Life Changing,

Health maintaining
&
Anti – Ageing Plants
5th UNORKA National Congress
May 23-25, 2009

School of the Holy Spirit, F. Sotto, St., BF Homes, Capitol Hills, Quezon City.

TEODORO C. MENDOZA, PhD

Professor, Crop Science Cluster
College of Agriculture, U.P. Los Baños
College, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Reducing the Health Bills…..

Anti-Aging /Life Changing Plants

 “Serpentina”
“The answer to Heart Attack”SAMBILOTO
(Andrographis paniculata)
 Serpentina--Medicinal values
• Analgesic: pain killer.
Anti-hyperglycaemic: has a blood glucose lowering effect.
Anti-inflammatory: reduces swelling and cuts down exudation from capillaries, anti-
inflammatory action probably mediated, in part, by adrenal function.
Antibacterial: fights bacterial activity, although Sambiloto appears to have weak direct
antibacterial action, it has remarkably beneficial effect in reducing diarrhea and symptoms
arising from bacterial infections.
Antimalarial: prophylactic properties prevent infection and parasite multiplication in the blood
stream.
Antihepatotoxic: eliminates liver toxins, such as products of alcohol consumption.
Antipyretic: fever reducer - both in humans and animals, caused by multiple infections or by
toxins.
Antithrombotic: blood clot preventative. This is where the prevention of heart attack comes in.
Antiviral: inhibits viral activity. Inhibits HIV replication.
Antioxidant: operates against free radicals.
Cancerolytic: fights, even kills, cancer cells.
Cardioprotective: protects heart muscles.
Choleretic: alters the properties and increases the flow of bile.
Depurative: cleans and purifies the system, particularly the blood.
Expectorant: promotes clearance of mucus from the respiratory system.
Hepatoprotective: protects the liver and gall bladder.
Hypoglycemic: blood sugar reducer, protective against diabetes.
Immune Enhancer: increases white cell phagocytosis, inhibits HIV-1 replication, and improves
CD4+ and T lymphocyte counts.
Thrombolytic: blood clot eliminator.
Vermicidal: kills intestinal worms.
 Curcuma “Tumeric ginger”

Kingdom:Plantae(unranked):
Angiosperms(unranked):
Monocots(unranked):Commelinids
Order:Zingiberales
Family:Zingiberaceae
Subfamily:Zingiberoideae
Tribe:Zingibereae
Genus:Curcuma
Species :zedoaria
Scientific classification: Curcuma zedoaria L.
• Spice mix
• Turmeric is a main ingredient of curry powder. The rhizomes are
cooked, dried and then ground to produce the strongly coloured,
aromatic powder.

• A domesticated plant
• Turmeric is only known as a domesticated plant and not found in the
wild. It originated from South and Southeast Asia, and may have
been first used as a dye before it became a popular spice.

• Dyes
• As well as being a culinary spice, turmeric is a well known dye plant
in South Asia. Its colour varies depending on how it is processed. If
mixed with alkaline fluids it turns bright red, but when mixed with
acid it produces yellow.

• Anti-ageing
• Turmeric has traditionally been used to counteract many conditions
including the ageing process in Ayurvedic medicine.
 Gano (Ganoderma lucidum)

Oldest Chinese medical text, reishi is the "king of herbs", the superior herb.
Ganoderma “Miraculous King of Herbs”

Ganoderma improves the body’s healing ability, maintain a

healthy body and promote longevity and has been shrouded with
mysterious veils for more than 1,000 years.

