LESSON 2 ACTIVITIES

Activity 3: Do the following

Research five other medicinal plants and describe their uses, preparation, and application.
● Ampalaya
Ampalaya or bitter gourd is a widely used herbal remedy to lower the blood sugar levels for
diabetic patients. Analgesic. The juice of Ampalaya is used to alleviate symptoms of fever,
headache and body pains. Eye problems. It is also used to treat sterility in women and it can
supposedly alleviate liver problems.
● Lagundi
The genus Vitex or lagundi belongs to the family Verbenaceae and comprises large shrubs or
small trees. Vitex negundo Linn is most commonly distributed on roadsides and the banks of
streams and is called Lakki gida in Kannada. It is a large, silvery-tomentose shrub or small tree
with bluish purple flowers in terminal panicles with short cymose branches. Leaflets are 3-5 in
number, middle one slightly longer petiolulate, entire, lanceolate, acuminate, 12x2cm and
membranous.
● Bawang
(Garlic/Bawang) has been used as a spice, food, and medicine for over 5,000 years, and is one of
the earliest documented herbs utilized for the maintenance of health and treatment of diseases
such as controlling the level of cholesterol and blood regulation of blood pressure. Garlic is a
low herb, 30 to 60 cm high. True stem is much reduced. Bulbs are broadly ovoid, 2 to 4 cm in
diameter, consisting of several, densely crowded, angular and truncated tubers. Leaves are linear
and flat. Umbels are globose, many flowered. Sepals are oblong, greenish white, slightly tinged
with purple. Stamens are not exerted from the perianth.

● Bayabas

Bayabas is a phytotherapic plant used in folk medicine that is believed to have active
components that help to treat and manage various diseases. The many parts of the plant have
been used in traditional medicine to manage conditions like malaria, gastroenteritis, vomiting,
diarrhea, dysentery, wounds, ulcers, toothache, coughs, sore throat, or inflamed gums. Bayabas is
a somewhat hairy plant reaching a height of 8 m. Young branches are 4-angled. Leaves are
opposite, oblong to elliptic, and 5 to 1 cm long, the apex being pointed, and the base usually
rounded. Peduncles are 1- to 3-flowered. Flowers are white, 3 to 3.5 cm across, with in-curved
petals, coming out solitary or two to three in the leaf axils. Numerous stamens form the attractive
part of the flower. Inferior ovaries develop into round or obovoid green fruits 4 to 9 cm long,
turning yellow on ripening and have edible, aromatic, seedy pulp.

● Niyog-niyogan

is a large scandent shrub of the family Combretaceae, or also known as Rangoon creeper or
Chinese Honey Suckle. It is grown in Africa, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam,
and Thailand. Besides unique demand for beautiful flowers among the plant lovers and
gardeners, this species is therapeutically important and used as a remedy for human illnesses.
The leaf decoction alleviates flatulent distension of abdomen and has free radical scavenging
activity. Fruits and seeds combats nephritis, whereas roots are used to cure rheumatism. Flowers
and seeds are also eaten as famine food in Southern Asia. The fruits, leaves and seeds contain
chemicals like ‘quisqualic acid’ and anthelmintic tannins, which are used to expel round worms
and thread worms from the body. Moreover, methanol extract of flowers contains high
polyphenol contents that have strong antioxidant activity. The leaves and flowers also contain
rutin, pelargonidin-3-glucoside and 25-O-acetyl-23,24-dihydro-cucurbitacin F; the latter one acts
as an anticancer agent and has shown significant cytotoxic activity.

Activity 4: Matching Type

Match the medicinal plants in column A with their medicinal uses in column B. Write the letter
of your answer on the line.
AB
1. Ampalaya __f___ a. Toothache
2. Bawang ___b__ b. High blood pressure
3. Lagundi __h___ c. Diarrhea
4. Niyog-niyogan _g____ d. Diabetes
5. Bayabas __c ___ e. Intestinal parasitism
6. Tsaang gubat __a___ f. Fever
7. Alagaw __e___ g. Athlete
8. Coconut ___d__ h. Rheumatism
9. Sambong ___g__ i. Boils
10. Yerba Buena __i___ j. Eczema
k. Gas pain