Blumea (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia
Introduction

Blumea balsamifera. 1, flowering branch; 2, section through flower head; 3, bisexual floret; 4, opened bisexual floret.

Blumea DC.

Protologue: Guill., Arch. Bot. (Paris) 2: 514 (1833).

Family: Compositae

Chromosome number: x= 9, 10, 11; B. balsamifera: 2n= 18, 20, B. lacera: 2n= 18, 20, 22, 36, B. lanceolaria: 2n= 18, 20, 54

Major species

Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.,
B. lacera (Burm.f.) DC.,
B. lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce.

Vernacular names

Indonesia: sembung (general), capo (Sulawesi), capa (Sumatra)
Malaysia: sembong (general), chapa
Philippines: sambong (Filipino)
Laos: 'nat
Thailand: naat.

Origin and geographic distribution

Blumea comprises about 50 species, most of which are confined to tropical Asia from Sri Lanka to China and the Malesian region, some extending to Africa in the west, Australia in the south, and the Pacific as far as Hawaii in the east. Some of the species reported from Africa may, however, well belong to other related genera. The majority of the species occur in South-East Asia, which seems the most likely centre of origin. Blumea is found throughout the Malesian region, with the Philippines being the richest with 19 species (4 endemics), followed by Indonesia with 18 (2 endemics), New Guinea with 13 (2 endemics) and Peninsular Malaysia with 6 species.

Uses

A decoction of leaves or flowers of several Blumea species is used throughout the Malesian region to treat asthma, bronchitis and catarrhal affections in general. The leaf juice of several Blumea species is applied in various countries of the Malesian region to treat sores, boils, aphthae and sore eyes, probably due to its astringent properties. The leaves of B. balsamifera have been used in Chinese medicine since ancient times as a carminative, mild stimulant, vermifuge and as topical application for septic ulcers. In South-East Asia it is one of the most common and widely used medicinal plants for a number of ailments, mainly as a stomachic, antispasmodic, vermifuge and sudorific. In the Philippines, a diuretic and kidney-stone medicine is prepared commercially from B. balsamifera leaves. In Thailand, cigarettes containing the chopped, dried leaves are smoked to relieve the pain of sinusitis, whereas a decoction of fresh leaves, alone or in combination with other plant preparations, is used as a bath for women after childbirth and also for young children. In northern Vietnam leaves are also used as a medicinal condiment. A decoction of the roots of B. riparia is drunk to treat colic and the leaves and roots of B. arfakiana are similarly used in the treatment of stomach-ache. Furthermore, B. lacera is used in the treatment of haemorrhages and as an anthelmintic, febrifuge, deobstuent, diuretic and stimulant. B. lanceolaria is also used as a sudorific and applied externally as a poultice against rheumatism. The young leaves of B. arfakiana are eaten to treat anaemia.

B. balsamifera yields a high quality camphor oil, known as "ngai camphor". Camphor is used in liniments against rheumatic pains; a 3% ethanol solution is used to sooth itching. B. lacera also contains a camphor-like oil which is reputedly stronger than that of B. balsamifera. Its leaves can be eaten as a vegetable. B. lanceolaria is sometimes cultivated in gardens for culinary purposes as a seasoning.

Properties

B. balsamifera is well known for its medicinally important essential oil. Plants from the Philippines yield about 0.1-0.4% essential oil, whereas those from Burma (Myanmar) are reported to contain 1.9% oil. The high quality B. balsamifera oil ("Ngai camphor") from Chinese sources consists almost entirely of (-)-borneol (l-borneol), that of Burmese origin consists of 75% of (-)-camphor (l-camphor) and 25% of (-)-borneol. These or related compounds can be found in varying concentrations in the essential oils of other Blumea species too. B. lacera from India yields 0.085% of an essential oil containing "Blumea-camphor", which is probably a mixture of camphor, borneol and/or related components. The main constituent of B. lacera essential oil from Nigeria was thymoquinol-dimethyl-ether. The essential oil of B. lanceolaria consists for 95% of methyl-thymol; in another sample, however, p-cymene was identified as the major component (99%).

