Premna serratifolia explained

Premna serratifolia is a species of small tree or shrub[1] in the family Lamiaceae. It blooms and fruits between May and November.[2] During flowering season, it attracts a large number of butterflies and bees.[3]

Habitat

It mostly grow in moist sandy soil and scrub jungles along seacoasts and mangrove forests. In the Philippines, particularly in Cebu Island, it is usually found in the interior, watery forests of Southern Cebu.

Description

Trees, to 7 m high. Leaves simple, opposite, estipulate; petiole 4–14 mm, slender, pubescent, grooved above; lamina 2.5-8.5 x 2–7.2 cm, elliptic, elliptic-oblong, base acute, obtuse, subcordate or rounded, apex acuminate, mucronate, obtuse, margin entire or subserrate, glabrous above except along the appressed midrib, chartaceous; lateral nerves 3-5 pair, pinnate, prominent, puberulous beneath; intercostae reticulate, obscure. Flowers bisexual, greenish-white, in terminal corymbose panicled cymes; bracts small; calyx small campanulate, 2 lipped, 5 lobed; corolla tube short, villous inside, lobes 5; stamens 4, didynamous, inserted below the throat of the corolla tube; anther ovate; ovary superior, 2-4-celled, ovules 4; style linear; stigma shortly bifid. Fruit a drupe, seated on the calyx, globose, purple; seeds oblong.

Medicinal uses

The plant is extensively used in Indian traditional medicine. Studies on the root wood of P. serattifolia led to the isolation of acteoside, a glucoside derivative.[4] 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[10],6, 8,11,13-pentene.[5]

Culinary uses

In Vietnam, the aromatic leaves of P. serratifolia are used to cook in some braise or stir fry dishes with chicken, eels or frogs.

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Description given by G. Renu, Sanjana Julias Thilakar, D. Narasimhan, Centre for Floristic Research, Department of Botany, Madras Christian College, Tambaram. Referred from indiabiodiversity portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230814
  2. Described by Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi in India biodiversity portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230814
  3. The media files included gives the required verity.
  4. Bose LV, Varghese GK, Habtemariam S. 2013. Identification of acteoside as the active antioxidant principle of Premna serratifolia root wood tissues. Phytopharmacology 4: 228–236
  5. Habtemariam, S., Varghese, G.K. (2015). A Novel Diterpene Skeleton: Identification of a highly aromatic, cytotoxic and antioxidant 5-methyl-10-demethyl-abietane-typediterpene from Premna serratifolia Phytotherapy Research 29(1), 80-85.