Premna foetida
Reinw.
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(c) Cheongweei Gan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
In Vietnam, the aromatic leaves of P. serratifolia are used to cook in some braise or stir fry dishes with chicken, eels or frogs.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows at low altitudes in the tropics.
Asia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Singapore,
How to Identify
A large tropical shrub found at low altitudes in the tropics, belonging to the Lamiaceae family.
Medicinal Uses
The plant is extensively used in Indian traditional medicine. Studies on the root wood of P. serratifolia led to the isolation of acteoside, a glucoside derivative. The root bark of the plant which showed biological activities have also shown to contain a potent cytotoxic and antioxidant diterpene, 11,12,16-trihydroxy-2-oxo-5-methyl-10-demethyl-abieta-1,6, 8,11,13-pentene.
Notes
Also put in the family Verbenaceae.
Names & Synonyms
Buas-buas, Ambong-ambong laut, Pokok buru hantu
References (2)
- Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 2 (I-Z) p 1838
- Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 224