Phytochemical investigations have furthermore revealed the presence of flavonoids (5-hydroxy-3,6,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone, 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-3,6,7-trimethoxyflavone, and a very small quantity of another flavone) in the leaves of B. lacera. Campesterol (a sterol) has also been isolated from the aboveground parts. Two glycosides, the triterpenoid glycoside 19α-hydroxy-urs-12-ene-24,28-dioate-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside and the phenol glycoside 2-isoprenyl-5-isopropylphenol-4-O-β-D-xylopyranoside have been isolated from the whole plant of B. lacera.

The flavonoid blumeatin (5,3',5'-trihydroxy-7-methoxy-dihydro-flavone) has been isolated from B. balsamifera. Intraperitoneal injections of this component in CCl₄-intoxicated rats inhibited the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALAT, SGPT), liver triglyceride level and increased serum triglyceride, β-lipoprotein, and liver glycogen content. The histological lesions of the liver of treated rats were less severe than those of their hepatic injury control. After intraperitoneal injection blumeatin also shortened the pentobarbital sleeping time in CCl₄-intoxicated mice. In thioacetamide-intoxicated mice, intraperitoneal injection of the compound inhibited the increase of serum alanine aminotranferase and liver triglyceride. These findings suggest that blumeatin could protect the liver against injury induced by CCl₄ and thioacetamide. Other flavonoids, flavone and quercetin derivatives have been reported in addition to blumeatin. Three sesquiterpene lactones isolated from B. balsamifera showed antitumour activity against Yoshida sarcoma cells in tissue culture. An extract from B. balsamifera reduced the mutagenicity potential of mitomycin C, dimethylnitrosamine and tetracycline in mice, and exhibited antimutagenic effects.

Other biological activities include antihistamine release properties by B. balsamifera, and antifungal activity of the ethanolic extract of B. balsamifera against Epidermophyton floccosum with a minimum inhibitory concentration of less than 10 mg plant material/ml. Water extracts of the entire plant showed a diuretic activity similar to coffee and tea.

The essential oil of B. lacera has a synergistic effect on the insecticidal activity of pyrethrum; the essential oil alone does not have insecticidal activity. B. balsamifera has insecticidal properties against the yponomeutid crucifer pest Plutella xylostella, but the compound responsible for the insecticidal activity is not known. It also effectively protected stored garlic against a number of insect pests. Moreover, when topically applied its essential oil is toxic to a number of insects and to golden snails (Pomacea spp.).

Adulterations and substitutes

Essential oils of several other plant groups have similar applications and contain related compounds. Examples for camphor and borneol, without specification of stereo specificity, can be found in Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.S. Presl and in Compositae like Achillea and Artemisia.

Description

Herbs or shrubs, up to 4 m tall; stem simple or branched, erect to ascending, sometimes sprawling.
Leaves alternate, simple, often pinnately lobed, linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, margin serrate, dentate or denticulate, base usually rounded to tapering, sessile or shortly petiolate, exstipulate.
Inflorescence a discoid capitulum arranged in lax to compact corymbs or panicles or occasionally solitary; receptacle honeycombed, epaleate, glabrous or hairy; involucre campanulate to hemispherical, involucral bracts multiseriate, narrow, pubescent on the back, outer ones much shorter than inner ones.
Flowers with a tubular corolla, often yellow, rarely white or pale purple; marginal flowers female, corolla filiform, 2-4-lobed, in several rows; disk flowers bisexual, corolla (4-)5-lobed, stamens (4-)5, alternating with the corolla lobes, tailed at base, ovary inferior, style exserted, bifid.
Fruit an oblong achene, terete or obscurely 4-angled, with 5 or 10 ribs; pappus uniseriate, composed of numerous, slender, toothed bristles, white or yellowish-white to red.
Seedling with epigeal germination; paracotyledons free, opposite; hypocotyl not elongated; first pair of leaves opposite, subsequent leaves alternate.

Growth and development

B. balsamifera is evergreen. Pollination is probably by insects. In New Guinea, B. arfakiana flowers from March to October, and B. arnakidophora from September to January. B. balsamifera, B. lacera and B. riparia flower throughout the year.

Other botanical information

Blumea belongs to the tribe Inuleae and seemed to be closely related to the genera Laggera and Blumeopsis. It has even been proposed to merge these three genera, but recent studies place the latter two in the tribe Plucheeae. There has been considerable confusion about the identity of B. chinensis and B. pubigera. Most literature on these species pertains to B. riparia.