Ganoderma helps the body remove the build-up of toxins and

allows the body’s natural immune system to strengthen itself.
Many ailments are caused by the imbalance of body functions
due to the accumulation of toxins in the body.
Meniran (Phyllanthus Niruri)
Phyllanthus blocks DNA polymerase, the enzyme
needed for the hepatitis B virus to reproduce. It
also prevent from jaundice,diabetes, dyspepsia,
ulcers, sores, swellings, ophthalmia and chronic
dysentery. Whole plant is useful for the
treatment of some forms of gonorrhea,
menorrhagia, dropsy, menorrhagia and other
genito- urinary affections of a similar type. A
poultice of the leaves mixed with salt cures itch
and other skin affections. It is bitter, astringent,
cold, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and
useful in liver disorders, cough, asthma,
jaundice, spleen disorders. Phyllanthus may
help decrease the amount of hepatitis B virus
 ( Centella asiatica)

GOTO KOLA
• ..is used to re-vitalize the brain and nervous
system, increase attention span and
concentration and combat aging.
• ..'a tonic for the brain and endochrine glands'
and maintained that extracts of the plant help
circulation and skin problems
• …has anti-oxidant properties.It works for venous
insufficiency. It is used in Thailand for opium
detoxification.
• Gotu kola is a mild adaptogen, is mildly
antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory,
anti-ulcerogenic, anxiolytic, a
cerebral tonic, a circulatory stimulant, a
diuretic, nervine and vulnerary.
• When eaten raw as a salad leaf, it is
thought to help maintain youthfulness.
 God’s Crown – the Forbidden Fruit

Macrocarpa phaleria means ‘God's Crown',

a plant from the family of
Thymelaeaceae.

God's Crown is an indigenous plant

from the island of
Papua (Irian Jaya) located in
the far east of the
Indonesian archipelago.
 God’s Crown: Uses
• Mahkota Dewata is believed to cure other
diseases and health ailments such as high blood
pressure, impotency, insomnia, influenza,
rheumatism, allergies, heart disease, bladder
complaints, uric acid and liver problems

• Mahkota Dewata is believed to cure other

diseases and health ailments such as high blood
pressure, impotency, insomnia, influenza,
rheumatism, allergies, heart disease, bladder
complaints, uric acid and liver problems
 Cholesterol spinach (Gynura nepalensis)

Dawn Dewa, known as Leaves of the

Gods in Indonesia
• ASIA-TEMPERATE
China: China
• ASIA-TROPICAL
Indian Subcontinent: Bhutan; India [Himalayan region]; Nepal
Indo-China: Myanmar Thailand
• Hawaii-
• Powerful Antioxidant Scientifically proven to
boost energy and general well-being.
• Activates Sirtuin Gene.

• lowers cholesterol levels-- 3 leaves daily

6-inch pots that retail for about $2 a pot in Hawaii

 BASIL
• Kingdom:Plantae(unranked):
• Angiosperms(unranked):
• Eudicots(unranked):Asterids
• Order:Lamiales
• Family:Lamiaceae
• Genus:Ocimum
• Species:O. basilicum
• Binomial nameOcimum basilicum
L.
 Herb of the Year 2003: Basil

Basil is a favorite culinary herb that imparts special

flavor to various dishes of fish, vegetables,
chicken and egg.
It is also used to make a special basil vinegar.
There are several kinds of basil, including Sweet
Basil, Greek Basil, Licorice Basil, and Lemon
Basil.
 Health benefits of basil

• basil oil have potent antioxidant hence

anti-aging,
• anti-cancer, anti-viral,
• anti-microbial properties;
• decrease the occurrence of platelet
aggregation ;
• supplementary treatment of stress,
asthma and diabetes in India.
 MINTS
Peppermints (Mentha × piperita),

Spearmints (Mentha spicata).

Kinds of mint……
• Apple Mint,
• Eaude-Cologne Mint,
• Pennyroyal Mint. Peppermint,
• Chocolate Mint,
• Japanese Menthol Mint, and
• Vietnamese Mint.
• They are used to add flavor to a lot of meat dishes, salads, cakes, drinks
and jellies.
• Crushed leaves are also rubbed on the skin to repel mosquitoes.
• When planted beside other plants, like roses. they are said to drive away
aphids that attack the roses.
 Uses…..
• cure numerous ailments, ranging from an upset
stomach to nervousness.

• add small amounts of dried mint to make a

cleansing soap for oily skin.

