Leonurus sibiricus (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Leonurus sibiricus L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 2: 584 (1753).

Family: Labiatae

Chromosome number: 2n= (16, 18,) 20

Synonyms

• Leonurus japonicus Houtt. (1778),
• Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet (1826),
• Leonurus artemisia (Lour.) S.Y. Hu (1974).

Vernacular names

• Lion’s tail, Siberian motherwort (En).
• Agripaume, gros tombé (Fr)
• Indonesia: ginjean (Javanese), dendereman (Sundanese), si saratan (Sumatra)
• Malaysia: seranting, tebungaga (Peninsular), kacangma (Sarawak)
• Philippines: kamariang-sungsong (Tagalog)
• Thailand: khanchaa thet (south-western), saa saa, saa nam (north-eastern)
• Vietnam: ích mẫu, sung úy, chói dèn.

Origin and geographic distribution

L. sibiricus is a native of temperate Asia, Siberia, China, Korea, and is found from Japan to India and the Mascarenes. It now has a pantropical and temperate distribution. In Malesia, it is distributed from Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Bali, Sulawesi, Timor and the Moluccas, and also in the Philippines.

Uses

In China and South-East Asia, all parts of L. sibiricus are widely used by women for menstruation related disturbances, including the reduction of excessive menstrual flow or menstrual pain and the induction of menstruation. It is used as a restorative after childbirth, to hasten the contraction of the uterus after delivery, and for expulsion of the placenta. It is also used to improve the blood circulation, to stop leucorrhoea, night blindness and dizziness, to cure skin diseases, and to reduce blood pressure. In Sarawak, the leaves are sun-dried, chopped and cooked with chicken, sesame oil and ginger, and served to mothers after delivery. In China, Thailand and the Philippines, the sweet and pungent seeds are also used as a diuretic and a cooling agent. A decoction of the leaves is used as a diuretic as well, while in Java these are taken against bladder stones. In Peninsular Malaysia, the pounded leaves are applied as a poultice for headaches. In Thailand, the fresh or dried aerial parts in decoction are taken for malaria. In northern India, the bitter infusion of the root, leaves and juice may be used as a febrifuge.

In Sarawak L. sibiricus is also used as a culinary ingredient, especially by the Chinese.

Production and international trade

In Sarawak, L. sibiricus is sold dried or bottled as a tonic at local markets and in Chinese pharmacies.

Properties

The whole plant of L. sibiricus yields 0.05% of the alkaloid leonurine (4-guanidino-n-butyl syringate). Leonurine has a curare-like effect on nerve motor endings. It produces marked diuresis when intravenously injected into rabbit, but in concentrations of 1:1000 it also possesses haemolytic action. Administered to cats in small doses it acts as a respiratory stimulant. Large doses on the other hand cause respiratory paralysis. Furthermore, in China, a decoction of the plant given to normal fertile women increased intra-uterine pressure in 41% of the cases, which was probably caused by leonurine. Another alkaloid, stachydrine, is believed to stimulate the release of birth-hastening oxytocin.

The labdane type diterpenes preleoheterin, leoheterin, prehispanolone, hispanolone and galeopsin were isolated from the herb. Preleoheterin and prehispanolone were shown to inhibit ³H-PAF (platelet activating factor) binding to rabbit platelet membranes. Furthermore, prehispanolone increased the proliferation of T- and B-lymphocytes (5-8 times), when used together with concanavalin A, as compared to concanavalin A alone.

The fruits, known as "Leonuri fructus", contain several proline-rich cyclic decapeptides and cycloleonuripeptides A-D. Cycloleonuripeptides B and C showed in vitro cell growth inhibitory action against P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia cells.

Other biological effects attributed to extracts of the plant include a reduction of blood hyperviscosity in a clinical experiment with 105 patients, and a marked stimulating action of a decoction of the leaves on the uterus of mice in vitro. The latter effect is possibly related to stimulation of the histamine-1- and α-adrenergic receptor of the uterus. The aqueous extract of the plant has also been used to treat myocardial ischaemia and oedema in chronic and acute nephritis. Furthermore, chronic ingestion of a 0.5% methanol extract of the herb in drinking water enhanced the development of both pregnancy-dependent mammary tumours (PDMT) and mammary cancers originated from PDMT. By contrast, the treatment markedly suppressed the development of mammary cancers that originated from hyperplastic alveolar nodules (HAN) associated with the decreased formation of HAN. The incidence of uterine adenomyosis was also inhibited in mice given L. sibiricus. The urinary excretion of allantoin, creatine and creatinine, and glucose tolerance were stimulated. The cause of discrepancy of the effect on mammary cancers due to their origins is not clear at present. However, the stimulation by the agent of the excretion of any carcinogenic factors may at least partly contribute to its inhibition of mammary cancers originating from HAN.

