluble fraction and chloroform soluble fraction showed mild to moderate antimicrobial activity with inhibition zone of 8 ± 0.208 to 14 ± 0.069 mm. (15)
• Phytoremediation Assessment / Arsenic: Study evaluated Gomphrena globosa and Zinnia elegans for the feasibility of floriculture in crop rotation system of arsenic endemic areas of the Bengal Delta. While the plants did not show high phytoremediation capacities as other wild species, such as ferns, they showed to be arsenic tolerant, without showing phytotoxic signs. Study suggests floriculture is an option for crop rotation in arsenic-contaminated agricultural soils. (16)
• Antibacterial / Flowers: Study evaluated various flower extracts of Gomphrena globosa for antimicrobial activity. The extracts were tested against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and S. dysenteriae. Results showed the higher the concentration of the extract, the higher the bacterial inhibition zone. Highest antibacterial activity was seen with n-butanol extract. (see constituents above) (17)
• Anticancer / Oleuropein / Aerial Parts: Study investigated Celosia cristata and Gomphrena globosa for in vitro anticancer property. The chloroform extract of Gomphrena globosa exhibited cytotoxic activity with IC of 45.94 Pg/ml for DLA cell line and 56.87 Pg/ml for ECA cell line. The effect was more potent than C. cristata. The compound possessing the anticancer activity against human cancer cell lines MCF-7, DU 145, HeLa and A-431 was found to be Oleuropein. Oleuropein was found to have antioxidant, antiradical, and cell apoptotic properties. (18)
• Novel Source of Betacyanins / Floral Parts: Study reports on a novel mechanical process for the maximized betacyanin extraction from G. globosa. Betacyanins identified were gomphrenin and isogomphrenin II and III. The betacyanins content from the floral parts is higher than those found in other sources. Results highlights its potential for industrial application. (20)
Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Supplements and tea in the cybermarket.
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