• Favorite items include mint tea, mint sauce, and

mint jelly.
• Mint leaves are also used to flavor cheeses,
breads, and salads.
 5 Best Herbs For
Container Gardening
1. Mint
2. Sage
3. Rosemary
4. Basil
5.Thyme

http://herbgardens.about.com/od/5bestherbsforcon
tainers/a/5BestHerbs.htm
 Talinum triangulare
• Verdolaga-Francesa
• Fleshy herb up to 30 cm high used mainly as a
vegetable for human consumption.

• DM 9.7
• CP 21.1
• CF10.33
• Ash 4.6
• Talinum
is a genus of herbaceous succulent plants
• Several species bear edible leaves, and
Talinum
fruticosum is widely grown in tropical regi
Talinum paniculatum...
• Talinum crassifolium
 Water leaf

• A cosmopolitan weed, native to Europe. Shoots

can be cooked and consumed as a green
vegetable.
• Standley (1930) mentions reports of localized
use as a medicine, purgative and emolient.
• Highly regarded as ginseng, giving the whole
body a strengthening boost.
• In Chinese medicine, the roots of a related
species are used to treat general debility in the
same way as ginseng
 Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Kingdom:Plantae(unranked)
• :Angiosperms(unranked)
• Eudicots(unranked):
• Asterids
• Order:Lamiales
• Family:Lamiaceae
• Genus:Rosmarinus
• Species:R. officinalis

• perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves

. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member
of the mint family Lamiaceae,
 Rosemary
medicinal use

• carnosic acid, may shield the brain from free

radicals, lowering the risk of strokes and
neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's
and Lou Gehrig's
• antioxidants such as carnosic acid and
rosmarinic acid.
• Other bioactive compounds include caffeic acid,
ursolic acid, betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol, and
rosmanol.
 Sage -Salvia officinalis

Sage, Common sage, Garden sage,

Kitchen sage, Culinary sage,
Dalmatian sage, Purple sage,
Broadleaf sage, Red sage)
>>small perennial evergreen subshrub,
with woody stems, grayish leaves,
and blue to purplish flowers.
It is native to the Mediterranean region
 Sage Culinary uses
• Flavoring fatty meats (marinade), cheeses
• In the United States, Britain and Flanders, sage is used
with onion for poultry or pork stuffing and also in sauces.
• In French cuisine, sage is used for cooking white meat
and in vegetable soups.
• Germans often use it in sausage dishes, and sage forms
the dominant flavoring in the English
Lincolnshire sausage.
• Italian s, Sage is sautéed in olive oil and butter until
crisp, then plain or stuffed pasta is added (burro e
salvia).
• In the Balkans and the Middle East, it is used when
roasting mutton
 Medicinal effects
• anhidrotic, antibiotic, antifungal, astringent,
antispasmodic,
• estrogenic, hypoglycemic, and tonic
• Sage arcontains essential oil, = cineole, borneol
, and thujone.
• Sage leaf contains tannic acid, oleic acid,
ursonic acid, ursolic acid, cornsole,
cornsolic acid, fumaric acid, chlorogenic acid,
caffeic acid, niacin, nicotinamide, flavones,
flavonoid glycosides, and estrogenic substances
 Thyme - Thymus vulgaris

Thymus vulgaris Variegated lemon thyme

Thyme is widely cultivated for its strong flavour,

which is due to its content of thymol
 Culinary use of Thyme

• Thyme is a basic ingredient in French, Greek, Italian,

Lebanese, Persian, Portuguese, Libyan, Spanish, Syrian
, and Turkish Arab and Caribbean cuisines.
• Thyme is often used to flavour meats, soups and stews.
• . In French cuisine, along with bay and parsley it is a
common component of the bouquet garni, and of
herbes de Provence.
• In some Levantine countries, the condiment za'atar (
Arabic for thyme) contains thyme as a vital ingredient.
 Medicinal use of Thyme

• 20-54% thymol an antiseptic main active

ingredient in Listerine mouthwash
• effective against the fungus that commonly
infects toenails.[8]
• A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be
used for cough and bronchitis.
• Medicinally thyme is used for respiratory
infections in the form of a tincture, tisane, salve,
syrup or by steam inhalation
• very effective against inflammation of the throat
when gargled 3 times a day