Buddleja americana
[Introduction and Description] [Common Names] [Chemical Compounds and Toxicity] [Uses and Efficacy] [References] [Return to medicinal plants list]
Buddleja americana is a member of the family Loganiaceae and is native to Central America. The plant grows to a height of 3 meters. The leaves are oval (20cm) with white hairs on the edges. The flowers are very small and greenish-yellow. The plant has a strong odor.
- Hoja blanca -- Honduras
- Salvia -- Honduras, El Salvador
- Zayolizcan
Very little information regarding the types and quantity of chemical compounds in Buddleja americana could be found. Also, little toxic information could be found. The only information located stated that the plant contains saponic glycosides, alkaloids, tannins, sterols, and triterpenes, and that ethanol extracts are poisonous to fish. Since information on exact compounds could not be located, the following discussion is about general properties of these types of compounds.
Saponic glycosides occur in many temperate legume forages and are one of the causes of bloat in ruminants. They are bitter compounds and can decrease feed palatability and feed intake. While some saponins can decrease growth in swine and poultry, others have beneficial effects and are used as feed additives.
Alkaloids, in general, are bitter and toxic. However, many alkaloids have medicinal properties. Triterpenes are biochemically complex. Many terpenes have medicinal properties, though many also are toxic. Without better phytochemical information about this plant it is neither possible to determine if it contains compounds that may be medicinal nor ones that could be toxic.
As with the chemical composition and toxicity information, few data are available regarding the efficacy of Buddleja americana. Farmers in Honduras indicated that it was used to relieve stomach pain caused primarily by parasites. It normally is combined with plants that are supposed to kill the parasites. However, the only information regarding its efficacy was about its ability to control bacteria. Ethanol extractions were shown to inhibit Escherichia coli but not Staphylococcus aureus.
Some Uses in Humans:
- Headache -- Colombia
- Analgesic -- Mexico
- Burn -- Mexico
- Diuretic -- Mexico and El Salvador
- Cirrhosis -- Mexico
- Hepatitis -- Mexico
- Hypnotic -- Mexico
- Pain (stomach) -- Honduras
- Parasites -- Honduras
- Rheumatism -- Mexico and El Salvador
- Sore -- Mexico
- Tetanus -- Mexico
- Tumor -- Mexico
- Wound -- Honduras and Mexico
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., James A. Duke, and K.K. Wain. "The Ethnobotany Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/ethnobotdb. (ACEDB version 4.3-data version July 1994).
- Manual Popular de Plantas Medicinales Comunes de la Costa Atlantica de Honduras. 1996. Programa Tramil-Centroamérica/ENDA CARIBE.
- de Mena Guarero, M.G. 1994. Obtencion y Aprovechamiento de Extractos Vegetales de la Flora Salvadoreña. Editorial Universitaria, Salvador.