Finally, the extract of the leaves reveals potent larvicidal and antifeedant activity against the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar).

Adulterations and substitutes

Other Leonurus species generally have the same medicinal uses as L. sibiricus.

Description

• A branched annual or biennial herb, 0.5-1.5 m tall, stem 4-angled, furrowed, pubescent or glabrescent, with an unpleasant smell.
• Leaves decussate, lower leaves ovate or deltoid in outline, 5-7 cm × 3-4.5 cm, palmately-pinnately partite or dissected, with linear incised segments, upper leaves linear, chartaceous, glabrescent above, glaucous and pubescent on the veins beneath; petiole of lower leaves 2-4 cm long, upper leaves sessile; stipules absent.
• Inflorescence composed of verticillasters with numerous axillary, bisexual, irregular, sessile flowers; bracts subulate or spinescent, 4-10 mm long.
• Calyx turbinate-campanulate, 4-5 mm long, in fruit 6-7 mm long, 10-veined and 5-toothed, almost equal, glabrous or sparingly pubescent to spinous; corolla 2-lipped, 10-11(-20) mm long, tube slightly shorter than the calyx, when young with an oblique ring of hairs inside, upper lip entire, obovate, erect, convex, pubescent outside, lower lip 3-lobed, midlobe very large, obcordate, pubescent, white, pinkish or red; stamens 4, in 2 pairs, filaments thinly hairy, ascending under the upper lip, anthers 2-celled, glandular; ovary deeply 4-partite, style 2-fid, branches obtuse.
• Fruit consisting of 4 dry 1-seeded schizocarpous nutlets enclosed in the persistent calyx; nutlets ellipsoid, 2 mm long, truncate at apex, smooth, brown.
• Seedling with epigeal germination.

Growth and development

L. sibiricus is a nectar-yielding plant and is pollinated by insects, in Mongolia by short-tongued Bombus spp. It grows well at temperatures of 15-20 °C and requires a high moisture regime.

Other botanical information

Leonurus comprises approximately 8 species, mainly distributed in temperate Asia and Europe. L. sibiricus has a wide distribution area, and the plants from Siberia to Mongolia and northern China differ slightly from those from southern China, Korea, Japan, India and Malesia. These differences are mainly ecotypical, the leaf-segments of the northern plants being more finely dissected, the corolla larger (up to 2.3 cm long), the lower corolla lip about 1/3 shorter than the upper one, and the middle part of the calyx covered with soft hairs. If these ecotypes were distinguished at species level, the northern type would retain the name L. sibiricus, and the southern type would bear the name L. japonicus.

In temperate Asia and Europe, L. cardiaca L. (common motherwort) is well known as a medicinal plant, with similar uses as L. sibiricus.

Ecology

L. sibiricus is locally common in waste places, along river banks, railway embankments, and also as a weed in arable land. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental or for medicinal purposes and also occurs escaped, under both humid and semi-humid climatic conditions, from 0-2000 m altitude. L. sibiricus flowers throughout the year.

Propagation and planting

L. sibiricus is usually propagated by seed. In Vietnam, the best time for sowing is October-November, because the seeds germinate best at temperatures between 20-25 °C. It is also propagated by stem cuttings.

Husbandry

In China, tests with different fertilizer treatments of L. sibiricus gave the best results with P-fertilizer, which caused the highest increase in fresh plant weight, tiller number and leaf growth rate.

Diseases and pests

In Korea, white mould (Ramularia leonuri) causes leaf spot and blight, mostly in autumn.

Harvesting

In Vietnam, the flowers and seeds of L. sibiricus are harvested in May.

Handling after harvest

Plants of L. sibiricus are usually sun-dried or the extract stored in bottles to be used when required.

Genetic resources and breeding

Small germplasm collections of L. sibiricus exist in Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil. In China, some breeding is done with L. sibiricus.

Prospects

L. sibiricus is quite a popular medicinal herb and is imported into Malesia as a tonic as well as cultivated locally, although it is under-exploited there. Extracts and purified compounds from L. sibiricus show interesting pharmacological activities, e.g. on the uterus and the immune system, which merit further research.