Ecology

Most Blumea species have a weedy habit and are found in various ruderal and strongly secondarized habitats such as roadsides and fields, in the lowland and mountainous regions up to 3000 m altitude. Most Blumea species can tolerate drought and are found in regions with a slight to pronounced dry season. B. balsamifera tolerates fire, after which it readily sprouts from underground parts.

Propagation and planting

B. balsamifera can be propagated by seed and by root or stem cuttings. Cuttings are placed in containers under shade. Water should be given with care, as too much watering is harmful. After about 2 weeks the plants can be transplanted in a place receiving full sunlight. After transplanting into the field, young plantings should be weeded regularly. Other Blumea species are usually propagated by seed only. 100 achenes of B. lacera weigh 4.8 mg; their germination rate is about 95%, falling to about 10% when stored for 12 months. The optimum temperature for germination is 30 °C, but achenes can germinate at 20-50 °C.

Husbandry

In general, Blumea species are considered weeds, so more effort is geared towards eradication rather than towards cropping. Full sunlight is optimal for B. balsamifera for growth and for the production of essential oil. In the Philippines it responds well to a fertilizer application of 40 g ammonium sulphate or 100 g solophos (0-18-0) per plant.

Diseases and pests

In the Philippines B. balsamifera suffers from leaf rust caused by Endophyllum blumeae, resulting in premature defoliation when the attack is severe. During the rainy season circular leaf spot caused by Cercospora sp. may lead to serious losses. Orange leaf spot also caused by a Cercospora sp. occurs occasionally. In Indonesia, Gloeosporium sp. has been found to cause anthracnose in B. balsamifera. Both B. balsamifera and B. lacera are occasionally suffering from Endophyllum blumeae. B. balsamifera is reported to be a host of the mites Amblyseius sp., Brevipalpus obovatus and Typhlodromus jackmickleyi.

Harvesting

In gardens, leaves of B. balsamifera are collected when required. On a larger scale, either whole plants are harvested or leaves are picked up to four times a year.

Yield

In Vietnam yields of 50 t/ha of fresh leaves of B. balsamifera have been reported, yielding 50-200 kg borneol.

Handling after harvest

For home consumption fresh leaves are washed, finely chopped and given to patients. Commercially, leaves are dried in the shade, in a well ventilated place before use. On distillation the leaves can yield 0.1-0.5% of a yellow oil.

Genetic resources and breeding

In view of the weedy nature of most Blumea, the risk of genetic erosion appears rather limited. No germplasm collections of B. balsamifera are known to be maintained and no breeding work has been done.

Prospects

The essential oil contains interesting components such as (-)-borneol and (-)-camphor, which may find use e.g. in perfumery and/or chemical synthesis (due to their more uncommon stereochemical conformation). Furthermore, the presence of flavonoids like blumeatin merits further research for their protective effects on the liver.

Literature

Aguilar, N.O., 1999. Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. In: Oyen, L.P.A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 19. Essential-oil plants. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands. pp. 68-70.
Dutta, S.C., Saha, B.N., Pathak, M.G. & Mathur, R.K., 1989. Essential oil of Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce. Indian Perfumer 33(1): 38-39.
Gupta, S.C., Khanolkar, U.M., Koul, O. & Saxena, B.N., 1977. Pyrethrin synergistic activity by the essential oils of a few Blumea species. Current Science 46(9): 304-305.
Koster, J.T., 1972. The Compositae of New Guinea III. Blumea 20: 211-225.
Lim-Sylianco, C.Y., Concha, J.A., Jocano, A.P. & Lim, C.M., 1986. Antimutagenic effects of eighteen Philippine plants. Philippine Journal of Science 115(4): 293-298.
Nguyen Xuan Dung, Do Tat Loi, Do Tat Hung & Leclercq, P.A., 1991. Chemical composition of the oil of Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce from Vietnam. Journal of Essential Oil Research 3(4): 285-286.
Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. pp. 87-88.
Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. pp. 964-967.
Randeria, A.J., 1960. The composite genus Blumea, a taxonomic revision. Blumea 10: 176-317.
Xu, S.B., Chen, W.F., Liang, H.Q., Lin, Y.C., Deng, Y.J. & Long, K.H., 1993. Protective action of blumeatin against experimental liver injuries. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 14(4): 376-378.

Selection of species

Authors

D.S. Alonzo