Philippine Medicinal Plant: Mahogany

Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylia)

        This is a more or less deciduous, erect tree growing up to 10 m or more in height, with a heavy, dark green dense crown. it sheds its leaves during summer. the trunk is more or less buttressed. the bark is dark grey and ridged. the leaves are alternate, smooth (with the upper portion shiny, brownish, or purplish), compound and about 15 cm long, comprising 3-6 pairs of leaflets.

Philippine Medicinal Plant: Mahogany

Medicinal value

- A decoction of the bark may serve as an antipyretic (reduces fever)
- It may serve also as an astringent
- It is also used as a tonic (increases body tone)
- It is suspected that in Africa , it is used as treatment for colon cancer.
- In Malaysia the seeds are chewed, or swallowed in powder form to treat high blood pressure.
- In India it is used to treat diabetes and diarrhoea
- In Indonesia a decoction of the seeds is given against malaria.

             In clinical trials the leaves have been found to have anti-diabetic properties and to have anti-diabetic properties and to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as the potential to help against hepatitis C, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties.

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Philippine Medicinal Plant: Cucumber

10 Medicinal Plant Uses of Cucumber  or Cucumis sativus also known as Pipino.

                                               Medicinal Plant Uses: Cucumber

1. A good source of vitamin B. it is also good as antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties

2. Cucumber are 95% water keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminates toxins.

3. The cucumber skin can be used for skin irritations and sunburns. Due to the large amount of ascorbic acid in cucumbers when they are placed under the eyes for 20 minutes they can decrease water retention and thus reduce puffiness overall. The cooling effect of cucumber is a natural and gentle way to soothe your skin and speed up the healing process.

4. Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinols, pinoresinols, and secoisolaric iresinol known to reduce risk of several cancer types and cardiovascular diseases.

5. Cucumber relieves bad breath. take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds, the phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth.

6. Cucumber helps reduce hangover and headaches. eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes.

Medicinal Plant: Cucumber

7. Cucumber aids in weight loss and digestion. the high water content and dietary fiber in cucumber are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from digestive system, aiding digestion.

8. Cures diabetes, reduce cholesterol and controls blood pressure. cucumber contains a hormone which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which has been found to be beneficial to diabetic patients. compound called sterols in cucumber may help reduce cholesterol levels. cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber.

9. Promotes joint health, relieves gout and arthritis. Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. They are also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. When mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels

10. Improves complexion. when cucumber juice is mixed with a few drops of fresh lemon juice and applied as a facial mask it has the ability to leave your skin glowing by fading scars and pigmentation.

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Philippine Medicinal Plant: Pili

      This is a large tree reaches a height of about 35m and is a meter or more in diameter.  The leaves are alternate, pinnate and about 30cm long with usually tree pairs of opposite leaflets and a terminal leaflets. The leaflets are ovate-oblong, 12-20 cm long and 3-7 cm wide, smooth and shiny on both sides, pointed at the apex and rounded or obtusely pointed at the base.

Medicinal value:

- The "saheng" (oleoresin) is used as a stimulant (is a drug that increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and produces a sense of euphoria of the feeling of being more awake); a rubefacient (an external skin application causing redness of the skin, as a medical application); and an antirheumatic when applied externally.

- Poultices of brea (soft resin) are used externally for swelling of the legs.
- Oleoresin (mixture of oil & resin), prepared in the form of ointment, is applied on indolent ulcers.


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Philippine Medicinal Plant: Ipil-ipil (Lead Tree)

Ipil-ipil is a small tree growing up to 8 meters high. It has a compounded leaves with hairy rachis. Flowers are shitish, in dense globue heads. Fruits is an oblong or linear pod, strap-shaped, 12-18 centimeters long. Papery green turning to brown and splitting open along two edges when mature.

Roasted seeds used as emollient, intestinal parasitism, ascaris and trichinosis. It is also used to get rid of roundworms.

Medicinal Plant: Ipil-ipil

For intestinal parasitism: ascaris and trichinosis.

Adults: 1 teaspoon of powdered dried seeds, alon or mixed with condensed milk and followed by half a water, taken as a single dose 2 hours after a meal repeated after one week as needed.

Medicinal Plant: Kalamansi

Also known as chinese orange.A smooth and slightly spiny plant, growing to a height of 3 to 5 meters. Fruit is yellow when ripe, nearly spherical, 2 to 3.5 cm diameter, 6 to 7 celled, and thin-skinned. Th skin or peel to yellowish green or yellow, loosely adhering to the flesh. The flesh contains a few light orange seeds.

This Kalamansi is native to the Philippines.

This is rich in vitamin C which increases the body's resistance to disease, aids the healing of wounds and prevents damage to the eyes.Vitamin C is also helpful in maintaining the health of the teeth and other bones of the body. It prevents decay and loosening of the teeth, dental caries, toothache, bleeding of the gums and fragility of bones. It is good for cough, colds and sore just drink warm kalamansi juice.

Medicinal Plant: Kalamansi

The rind of the Kalamansi fruit also has medicinal properties. It contains a volatile oil which is used in medicine for improving digestion and highly beneficial in the treatment of digestive disorders. Great value in constipation, when it is taken first thing in the morning in a glass of warm water. The fruit pulp is also beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol

The citric acid in limes has an alkaline reaction in the system which can relieve peptic ulcers.

Lime juice diluted in warm water was proven valuable in cystitis. It gives relief to burning sensation and also stops bleeding in cystitis.

The potent anti-viral properties in lime can kill cholera bacilli within a very short period of time. Drink one part juice and one part water regularly.

Lemon peels when rub on dry or scaly skin can restore softness and add moisture to the skin.

Medicinal Plant: Dragon Fruit

This is a vining terrestrial or epiphytic cactus with succulent three-winged, green stems, reaching up to 20 feet long. Plants may climb trees via aerial roots. Flowers are fragrant, white, up to 35cm long, blooming at night. Fruit is round, red, pink or yellow, with prominent scales.

Dragon fruit is rich in vitamin C (where it boosts the immune system), phosphorus and calcium. Dragon fruit is believed to have some health benefits that includes preventing memoryloss, anti-cancer activity, control of blood glucose level in diabetes, anti-oxidant properties, aids in healing wounds and others.

Medicinal Plant: Dragon fruit

Dragon fruit is rich in fiber which aids in the digestion of food and promotes the growth of probiotics. Dragon fruit help lower blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes.

Dragon fruit prevents formation of cancer causing free radicals. Dragon fruit is rich in minerals and fibers that aids in digestion, cleans toxic ingredients thus preventing the occurrence of colon cancer.

Medicinal Plant: Duranta

Its a smooth shrub, growing to a height of 1-3 meters, with straggling and drooping branches.Flowers are scentless, borne on one side of the rachis, white or lilac-blue with two violet stripes, about 1 cm long and 1 xm wide. This is usually used as ornamental plant in the Philippines.

Philippine Medicinal Plant: Duranta

Duranta fruit is slightly poisonous with alkaloid type reactions. Death have been reported from ingestion.

Fruits has been used as febrifuge, used for malaria and intestinal worms. Flowers are belived to be stimulant. Infusion of leaves and juice of fruit are diuretic. The leaves used for treatment of abscesses.