Literature

• Keng, H., 1978. Labiatae. In: van Steenis, C.G.G.J. (Editor): Flora Malesiana. Series 1, Vol. 8. Sijthoff & Noordhoff International Publishers, Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. pp. 301-394.
• Lee, C.M., Jiang, L.M., Shang, H.S., Hon, P.M., He, Y. & Wong, H.N.C., 1991. Prehispanolone, a novel platelet activating factor receptor antagonist from Leonurus heterophyllus. British Journal of Pharmacology 103(3): 1719-1724.
• Nagasawa, H., Onoyama, T., Suzuki, M., Hibino, A., Segawa, T. & Inatomi, H., 1990. Effects of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L.) on preneoplastic and neoplastic mammary gland growth in multiparous GR/A mice. Anticancer Research 10(4): 1019-1023.
• Pételot, A., 1953. Les plantes médicinales du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [The medicinal plants of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. Vol. 2. Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques et Techniques, Saigon, Vietnam. pp. 275-276.
• Shi, M., Chang, L. & He, G., 1995. Research on the stimulating action of Carthamus tinctorius L., Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels and Leonurus sibiricus L. on uterus. Chinese Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 20(3): 173-175. (in Chinese)
• Xu, H.M., Lee, C.M., Hon, P.M. & Chang, H.M., 1992. Proliferation of lymphocytes T and B by prehispanolone LC-5504 of Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 27(11): 812-816. (in Chinese)

Other selected sources

• [135] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I—Z) pp. 1241—2444.
• [153] Chai, P.P.K., Lee, B.M.H. & Othman Ismawi, 1989. Native medicinal plants of Sarawak. Forest Botany Unit, Forest Department, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
• [157] Chan, W.C., Wong, Y.C., Kong, Y.C., Chun, Y.T., Chang, H.T. & Chan, W.F., 1983. Clinical observation on the uterotonic effect of I-mu Ts'ao (Leonurus artemisia). American Journal of Chinese Medicine 11(1—4): 77—83.
• [199] Chua, H.P., 1998. Kacangma: Rumput untuk ibu [Kacangma: a woman's herb]. Agromedia 4: 58—59.
• [200] Chua, H.P. & Teo, S.P., 2000. Kacangma (Leonurus sibiricus L.): A potential herb crop of Sarawak. In: Proceedings Herbs - An International Conference & Exhibition. M.I.N.E.S. Seri Kembangan, 9—12 November 1999. Malaysian agricultural Research & Development Institute, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. pp. 103—105.
• [407] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [443] Hon, P.M., Wang, E.S., Lam, S.K.M., Choy, Y.M., Lee, C.M. & Wong, H.N.C., 1993. Preleoheterin and leoheterin, two labdane diterpenes from Leonurus heterophyllus. Phytochemistry 33(3): 639—641.
• [453] Hu, S., 1976. A contribution to our knowledge of Leonurus L., i-mu-ts'ao, the Chinese motherwort. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 4(3): 219—237.
• [553] Kong, Y.C., Yeung, H.W., Cheung, Y.M., Hwang, J.C., Chan, Y.W., Law, Y.P., Ng, K.H. & Yeung, C.H., 1976. Isolation of the uterotonic principle from Leonurus artemisia, the Chinese motherwort. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 4(4): 373—382.
• [635] Lu, H.C., 1991. Legendary Chinese healing herbs. Pelanduk Publications (M) Sdn. Bhd., Selangor, Malaysia. pp. 113—114.
• [693] Morita, H., Gonda, A., Takeya, K. & Itokawa, H., 1996. Cycloleonuripeptides A, B and C, three new proline-rich cyclic nonapeptides from Leonurus heterophyllus. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters 6(7): 767—770.
• [810] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
• [906] Sheng, S.J., Zheng, J.B., Yu, X.P. & Xi, T.W., 1998. Influence on the growth of Leonurus artemisia (Lour.) S.Y. Hu of various fertilizer levels. Journal of Plant Resources and Environment 7(1): 31—34. (in Chinese)
• [1110] Yeung, H.W., Kong, Y.C., Lay, W.P. & Cheng, K.F., 1977. The structure and biological effect of leonurine. A uterotonic principle from the Chinese drug, I-mu Ts'ao. Planta Medica 31(1): 51—56.
• [1131] Zou, Q.Z., Bi, R.G., Li, J.M., Feng, J.B., Yu, A.M., Chan, H.P. & Zhen, M.X., 1989. Effect of motherwort on blood hyperviscosity. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 17(1—2): 65—70.

Authors

• Stephen P. Teo & Chua Hun Pin