The Philippines is blessed with more than 500 medicinal plants, and below is another list of 10 medicinal plants approved by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) as an alternative medicine in treating particular disorders.
Abukado (Persea americana)-Avocado
The tree may be erect and grows up to 10-15 meters high with alternately dark-green leathery leaves. The flowers are small greenish-yellow about 5 – 10 millimeters wide. The pear-shaped fruit with a large central seed, can grows up to 20 centimeters long, and weighs between 100 – 1,000 grams. Avocado typically grown from seeds, but may be propagated by grafting, marcotting and budding.
Avocado fruit is a good source of potassium, fiber vitamins A, B,C and D. for medicinal purposes, the fruit, Leaves and seeds are use. Here are some medicinal uses of avocado:
* The leaves and the bark is used to treat coughs.
* The leaf decoction is good for treating sore throat, diarrhea, dysentery, and hemorrhage.
* The leaves are chewed as a cure for pyorrhea (gum inflammation with discharge of pus)
* The leaf juice has antibiotic activity.
* A warm moist preparation of leaves are applied on wounds.
* Applying heated leaves on the forehead ease nerve pain.
* The leaves and bark regulate menstruation.
* Decoction of powdered seeds effective for toothaches and used to treat osteoarthritis.
* Avocado tea used to treat worms.
* Ripe fruit flesh ease sunburned skin while pulverized seeds good for dandruff.
* Avocado oils good for treating infections, wounds and arthritis.
Atsuete (Bixa orellana Linn) Lipstick plant/ Annatto
Achiote (Bixa orellana) is a shrub that grows to 4-6 meters. The plant with shiny heart-shaped leaves, bears white or pinkish and bright red spiny fruits containing small red seeds. It is best known as the source of the natural pigment annatto, produced from the fruit.
Achuete is cultivated throughout the Philippines. Aside from its culinary uses, achuete also has many medicinal uses where the leaves, barks and seeds are utilized. Here are some :
* For treating burns, fresh leaves boiled in water is effective. Let the water cool down and then soak the affected areas for 10 minutes once a day.
* Seeds’ pulp ease blistering and scarring.
* Moistened fresh seeds are effective in the treatment of red rashes.
* A mixture of the leaves effective as purgative.
* Poultice of leaves used for treating gonorrhea.
* Decoction of leaves ease vomiting and effective for nausea.
* Decoction of leaves regulate menstruation.
* Leaves are antidote for snake bites.
* A mixture of warm coconut oil and is applied on the forehead for headaches.
Atis (Anona squamosa Linn.) Sugar appleb>
Sugar-apple (also called atis in Tagalog) is a semi-evergreen shrub that grows up 3 to 5 meters high. The leaves are alternate, oblong, 5 to 17 cm long and about 2 to 5 cm wide. The flowers are light green to yellow about 2.5 cm long with three large petals. The fruit is round, large and somewhat heart-shaped, 6–10 cm in diameter and weighs between 100–230 g. When ripe, the fruit is sweet, white to light yellow, with delicious and juicy flesh.
The plant is grown throughout the Philippine. For medical purposes, the leaves, fruits and seeds are used. Here are some of sugar apple’s medicinal uses:
* Leaves are effective in the treatment of skin itches.
* Decoction of salted leaves aid to speed up suppuration.
* Bark decoction is effective in the treatment of diarrhea.
* Leaves or roots offer purgative action.
* Leaf decoction alleviate pain if used for rheumatic baths.
* Crushed fresh leaves applied over nose is effective for treating fainting and hysteria.
* Juice extracted from unripe fruit is good for insect bites.
* Decoction of leaves used in treating dysentery.
* Decoction of the leaves used to treat colds and ease digestive problems
Apatot (Morinda citrifolia) Indian Mulberry
Indian Mulberry is a small tree or an evergreen shrub growing to 5-10 meters high. The leaves are simple, elliptic and oppositely arranged about 15-25 cm long. The flowers are white, scented, tubular about 2-3 cm long. It has yellowish fruit about 2-2.5 cm diameter that has a pungent odor when ripening. Apatot are found along or near seashores, throughout the Philippines. For medicinal uses roots, bark, leaves are utilized.
Medicinal Uses:
Flowers, fruits, leaves and bark are used to treat eye skin wounds, gums and eyes problems.
Fresh leaves are used to ease ulcers.
Heated leaves applied to the chest are best for fever, coughs, stomach pains, constipation, nausea.
Decoction of charred leaves used to treat diarrhea.
Fruit pulp used to make a shampoo.
Decoction of leaves are good tonic drink.
Juice from leaves used to treat arthritis.
Juice of over-ripe fruit or leaves are known to combat diabetes.
Fruit juice effective as a gargle for sore throats.
Juices of over-ripe fruits used to ease urinary problems.
The bark or leaves, used to treat muscle and joint pain
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